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Ladd Trade not About Cap or Player |
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Without diving into the in and outs of what Andrew Ladd meant to the Winnipeg Jets, the City and the fans- that can come later- the move is about a bigger picture for the team and one fans should not avoid understanding.
The post game show on TSN 1290 last night and a lot of negativity towards the deal from those who called in. Even after a great road win over the Stars with some of the most creative play from the team in ages, the talk was about Andrew Ladd, and not surprisingly.
People think of the Jets as a young team on the rise, the fore front of the 'draft and develop movement' cutting across the NHL. It's true they are one of those things. Before yesterday there were 7 players, 6 if you take away Grant Clitsome, who were 30 and over. That's not bad but it's where those players lie in the roster that posed some concern. Byfuglien, Enstrom, Ladd, Stuart, Stafford, Thorburn and Pardy are the players and of those 3 had deals with term left. Did the Jets really need to add another deal in that age category for term?
For some it's easy to say 'why did Ladd have to be the casualty then?' and it's fair point when looking at Stuart and Thorburn's deals. However Ladd is also the victim of circumstance from the timing of his expiring deal, the NHL economic realities, and his own longevity. To a team like the Winnipeg Jets there was, and should be, a finite amount of resources (meaning $$ and term) to put into his role.
Ladd is not a superstar. He is not in the top tier of NHL forwards one thinks of when they look to build a team, not now and not before he arrived in Winnipeg. He's a damn good hockey player and person but he is somewhat replaceable and as age becomes more of a factor so does the variable of 'return' on the asset.
For all the fans who were negative about the trade last night and probably still today, how would they feel in 4 years if time had caught up with Ladd and production was at half of what it is now?
The return for Ladd may be the best that was out there based on the teams who wanted Ladd. Remember this is what you got when dealing for him: 2 Cup wins and the experience that comes with them, an expiring contract and no future liability, a steady 20 goal scorer, a positive possession player, a captain calibre player. What a team did no get was any certainty that Ladd would be on that roster come the following year.
The Jets got a first round pick, one that could be 29th or 30th overall depending on how the Blackhawks fare in the post season. The also got a top prospect in Marko Dano, a 21 year old who as the key return in the Brandon Saad trade with Columbus this past summer. If you are the Jets you needed to get something tangible for Ladd, not another lottery pick as the sole prize.
Think of it this way- after the recent run of games how many people are enjoying Armia right now? He was a measurable quantity that the Jets could work with. A draft pick holds a lot of uncertainty. How well you measure players is another topic altogether but it appears that Dano has far more upside that has not been seen yet. Remember this- how hard is it to crack that Blackhawks roster? Dano is a RW and he could immediately ensure that Thorburn never rises above the 4th line again.
This deal was not about replacing Andrew Ladd though. That kind of hockey deal does not exist for the Jets in the league right now for reasons outlined above. This deal was about restructuring the Jets roster and make-up for the best possible future and Chevy did an admirable job as it first appears. What fans have to remember is this is the first step of change, and it's what the GM and organization does with Marko Dano and the draft pick assets. How Dano is brought into the roster, with whom he plays with and what kinds of players the Jets can acquire with picks, is going to tell how well this deal worked for the Jets.
Right now it works out really well for the Blackhawks and that's the way it should be. That's what deadline deals are like, selling future for immediate needs. That's what Jets fans need to remember too, the future for the Jets wasn't now but with some of the talent in their pipeline and now more flexibility to make deals the future could be coming a bit sooner and be rather bright. Moving Andrew Ladd was necessary to that cause and goal as would any player in the same situation.
You ask anyone in TNSE today, they would tell you they want Andrew Ladd to be a Jet but it's not at any cost and that is the right move given the circumstances.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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