It was not the big home run hit that many had wanted but given the unfortunate incident with Morrissey (Twitter rumors saying broken collar bone) and not a whole lot of option Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff tried his best at the NHL trade deadline.
Don't mistake adding Kevin Hayes, who has a better point per game record this season than Paul Stastny had last season by the deadline, as a failure as much as it is smarter. Take a look at the UFA LHD out there and see who was available- the list was not long nor deep and the Jets managed to get two. They also ridded themselves of two contracts and brought back some intangibles.
Coming in:
Kevin Hayes
He's a big guy who's been known mostly for his offensive game but those who have followed the 26 year old know he's come a long was since entering the league. Hayes credits his time with former Moose head coach Alain Vigneault as part of what has made him a better defensive player. Furthermore even those who seemed to think he was mono dimensional feel he has become a better two-way player.
Where he plays will be interesting and one has to wonder how much Paul Maurice wants to push Bryan Little down, again, but Hayes should get a chance to spark the 2nd line wingers in Connor and Ehlers. He might even get a look on the PP too much like Statsny did and be that big body in front, that's if he wants to face Laine's shot.
Matt Hendricks
Was he the target of many a fan's ire last season whether on the PK or anywhere- yes. But with Perreault he was magic (at times) and obviously the Jets felt they lacked something without him. Hendricks may not even play much but surely with Appleton and Poolman being sent to the minors today to make space on contracts and be eligible for the AHL playoffs Hendricks just might see some time.
He didn't even fly from the Twin Cities to Winnipeg- he drove. A 2020 7th round pick is not much to pay for intangibles so let's hope he brings those with him.
Nathan Beaulieu
LHD- check. UFA- check. Size- check. There's not much to hate about Beaulieu on paper but then you have to see him play. That's where the critics come in and wonder why he has not put much together. As a Canadien he had season of 17 and 24 assists but after his move to Buffalo those numbers declined. Some say he can make a good first pass and skates well. Those are two traits the left side of the Jets defence needs, now we'll find out how well.
Bogdan Kiselevich
It's hard to find details on the 29 year old Russian as he's only played this year with Florida and the scouting reports are slim. With the Petrovic trade Kiselevich was given the chance to play according to the Rattrick.com. They seemed to think he was the superior player to the traded Petrovic so thus he's more insurance for the Jets as they hope to find some one who can pass.
If you look at both of these defence acquisition they speak to players who can pass and move the puck. IF you have watched many of the Jets games these past two months that has been one aspect that is sorely missing or inadequate. Will either of these two players move the needle right now? Not likely, but for moving the puck they are already better than Kulikov, Myers and Chiarot when it comes to assists and perhaps they can help ignite the transition game.
Long term thinking here is that perhaps the Jets feel with Chiarot as a UFA they might be able to manage the RFA Beaulieu going forward while Chiarot might look to try and cash-in elsewhere, at least as best he can.
Par Lindholm
To get Lindholm the Jets had to give up Petan (more on that later) and it seems they might have a player that they want rather than what they gave up. The quick sound bite on Lindholm is a smart hockey player who could anchor a 4th line as summarized from Elite Prospects. Perhaps size still matters as he's a larger player than Petan and has 1 goal and 11 assists in 61 games for the Less this year. Depth matters and if you don't want to have to dress Hendricks then Lindholm is likely a better option.
Alex Broadhurst
This deal came in late but really nothing of significance as he's gone from the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate to the Manitoba Moose.
Going out:
Brendan Lemieux
He was a grinder who finally found his way into a every day spot on the Jets this year after coming over in 2015. 4 years later his grit and determination paid off into a ridiculous hot streak that may have inflated his value. The Rangers fans will love him for that aspect of his game but he has yet to grow into many others that are necessary. Sure he can do a few things well but the Jets needed more than that and it was good to sell while his stock was high.
Nic Petan
Yes he played in over 100 games for the Jets but this year it was clear he was not in the coaches plans and all he was doing was taking up a spot to not be used. He leaves with an army of supporters wondering what happened to the highly touted 2nd round pick and a chance to pay with some elite players. Hopefully Kyle Dubas, the Leafs GM is sincere in his comments about Nic being the kind of player they can use, he certainly deserves a chance to figure out what he is as a hockey players because he likely doesn't know based on his last two season in Winnipeg.
Draft picks
It was all but certain the Jets first rounder was up for grabs but Cheveldayoff did well to spread the later round picks around and not overpay anywhere. This is likely the end of the spending spree at the trade deadline for this team as at some point you have to replenish the cupboards.
It has take the Jets 8 season to reach this point where spending at the deadline makes sense and they have done so without mortgaging the future so badly that they will never be able to recover. In fact the vets that they have added don't move the needle to much on the age bracket for the NHL's youngest team. They might give them a bit of that wisdom that only comes with experience and hopefully that's the missing ingredient that can bring this team together down the stretch.
Overall I give Chevy a B. He was smart without being reckless and did the best in a tough spot with Morrissey and did not give up too much. What he got might not do much but it was worth a shot.