The NHL's Trade Deadline is just over 3 weeks away, and come March 21st, the Winnipeg Jets should be quite a busy team heading up to that date.
In a must-win game against the Colorado Avalanche, the Jets blew a 3-0 lead after the first period to go on and lose the game 6-3. I won't spend too much time on this game, but credit to the Jets, they didn't give up, though they certainly slowed down come the 3rd period. It wasn't a matter of the Jets efforts not being htere, but they got dominated in all aspects of the game after the 1st period.
I think it is safe to say that this was the final blow for many fans, and it is pretty agreed upon that the Winnipeg Jets should be sellers at this years Trade Deadline.
Now, what do I mean by sellers? Well I don't think this team needs a rebuild. Looking at the most recent examples in the LA Kings, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Arizona Coyotes, this is not the path Kevin Cheveldayoff will be looking at. Rather, a re-tool, and a quick 1-2 year stockpile of draft picks, and prospects.
The easy part of all of this is identifying who is staying. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, and Connor Hellebuyck are all but guarunteed to be a part of this team moving forward. As for this years deadline, I am also going to throw in the names Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. A different conversation may be had in the summer, but for now, they are all staying put.
It is also worth mentioning all of their prospects, including Cole Perfetti, Ville Heinola, Chaz Lucius, Dylan Samberg, and Nikita Chibrikov not going anywhere, and probably not Declan Chisholm or David Gustafsson either.
Now, I say they are not going anywhere, but some of these players may be included in a deal, to upgrade. What I mean by that is that a player like David Gustafsson may be included in a package with another player for an upgrade on a center prospect, or young asset. If we have learned anything on deadline-day, it is that anything is possible.
Now, the Jets have a handful of UFA's coming up at the end of this season. This includes Andrew Copp, Paul Stastny, C.J Suess and Nathan Beaulieu.
Andrew Copp is the biggest trade chip in play for the Jets, as the 27 year old forward has shown a lot of growth each year in the league. Missing out on some games due to injury is not what the Jets wanted to see ahead of the deadline, but while making his return with just under a month to go, lots of teams will be calling on him. Here are some potential trade partners, and some trades that may be completed.
New York Rangers:
To NYR: Andrew Copp
To WPG: Vitali Kravtsov, 2022 2nd round pick (STL), 2022 4th round pick (WPG)
The New York Rangers acquire a versatile 3C, or a middle-six winger to strenghten their depth. The Winnipeg Jets acquire a young, promising winger in Kravtsov, who is having some issues in the Rangers system. Kravtsov is having a decent year in the KHL, with 13 points in 19 games. The Jets also bring in a couple of picks. I think the Rangers are more likely to say no to this, but it all depends in how they value their Russian winger today.
Toronto Maple Leafs:
To TOR: Andrew Copp (50% retained)
To WPG: Justin Holl, Ty Voit, Alex Steeves, 2022 2nd round pick (TOR)
Like the Rangers, the Leafs would be acquiring Copp to add depth, and would likely see 2nd line minutes alongside Tavares and Nylander. I think the Leafs are desperate to dump Holl's salary, and with only one more year left, of course the Jets would need to find room on their defense, but a change of scenery can work for Holl. Voit and Steeves are two mid-level prospects, and I am not sure if the Leafs would give up both with a 2nd, but to pay for the salary retention, and Holl's contract, this seems on the right path.
Boston Bruins:
To BOS: Andrew Copp
To WPG: Jake DeBrusk, Jack Studnicka, 2022 3rd round pick (CAL)
The Bruins get their much needed second line center, and grant Jake DeBrusk his request to be traded. Studnicka has produced pretty well, and would be a good fit with this Jets lineup. I think this is one of the more likely deals we see, as Boston would love to have Copp center Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle, bumping Haula to the 3C slot.
Now to move on to Paul Stastny. Stastny has been in a lot of trade talks over his career, and now, chasing a Stanley Cup at the age of 36, he can be a very servicable player for most contenders. On about a 45 point pace over 82 games, he can add some great depth to a powerhouse.
Colorado Avalanche:
To COL: Paul Stastny (50% retained)
To WPG: Martin Kaut, Tyson Jost, 2023 3rd round pick (COL)
Martin Kaut has lots of upside, and Tyson Jost is a $2m scratch on a team that is sniffing the cap limit. I think this deal has a lot of potential, and maybe a few things added to each side to balance things out, but is the Jets can acquire Kaut and try him on the 3rd line to generate some more offense, and have Jost as a quality center option after a change of scenery, this may benefit both teams well. Stastny could go back to his original team and chase the cup he has been looking for.
Minnesota Wild:
To MIN: Paul Stastny, 2024 3rd round pick (WPG)
To WPG: Ryan O'Rourke
The Minnesota Wild will be all in this year. With some big named UFA's and and additional $8m in buyout penalties next year, they want to win now. Paul Stastny can help them with that, and O'Rourke is a great defensive prospect, but with Carson Lambos ahead of him on the charts, someone has to be expendable. This could be a big win for both teams with some tweaking.
As for the rest of the teams assets for this deadline, we could see Harkins, Toninato, Vesalainen, Poganski and Brendan Dillon moved out for some picks and make room for the youth waiting for their turn. Obviously, not all of these guys egt dealt, and we can't even be sure of the direction of the team, as Cheveldayoff hasn't made any indications on what the plan is. I would like to see the Jets recoup as many picks as possible, as they have a pretty good scouting department.
What are your thoughts on these deals? It gets tough when accounting for the salary with top-tier contending teams, but I think any of these deals could get done. As I said, the NHL's Trade Deadline is always full of surprises.
What would you change about these? Let me know down below in the comments, have a great day!
Jacob Billington