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If it wasn't Elliotte Friedman who said it most would assume it was a bunk rumour, but there it was on Twitter with a link to the Sportsnet article-- New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic is being shopped or being sought after or both.
He's a Manitoba boy so obviously the Jets should be looking at him, right?
Not so fast. While he does have MB roots, is a charitable soul and fits all the billing that True North Sports Entertainment wants in a player does he actually make sense for the Jets to go after and probably overpay to acquire? I'd say no but if if the deal makes sense then that's a different conversation.
First, Harmonic is a right-handed defenseman and the Jets are already deep with them and one would have to wonder if they really want that kind of problem. Without losing a d-man in a trade adding Hamonic would make Tobi Enstrom the only left-handed defenseman starting.
Mark Stuart would have to be bumped down, right? Right?
The challenge is that Hamonic is going to be a big price and what do the Jets have to offer? Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien? That doesn't make sense but what does is the fact that Enstrom's name just slipped out. While no one should want to see Toby leave could it be a way of trying to soften the market so the Jets can pursue Hamonic with less bidders?
That's pretty dirty pool but it could happen.
Nonetheless the Jets should be inquiring and should the chance of a deal be possible they should work to make it happen, but so should 29 other GMs.
Tonight the winless-in-forever Canucks face the winless-in-forever Jets. In some ways these two teams are similar in that they have both brought a youth movement to each roster respectively.
The Canucks had five players under 20 on the team in Montreal and it shows how they have done under the scouting system of former GM Mike Gillis. The Jets too will have four or more players that have been drafted and developed too and it shall be interesting to see how these teams compete against one another with the relative inexperience they both have in the roster.
That being said the Jets and Canucks are also being criticized heavily for their recent play. It's been ugly and while Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins has opted for some rather strange line-blending of late it's only tonight that Winnipeg bench boss Paul Maurice is really beginning to tinker and mess with his traditional lines. With the current records noted are these two coaches both looking for the same thing? A way to jump start offence and systems?
I would not go so far as to suggest they are at a loss but they both know they have to do something as the status-quo is not working. With the Jets more than not working, it's Noel-like in that the players look lost and so does the coach.
So what busts this slump?
The St. Louis game was a good effort but perhaps the team was not nearly as unlucky as they have been or that the Blues weren't as lucky? That's the pessimist view but it's hard to know with the Jets, they say all the right things but it does not always translate to the ice. The best medicine can be to play a team as confounded by recent results as you are but there's risk there too, what if they figure it out and you don't?
Hopefully the Jets and their fans don't have to answer that one later tonight.