Let's up front and brutally honest, anyone selling a bill of goods that Evander Kane can be replaced is not the kind of person to be taken as credible. He can't be in a deal otherwise why deal for him? The basic reality is the Jets need to add better players not send them on their way. Kane may one day be a member of another NHL team but it should not be because the GM thought he could swindle a deal by a rival. Hear that Chevy?
So take a look at Mason Raymond, a former Canucks draft pick and member of the pre-Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose. He's a left winger and can potentially play up and down the roster as a fill-in first liner or as a third line player. In fact having a guy like Mason Raymond on your third line with some one like Byfuglien might be a very interesting move. That is if Byfuglien remains a highly paid 3rd line RW and PP specialist.
Consider this: what if the 3rd line consisted of Raymond ??? and Frolik? And Buff moves up to 2nd line with Kane and Scheifele while Wheeler goes back to former line mates Ladd and Little?
Yes the centre position has to be filled but that's obvious and one would have to assume that the Jets and Chevy know this and are planning a solution. I touched on Derek Roy in the last column and while not to everyone's taste he may represent the type of move Chevy makes, just perhaps not him.
Raymond meets what many believe to be key intangible of Jets players, a familiarity with the city and general geographic region. In fact Raymond's wife has ties to Manitoba and that could be an influential lifestyle aspect should the Jets and Raymond have discussions.
Matt Halischuk was a poor man's MayRay. Even with an unfortunate injury that held him out it would be hard to believe that MayRay would under perform a player that was not a permanent roster player on the Jets.
So what's he worth? He'll want some term now that he is a UFA and if Chevy could keep that term at 3 years, there might be some traction. If he could keep the salary at what Setoguchi was making, 3 million, then he should push hard. Those are two big 'ifs' though and in a thin pool of talent at this year's UFA sweeps there is likely a GM pushing and willing to give more.
Forget the name of Mason Raymond now and think about the process and strategy. This team needs better players in the depth lines and it's at a 'must have' type level if the Jets want to improve. So that's what Chevy needs to do and if he's not talking to Raymond, why?
3 seasons of placeholders and rotating waiver wire pick ups have left the Jets bottom six core an abysmal shell of talent. It's that group which makes the team 'easier' to play. If the Jets are a big fast team as coach Paul Maurice has described adding the speed of Raymond fits in with the M.O. of coach and roster. Does it fit in with Chevy's vision and budget though?