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Was the trade deadline a missed opportunity for the Jets? |
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Needing help on their blueline entering Monday’s trade deadline, the Jets sent a 2021 sixth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Jordie Benn, providing the Jets with some defensive depth.
It was a deal that wasn’t formally processed and announced until after the 3:00 PM EST deadline.
“It came down right at the last minute to the point where I wanted to make sure that before it even started confirming the leaks out there that somehow get out, it was something that made it under the wire,” said Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
It was a deadline day that saw players like Dallas’ Jamie Oleksiak, Arizona’s Alex Goligoski and Anahiem’s Josh Manson staying put—all players that the Jets at least kicked tires on.
Even a Tyler Myers or Alex Edler would have been upgrades to the Jets d-core.
“We looked at a few other things that we tried to do today that might have been some big swings, but the players that we targeted didn't move,” said Cheveldayoff.
While Cheveldayoff may have swung for the fences and missed, he eventually played it safe, swinging for contact instead-- acquiring Benn in the process.
“He’s player that competes hard, he's a pro, he's got a lot of games under his belt and a lot of experience that I think will be helpful,” said Cheveldayoff. “As the games get a little more intense and a little more rugged, he's a big body that is not afraid to play that way.”
Giving up a sixth-round pick for a depth piece that will help down the stretch and into the playoffs is fine, a minimal cost.
But did the Jets need more to compete in a top heavy division?
“I think we addressed an area of depth, which when you come into a situation like this, and you're in the final time of trying to add something, you want to take care of a few things,” Cheveldayoff said. “Jordie gives us a player that can play right side, can play left side and competes real hard. He’s someone that can add some physicality and that stuff to the lineup.”
In only adding Benn to the mix, Cheveldayoff is investing on some of his younger players to come in and make an impact on the Jets blue line.
“I think somebody that I'd like to see at some point in time here is Ville Heinola get an opportunity to show where he does fit. We think we have some depth within the organization that is a little more than maybe what some other people might think,” said Cheveldayoff.
“He’s been a little bit of a victim of some circumstances here with respect to the taxi squad being up here, sometimes you're here, but you're not in the lineup because of the way we've had to travel with COVID and the different travel restrictions are there, but we think Ville can step right in and play when the opportunity presents itself.”
Players like Heinola, Logan Stanley and Dylan Samberg are undoubtedly the future of the Jets’ defense, but given what the Jets have done to date, should Cheveldayoff pushed the chips all in and gone for it? Giving the Jets a better chance at a Stanley Cup run
“When you come into a trade deadline you're sometimes victim to what might be out there as well,” said Cheveldayoff.
“I think I've said it before, we have a good group of guys on defense that I think have really good chemistry together and I think that some of the guys that have gotten an opportunity like Logan Stanley have taken it and are continuing to get better.”
Cheveldayoff was never going to part ways with his top prospects, and if he wanted to land a say David Savard, he would have had to part ways with a first round pick and more.
It seems like that wasn’t an option either.
“The interesting thing is that we're at a point in time here where we're 40 games in which generally is the halfway point of a season where young players like [Stanley] are only just kind of finding their way and continue to get better and better.”
What happened with the Jets today shows that either Cheveldayoff believes in the organizational depth, or he was never going to move assets to improve the blue line, even if he didn't believe in it.
Cheveldayoff will tell you it’s the former.
“I look at the opportunity that's in front of this group to continue to reap benefits that some of the younger players getting better and getting an opportunity that should be beneficial to us moving forward,” he said.
One way or another, it’s going to be a maturing process for the Jets young d-core. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to Cheveldayoff looking back to today, regretting the moves he made.
Or the ones he didn’t make.
Winnipeg Jets Blogger • 
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