The 2023 Trade Deadline is approaching fast, and the Winnipeg Jets are in a position to make some noise at the deadline. The will likely be buyers, as they are in a prime position to go on a long post-season run. With a Vezina-level season for Connor Hellebuyck and a Norris-level season from Josh Morrissey, they have two of the most important parts in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.

They also have some elite performances with their forwards, as Scheifele is on pace for nearly 50 goals, Kyle Connor has been heating up and is scoring well over a point-per-game, Nikolaj Ehlers returning and having 17 points in 13 games, Pierre-Luc Dubois having 51 points in 49 games. This is an incredible start to telling how well the roster has been performing.

That is without mentioning Blake Wheeler and Cole Perfetti, who are both having good seasons as well.

As of right now, the Jets are finally the healthiest they have been all season. Mason Appleton and David Gustafsson are the only players on injury reserve. Right now, the Jets roster looks pretty close to:

Connor-Dubois-Perfetti
Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Barron-Lowry-Kuhlman
J-Fjallby-Stenlund-Maenelainen

Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
____-Schmidt
(Fill in the blank with Heinola, Samberg, Stanley)

Hellebuyck
Rittich

So, let's identify the needs of this group.

There are no glaring holes, but the Jets may like to upgrade on the right wing or the defense. They have too many defensemen to get them all into the lineup, so quantity isn't the issue. Neal Pionk has been quite chaotic on the ice, and they may look to find a more stable defenseman, but I wouldn't count on them being active with him. Dillon could also be upgraded, but is far from problematic. There are no defensemen that the Jets will be actively trying to get off the roster, but there are quite a few who could be moved if the right deal comes up.

Up front, I think they are happy with what they have too, but the right wing is lacking depth. Appleton will re-add some depth to the lineup, but they could target a scoring winger to bump Wheeler down the lineup a bit.

There is a chance they could target a center, but with Lowry having a great season, they may feel comfortable with what they have.

Timo Meier

Meier is going to be traded at the deadline, and with RFA eligibility, rumor has it he is looking for $9 million a year on his new deal. Meier is worth every penny of that, as he is an offensive threat and a talented goal-scorer. He would be an excellent fit on a line with Scheifele and Ehlers, and though the price is going to be high, the Jets have enough assets to accommodate
a deal and still have assets left over.

Sam Reinhart

Sam Reinhart is the lite-version of everything I just mentioned about Meier. He is a great middle-six option, and with the Panthers feeling pressure to move out cap space, there may be a good deal to work out between the two teams.

Reinhart has this season and next at a cap hit of $6.5 million, which is very fair for the type of production and level of compete he brings. The Panthers would likely be looking for cheaper NHL assets, which the Jets could work with as they have both Stanley and Heinola that could be attractive pieces for the Panthers.

Jakob Chychrun

The Jets would benefit greatly for an upgrade on defense. As I mentioned, they have a solid group now, but they are missing one more piece to put them over the edge, and while Morrissey is having a fantastic year, adding Chychrun to the mix would put this blue line over the top.

The asking price remains astronomically high, so I don't picture Cheveldayoff pulling the trigger on a move here, but if the price comes down a bit, and they can work out a fair deal, it may make a lot of sense for both teams, as Winnipeg has some high quality future assets.

Other Names To Look Out For

Rather than getting a top-end player, the Jets would be fine if they added a solid middle-six/second pair defenseman.

A few names to look out for could include Sean Monahan, Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, Connor Murphy, or even James van Reimsdyk if they can make the money work.

There have also been connections to Jonathan Toews, which would be an interesting addition.

Be sure to let me know who you think should be the Jets' number one target headed into what we all hope to be a strong playoff run.

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