Today the Winnipeg Jets opened training camp for the 2018-19 season and the rosters of who was attending were announced yesterday minus one key player Josh Morrissey.

The #nhljets have announced their 2018 training camp roster and schedule. The first practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday at @bellmtsiceplex as part of Fan Fest. pic.twitter.com/dfxpgD5L5n

— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) September 12, 2018

This will be the major story of training camp until it's resolved. As of now neither side seems particularly uncomfortable but media (at least one person) would suggest the pressure is on Morrissey. Paul Edmonds, the Jets radio play-by-play guy, said on 1290 this morning that he sees the pressure on Morrissey as he sits and watches and waits and that 'it will eat at him'. Evans also said that by not showing up 'I guess he's a holdout and the Jets have been through this before'.

Evans is wrong. Josh Morrissey does not have a contract and he is not holding out. If he's holding out then the converse is true too that the Jets are holding out on him. As it stands the only really known part of the contract situation is that Morrissey and his agent want a bridge deal and the Jets want long term deal.

Morrissey wants to play in Winnipeg but he likely wants to get paid more than what the Jets are offering long-term at least at an AAV. What the Jets have offered is unknown but I would imagine the AAV would be closer to 4 million, maybe less given their history with contracts.

The advantage for Morrissey to take a bridge deal is obvious- look at his playing partner. Jacob Trouba held out in 2016 (yes he did because his agent basically said he was to get traded that's the difference) and then had arbitration rights after his bridge deal and is now making 5.5 million and will make a lot more on his next deal. Why wouldn't Morrissey want the same thing especially if the Jets are undervaluing his UFA years in a long term deal?

The Jets have provided tryouts to some players who include:

G Ken Appleby played 3 games with the Devils and more on their farm team
D Charles-David Beaudin who played with the Moose last year
D Jacob Cedarholm who played in Europe and the Moose last year
D Peter Stoykewich who played for the Moose last year
F Matt Ustaski who played one game with the Moose last year
F Tye McGinn who played for the Syracuse Crunch

Certainly adding goalie depth the organization is smart given the departures of Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson. However is Appleby a credible option in an emergency? Seems a bit of hope not a certainty.

The others are filler and certainly destined for the Moose or released but necessary to start camp.

The biggest note here is that there are no PTOs for noted players from the NHL. None and that should say all that needs to be said about the direction Paul Maurice and Kevin Cheveldayoff are taking with this training camp. There will be auditions, there will be some opportunities but that's only if some one plays themselves out of a position or role and another plays themselves in. Basically- this roster is set.

The wild cards here for defense are Niku and Stanley while Luke Green received some praise during the young stars tournament in Penticton. As for forwards your battle for spots likely comes down to Petan, Dano, Lemieux, Suess, Vesalainen and Appleton but of those perhaps only Vesalainen will be seen as a legit threat.

Any astute fan can probably figure out the forward lines and defense pairs already and that seems fair. This is not a team that needs roster tweaking as much as it needs some of it's younger players to keep moving on the development curve and for some vets to increase production. We'll get to the handwringing of the second line soon enough.

As for now this is what is here and what Maurice and his team have to work on. That's not to say some questions do not exist.

1. Does a healthy Scheifele help Wheelers production even more or hold status quo?
2. What or who should be the make-up of the second line?
3. Does Niku have a chance at making the team, Stanley?
4. What does the 4th line look like if Maurice opts to use Lowry Copp and Tanev at the 3rd line position?
5. Should LCT even be a third line?
6. If Morrissey and the Jets cannot come to terms before the season what does the defense look like?

We can go on. However, we'll explore these questions and the team makeup as camp goes on. Welcome back fans, great to be back for my 8th season covering the Jets and my 10th as a writer at HB. Lots to talk about and unlike last year when making the playoffs was the goal this team and it's fans have their sights on a much bigger goal.

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