With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? We start with a look at the Winnipeg Jets.
Before last season, Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was known as someone that didn’t look to make too many notable deadline moves. That changed when he surprised many with the acquisition of center Paul Stastny who played a big role in helping the Jets reach the Western Conference Final. However, his departure to Vegas via free agency in the summer has left a hole that has yet to be filled. With a cap crunch looming, rental players will likely be atop their wish list between now and the February 25th trade deadline.
Record
31-15-2, first in the Central Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$27.673MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 41/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2019: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th
2020: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th
Trade Chips
While there are questions regarding defenseman Jacob Trouba’s long-term future with the team, it’s hard to imagine them dealing him at this stage of the season. Instead, this is most likely an offseason decision and the focus will be on moving younger players or future assets instead.
At the top of the list has to be winger Nic Petan. He’s basically a waiver-blocked player, someone who isn’t good enough to crack Winnipeg’s lineup but the team feels he’s likely to be claimed off of waivers so they don’t want to expose him and lose him for free. The end result has been lengthy stretches in the press box as the 23-year-old has played in just 13 games so far this season (and hasn’t missed time due to injury). Petan was a point-per-game player in the AHL last season and with a cap hit of just under $875K, he appears to be the type of player that is used as a throw-in in a larger deal or as the asset heading the other way for a depth upgrade.
Defenseman Sami Niku is also likely to draw some interest. He has been back and forth between Winnipeg and AHL Manitoba and is only a year removed from being a high-end point producer with the Moose. He’s someone that likely factors into Winnipeg’s plans for next season but as a young blueliner that’s nearly NHL-ready, he’s going to have some suitors in the weeks to come.
Five Players To Watch For: F Mason Appleton, G Eric Comrie, F Marko Dano, D Sami Niku, F Nic Petan
Team Needs
1) Third Line Center: Stastny wasn’t replaced as the team hoped to fill his position internally. A few players have had a crack at the role with varying degrees of success but as we’ve seen in recent years, having a surplus of talent down the middle can go a long way towards postseason success. With so many players in need of new contracts for next season, minimizing their salary cap exposure for next season will be key so a pending unrestricted free agent is likely to be the target here.
2) Depth Defenseman: Winnipeg is fortunate enough to not have many significant holes so beyond filling their center vacancy, they’ll likely want to give themselves some injury insurance on the back end. They did this last season by flipping a fourth-round pick for Joe Morrow and will likely look to do so again this time around. If the player isn’t making too much, this is one area that they can look beyond expiring contracts to try to fill.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.