Assessing the trade deadline avenues the Jets should explore
Even though their captain may not want to admit it, the Winnipeg Jets have all the pieces to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.
The Jets are quick, young, and strong up front, deep on the blue line, and have developed an All-Star netminder who's shown no signs of letting up in his breakout campaign. While Blake Wheeler may want to slow down the hype train until his team actually makes the "f---ing playoffs," the rapidly approaching trade deadline presents Winnipeg with several options to perhaps change his mind.
Fighting for the top spot in the Central Division, the Jets, if anything, will look to add to their lineup for the stretch run. How significantly? Well, that remains to be seen, but because he constructed one of the NHL's deepest outfits, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has the unique luxury of being able to choose just how drastically he wants to change his roster with little risk of harming Winnipeg's chances of a deep playoff run.
Without further ado, let's explore the avenues the Jets can go down before the NHL's Feb. 26 trade deadline:
Option No. 1: Stand pat
By far the most boring possibility, but the Jets probably wouldn't be too upset to enter the postseason as is - the return of a healthy Jacob Trouba notwithstanding.
Just ask winger Mathieu Perreault.
"We've got so many guys here right now," Perreault said recently. "With all the injuries, when these guys come back we'll have a boatload of players. So I don't know if we necessarily need to add players to our team."
Winnipeg's battle with the Nashville Predators for first in the Central will likely come down to the wire, but even if the Jets miss out on the top seed, a second-place finish will ensure home-ice advantage in the first round. This season at Bell MTS Centre, the Jets are 22-5-2.
Additionally, the Jets are 9-6 against divisional opponents, and have gone 24-9-4 versus the West, proving they can hang with any potential postseason adversary.
Even after losing Mark Schiefele, Dustin Byfuglien, Trouba, and two backup goaltenders for significant chunks this season, the Jets rank in the top five in goal differential, fifth in power play, and sixth in penalty kill efficiency. This team is as solid as they come right now.
Option No. 2: Low-cost tinkering
Another option for Cheveldayoff is to scan the market for cost-effective rentals to solidify the Jets' depth.
Winnipeg obviously has tremendous firepower up front, but to win in the playoffs, teams need contributions throughout the entire lineup. Could a player like Michael Grabner work? He likely wouldn't cost more than a draft pick, and can contribute regular minutes in the bottom six as well as the penalty kill. Not to mention, he leads the Rangers with 25 goals.
If the Jets are content with their wingers, upgrading the fourth-line center position and adding a body to play the left side on defense make the most sense.
The Jets' fourth-line pivot is Matt Hendricks, and while he probably won't single-handedly win or lose a series, finding an improvement as insurance - perhaps Carolina's Derek Ryan - would be beneficial. Meanwhile, a reliable left-handed shot to fill in behind Josh Morrissey and Tobias Enstrom could round out the Jets' defense corps nicely without too much of a shakeup.
Option No. 3: Go for it
Alright, now let's have some fun. What if one of the NHL's best teams made a concerted effort to get ... even better?
GMs have become somewhat sheepish to go big on rentals ahead of the playoffs at the risk of spending too much only to have the experiment fail, but the Jets have a major advantage in being stocked for both the present and the future.
Winnipeg's affiliate - the Manitoba Moose - sit first in the AHL's Western Conference, and have consistently churned out NHL-caliber players, including Kyle Connor, Jack Roslovic, and Nic Petan, all of whom are in the Jets starting lineup. Trading any of these players would sting, but it's at least worth inquiring what they may bring back.
Imagine a top-four of Trouba, Morrissey, Byfuglien, and Ryan McDonagh? Or sliding Rick Nash or Derick Brassard into the Jets' rotation of weapons up front? Now we're talking.
If the Jets were to swing for the fences, it hardly affects their championship window, as new contracts for restricted free agents Connor Hellebuyck, Morrissey, and Trouba following the season will ensure the team's core is locked in for another crack at the Cup in 2018-19. Furthermore, the Predators are reportedly in the mix for trades, and at the very least will lure super-sniping prospect Eeli Tolvanen from overseas for the playoff push. The Blues are reportedly looking to make a splash as well, so if the Jets' main competitors are pushing hard to improve, shouldn't they try as well?
We'll find out soon.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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