Winnipeg Jets

After the game between the Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, it got me thinking about a deal that was struck between the two franchises not too long ago. Both teams were involved in a crucial trade that sent key pieces each way.

Let’s go back in time and revisit the move.

In February of 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers made a trade that sent Rich Peverley to the Boston Bruins along with Boris Valabik. In return, the Thrashers received Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart. It was a pretty even deal.

Peverley was a waiver wire claim by the Thrashers. Valabik was a former 10th overall draft pick in 2004 that played in 80 career NHL games. Since then, Valabik has fallen out of the NHL and probably goes down as one of the biggest busts in Thrashers history. 

Essentially, the trade was Peverley for Wheeler and Stuart—no disrespect to Valabik.

Peverley was an unexpected waiver wire gem. No one in the Thrashers organization could have predicted or expected Peverley to come on the way he did. He provided the Thrashers with prime scoring and also set up others with playmaking ability. He was a three-zone player.

With Nashville, Peverley was just a guy they relied on to fill a defensive role, but there was more to be explored with the young forward. He got an opportunity and extended ice time with the Thrashers and made the most of it. Peverley developed into a skilled forward.

As for the players that the Bruins sent over to Atlanta; Stuart was and still is a stay-at-home physical defenseman while Wheeler was a kid with potential. But the key player in the deal was Wheeler.

Wheeler was still just a kid trying to find a home in the NHL. He was drafted fifth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2004. He didn’t play a single game with the Phoenix franchise due to a contractual dispute. He spent two and a half seasons in Boston before the trade occurred.

At the time of the trade, the better player in the entire deal was probably Peverley. But when revisiting the trade, Wheeler is surely the best player in the deal especially after his breakout season in 2011-12.

Still it was a win-win for both teams. The Thrashers were a rebuilding team and received a very nice piece to the puzzle in Wheeler. The Bruins got additional depth for their Stanley Cup run. And hey, they even won the Cup that year with Peverley being a key piece.

It all worked out nicely for everyone. Peverley helped the Bruins get a Cup and Wheeler found a true home in Winnipeg.

But when you analyze the trade and look at the individual talent going both ways, it looks like the Thrashers may have won this one.

Wheeler has all the tools of a dominant NHL forward and has finally put them all to use consistently. He’s tall, strong, fast and physical. He works great in all three zones and brings high amounts of energy each night. As such, he rarely takes a shift off.

Wheeler has developed into a leader and a productive forward in Winnipeg. He’s a player that the Jets can rely on to score goals and create chances. He’s playing top line minutes on one of the most underrated lines in hockey that consist of himself, Andrew Ladd, and Bryan Little.

The line is leading the Jets to a playoff run.

Since the trade, Peverley played in 108 games with the Bruins. He has recorded 19 goals and 58 points in his time there. Wheeler has played in 133 games with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise. He has scored 38 times and recorded 107 points in that span.

The Bruins gave up on a very talented forward a bit too soon.

Is the Bruins organization sobbing over the deal? No, they got their Cup. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having Wheeler back though, especially after seeing him score twice against them on Tuesday. After two and a half years, it looks like the Thrashers actually did something right after all.

Blake Wheeler is one of the brightest young stars in the NHL. He may even be the best non-talked about player in the game. He truly found a home in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Jets have already made a few minor trades throughout the course of the season. It won’t be the least bit surprising to see them make at least one more before the April 3 trade deadline.

With time winding down in the shortened campaign, the Jets have some unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who they’ll have to decide on. Do they keep them, or do they trade them?

In the coming days, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has to make some important decisions on the trade front.

Certainly, the mindset is changed when you’re tied for first place in your division with just 19 games remaining in the regular season. The Jets are in prime position to make the playoffs. It’s the closest that this franchise has been to the playoffs since the last time that they actually made it as the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07.

With that being said, do the Jets go ahead and trade away some of their UFAs, or do they keep them as they make a run for the playoffs?

It could go either way with the scenario that the Jets are in now. The following roster players are UFAs after the end of this season: Nik Antropov, Kyle Wellwood, Antti Miettinen, Ron Hainsey, Grant Clitsome, Derek Meech and Al Montoya. 

Obviously, one of the first things that come to mind is the value of return on some of these players. Some of them, at best, will fetch you a seventh-round draft pick. In that case, it’s probably pointless to even consider a trade.

However, some of them should fetch you much more than a late-round draft pick. In other words, some of these players are more appealing to GMs around the league than others. Three of those players are Antropov, Wellwood and Hainsey.

Antropov and Wellwood seem to be key pieces to the Jets' playoff run, so trading them is probably unlikely at this point, but it can’t be counted out. Hainsey seems to be the more expendable option with the stockpile that the Jets have on defense, but even he brings leadership and a veteran presence.

Each of the three could probably fetch at least a fourth-round draft pick. When we’re talking high draft picks, it might not be such a bad idea to pull the trigger. The Jets would love to add even more draft picks for this coming NHL draft in June.

If the Jets are serious for a playoff push, they’re probably going to need roster room anyway in case they actually become buyers. At this point, it’s probably safe to say that the Jets are buyers…and sellers. The old saying, “if the price is right…,” will probably decide which happens first.

But back to the UFA situation. While some are vital to a playoff push now, others can be replaced by someone else already on the roster.

Take Hainsey, for example. Sure, he’s a veteran presence, but will fans really notice a major difference if Arturs Kulda replaces him? Dare I say, the Jets might even be better off with Kulda’s defensive abilities.

The fact of the matter is, how many, if any, of these expiring contracts will be re-signed come next season. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jets let all of their UFAs walk. But what’s even more important than that is how these players contribute now.

If these players contribute to a playoff run, keeping them is obviously the better idea. However, if the Jets feel that they can still make the playoffs without one, then they should have no problems moving one.

The Winnipeg Jets made a couple of roster moves Monday, signing defenseman Arturs Kulda and placing goaltender Al Montoya on injured reserve, according to TSN.ca. 

While these may not be groundbreaking moves, perhaps the signing of Kulda means the Jets will look to move at least one blueliner by the trade deadline on April 3. 

Kulda is signed for the remainder of the season and will earn a pro-rated $550,000, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The 25-year-old Latvian has spent this season playing with Novosibirsk of the KHL. In 50 games he recorded nine goals and six assists for 15 points and racked up 55 penalty minutes. 

Kulda has appeared in 15 NHL games with the Thrashers and Jets since being selected in the seventh round, 200th overall, by the Thrashers in the 2006 entry draft. He has spent the majority of his professional career in the AHL, with the Chicago Wolves and St. John’s IceCaps.   

At 6'2" 215 pounds, Kulda will add a little more size and strength to an already big blue line. 

With the signing, the Jets now have 10 defensemen under contract, although Zach Redmond is out indefinitely. 

As for Montoya, the 28-year-old goaltender has a lower-body injury and has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Wednesday. 

Montoya has appeared in five games this season and started in four. He has three wins, a save percentage of .909, a GAA of 2.33 and one shutout.

There was a brief period of time where it seemed Montoya could get a few more starts, as Ondrej Pavelec struggled. However, Pavelec has since returned to form and appears poised to lead the Jets through the remainder of the season.

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 Thursday to take sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. 

Just a few weeks ago it seemed as though the Jets would slide to the bottom of the standings, as two tough road trips approached. Fast forward to the middle of March and not only did the Jets have success on the road; they are currently one of the hottest teams in the NHL. 

Winnipeg got off to a perfect start against the Rangers, with Nik Antropov scoring on the power play less than two minutes in. 

A critical point in the game came midway through the period, when Marian Gaborik was awarded a penalty shot. 

The puck skipped on Gaborik as he skated toward the net, but he still managed to get decent attempt off. Ondrej Pavelec made the stop, which seemed to set the tone for the goaltender. He was brilliant throughout the game, stopping 28 of 29 shots to earn the win. 

Ryan Callahan scored the lone goal for the Rangers early in the second, tipping home a Derek Stepan shot.

Another deflection, this time for the Jets, proved to be the game winner. Dustin Byfuglien took a shot from the point that hit Antti Miettinen and somehow got through Henrik Lundqvist. 

Bryan Little made the unselfish, and smart play late in the third with New York's net empty. Instead of taking a shot from center ice, Little dished the puck to an open Andrew Ladd on his wing, who sealed the win. 

The Jets got the best of the Rangers physically, outhitting them 46-33. Even more importantly, they stayed out of the penalty box. And, when the Rangers were applying good pressure, Pavelec bailed his team out. 

With the win, the Jets improve to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, which includes a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, two wins over the Rangers and a win and a shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils. 

The question now is: can Winnipeg continue to build on this hot streak? 

If the last couple games are any indication, they certainly could.

The Jets are playing a smart, physical brand of hockey and constantly putting pucks on net. They are taking less penalties and finally starting to show signs of improvement on special teams. 

Winnipeg’s best players have been playing at a high level for most of the season, specifically on offense. Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane all have at least 10 goals and 20 points through 27 games. 

Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s secondary scorers who were nowhere to be found early in the season, are finally starting to show signs of life. Nick Antropov, Kyle Wellwood and Antti Miettinen have all contributed in recent games. 

However, the most significant factor has been the suddenly consistent play of Ondrej Pavelec. The 25-year-old Czech netminder is starting to perform at the level that was expected of him heading into this season. 

Plus, let’s not forget, the Jets will get Tobias Enstrom back at some point. Enstrom was brilliant in 13 games before getting injured, registering 13 points. His return should provide a big boost to the defense and help Byfuglien, his regular partner, to play even better. 

As far as the schedule goes, the Jets don’t face too many tough opponents down the stretch, although that’s mostly due to the fact that they’re in NHL’s worst division. The majority of their remaining games are at home against teams currently below them in the standings. 

The most important dates to circle on the calendar if you’re a Jets fan are March 26, March 28 and April 18. The Jets will take on the Carolina Hurricanes on those days, the team that’s just a point ahead of them for the Southeast Division lead.

The Winnipeg Jets are currently battling in the Eastern Conference for a playoff spot, but other concerns are starting to develop.

Forward Alex Burmistrov was benched in Sunday’s loss against the New Jersey Devils. Coach Claude Noel then followed the benching by scratching Burmistrov in Tuesday’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. There’s a cause for concern with the whole Burmistrov situation.

Burmistrov was seen smiling on the bench during Sunday’s game shortly after being benched. Hopefully this isn’t the reasoning behind the benching. Sadly, it probably is. Or maybe it’s an attitude problem. Who knows?

One thing for sure is that Burmistrov’s benching isn’t a result of poor play.

Burmistrov’s statistics and on ice performance doesn’t really warrant a benching or scratch. He’s been outplaying and outperforming more than a few Jets players throughout the entire season. Sure, he isn’t putting up mind-blowing numbers, but that’s expected from the defensive-minded youngster.

The question now is where do the Jets go from here with Burmistrov?

Will the scratch Tuesday night lead to another scratch on Thursday night? How long is Noel going to keep this up? Or maybe the organization goes with the other possibility—trading Burmistrov.

Hopefully the Jets stray far away from any thought of trading Burmistrov.

It would be a complete disaster if the Jets go that route. Trading away Burmistrov would only be a testament to how poor this franchise is at developing young players. The Jets/Thrashers have had a history of bad development.

And let’s be honest, what has Burmistrov done negatively to warrant a trade?

Burmistrov is not a locker room cancer. He’s a very coachable player, and he has tremendous potential that is still locked away. He’s still developing and has to be developed properly. Being scratched and being in the coach’s dog house doesn’t bode well for anybody.

Is Burmistrov untouchable? No. But if the Jets were to trade him, they’d have to get the better end of the deal. Unless they were getting a top-tier center prospect in return, any trade would be moot. There’s just no reason to trade him right now.

This is only Burmistrov’s third season in the NHL. He’s 21 years old (would have been 20 had the season started with no lockout). He was thrown into the NHL as an 18-year-old right out of the draft. There’s still plenty of time for him to develop his skills. Some players take years. The Jets have to be patient.

The Jets are a rebuilding franchise and Burmistrov is a part of it. If Noel thinks benching one of the Jets’ best forwards is a smart move then maybe he’s the one that has to be questioned. Clearly, something is wrong here.

Burmistrov has to be in the lineup every night from here on out. Not just because he needs the time to develop, but because there isn’t a single scratched player on the roster that comes close to replacing his talent.

With Burmistrov in the lineup, the Jets have a better chance at winning. They have a better chance of scoring goals as well. They have a better chance at making the playoffs.

Of all NHL teams to have a goalie controversy, you’d think Winnipeg be one of the least likely.

Ondrej Pavelec is the Jets starting goaltender. He was also re-signed to a five-year contract in the offseason making him the franchise goaltender. And make no mistake about it, he is this team’s franchise goalie.

So where is the controversy part coming from?

Pavelec hasn’t been all too good this season. He hasn’t been able to make the big save when the Jets need it. He’s been frequently out of position and his glove hand seems to be his weak spot. His numbers this season through 20 games played (19 started) are a 2.93 goals against average and a.897 save percentage.

Sure, we could all blame the Jets’ pylon defense that has been a viable complaint on more than a few occasions, but the “this team has bad defense” excuse gets old very fast.

Pavelec was absolutely fantastic in net last season. He single-handedly won many of the games the Jets should have lost. But when you take a look at the statistics (2.91 GAA, .906 SV%), you’d a thought he had a pretty awful season.

When you look at Pavelec’s career statistics (2.98 GAA, .906 SV%), you probably wonder how he even became a starter in the NHL. His career numbers are mediocre and portray nothing of a starting goaltender or at least not a very good one.

This isn’t a “let’s hate on Pavelec” piece either, but let’s go back in time.  

The Atlanta Thrashers management had to make a vital decision back in 2010. Keep Kari Lehtonen or Pavelec? Obviously, they went with the latter. It was a decision that didn’t necessarily stun me, but it made me scratch my head. By the way, if you’re wondering what the Thrashers got for Lehtonen, a bag of pucks would have been a better return.

Lehtonen was a proven netminder whilst Pavelec was the kid with potential. Pavelec proved nothing at the NHL level when this decision was made. Every time he saw action, he was virtually pulled in the first period. The early years of Pavelec were some of the worst goaltending I’ve ever witnessed.

The final year of the Thrashers existence is when Pavelec had his best season and broke out. That was kind of the point where I jumped on the bandwagon. And last season, Pavelec was spectacular and made a lot of new fans in Winnipeg.

Enough with the history lesson and back to what I was saying about statistics…

Even when Pavelec made fans of many, he didn’t put up groundbreaking numbers. Pavelec’s career statistics are mediocre. And so far this season, Pavelec’s statistics are mediocre. I’m sure you’re wondering how Pavelec can be so “spectacular” but at the same time put up pretty mediocre numbers.

The answer to that is simple and quite obvious: Pavelec’s an extremely inconsistent goaltender.

One game Pavelec will look absolutely phenomenal in net and the next he’ll look like he just learned how to play goalie. Sometimes the inconsistencies last for a stretch of games. There are times when Pavelec is on his game for stretches at a time as well. But the same problem lies, inconsistency.

While Pavelec is struggling this season, Al Montoya is making the most of every limited opportunity.

Montoya is 3-0 this season with a .909 save percentage, a 2.33 goals against average and one shutout. He has played solid in each appearance. Could it be the former sixth-overall draft pick has finally found his game?

Could there indeed be a goalie controversy brewing? Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s something to keep an eye on.

Head coach Claude Noel probably doesn’t think of a goalie controversy brewing at all, which is why Pavelec is being worked as much as he is (and will probably continue being worked as much).

The goalie controversy is twofold as well. It’s not just a direct goalie controversy between Pavelec and Montoya for this season, but also a controversy regarding whether or not Pavelec is the right choice for the next five seasons.

One thing that’s certain is Pavelec has been given the torch a long time ago. Now he has to make the most of it. Pavelec has to silence the critics and start living up to the hype consistently enough to make us believers again.

The Winnipeg Jets have gone 5-2 in their last seven games to put themselves back in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The key to this hot streak is captain Andrew Ladd, who has been playing some of the best hockey of his career lately.

The 27-year-old left winger has five goals and eight points in Winnipeg’s last seven games, including two game winning goals. One of those game winners came in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils last Thursday, but that wasn’t the goal Jets fans will remember from that night. 

Ladd scored on a breakaway just eight seconds after puck drop to tie a franchise record for the fastest goal to start a game. The goal had fans at the MTS Centre on their feet early, which helped set the tone for the rest of the night. 

Ladd’s offensive performance has had a huge impact on the team and is helping the Jets win close games. With 12 goals and eight assists in 21 games this season, Ladd leads the Jets in goals and points and is on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career. 

If he continues to score at this rate he will finish with about 27 goals and 46 points in 48 games. Numbers nearly as good as those he put up in recent years playing 81 or 82 games. 

Aside from his offensive impact, Ladd continues to do the little things needed to help his team win. He recently played in his 500th game, a testament to his work ethic and commitment. 

Ladd is a smart, hardworking forward who makes good decisions with and without the puck and who isn’t afraid to be physical. He is fourth on the Jets in hits with 36, second in takeaways with 11 and has just four giveaways on the season. 

Ladd is also among the Jets’ leaders in ice time, playing nearly 19 minutes per game. Evander Kane and Bryan Little are the only forwards who have played more. 

On top of all this, Ladd also has the unique experience of having won two Stanley Cups with two different teams by age 25. Having a leader who knows what it takes to win games at that stage is especially important for a young team like the Jets, who are fairly inexperienced. 

Ladd has certainly led by example to this point and if he can continue to do so his teammates should be expected to raise their games as well. 

With a sound effort at both ends of the rink and a better performance on special teams, the Jets should remain in the playoff hunt throughout the season. 

And, with a four-game road trip coming up, fans will soon find out if Winnipeg can maintain their momentum on the road. 

The Winnipeg Jets recently came off a five-game road trip where they recorded four wins. That impressive road trip put them back into the playoff picture.

After that, the Jets split with a win and a loss on home ice. Now they’re set to go on another road trip—this time for four games. On top of that, the next three games are against divisional opponents which makes them all the more important.

Not only are the Jets a threat to make the playoffs as an eighth seed, but they can still fight for and win the Southeast Division.

With that being said, the Jets have to continue winning games if they want to remain in the playoff picture. There’s no time to slip or go into a slump. The Jets have to break out the road magic again and win at least half of these games to feel good going back home.

Each game is as important as the last. 

The Jets are still underdogs. However, they could make a strong statement to the rest of the league with another impressive road trip. The Jets have an opportunity to separate themselves from the rest of the division with a successful road trip.

The upcoming four-game stretch, as small as it may be, could set them back or push them forward. The results of the road trip could also determine or at the very least give Jets management an idea on where they stand come trade deadline.

Certainly, if the Jets win the majority of these games, their management will start to think about additional depth. However, if a long slump is on the horizon, Kevin Cheveldayoff won’t be so fast to pull the trigger.

It’s stretches like this upcoming one that make or break seasons. Not only will we know if the Jets are playoff-ready, but we’ll begin to know whether or not they’ll be buyers or sellers come April’s trade deadline.

Don’t count on the Winnipeg Jets having a huge fire sale just yet. They’re still in prime position to win the Southeast division.

The Jets sit just two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the division lead. They’re still a sub .500 team, but maybe that’s all it will take to make the playoffs this season.

The Jets aren’t ready to tank for a top draft pick. This team has a lot of heart and will continue to compete until the very end.

When the trade deadline approaches or even weeks prior to it, the Jets probably aren’t going to become immediate sellers or buyers. It’s more likely they’ll become sellers if things start to go south and deal a few of their UFAs.

However, we’ve already seen the Jets deal an underperforming player this season when they dealt Alexei Ponikarovsky. By the looks of it, it’s quite possible Kevin Cheveldayoff deals another underperforming player and does so very soon.

That player being Kyle Wellwood.

Wellwood is having an atrocious season—on and off the score sheet. You know how with some players who just aren’t getting it done you could make that excuse and say at least he’s doing everything but scoring? You can’t even come close to making that excuse for Wellwood.

In 15 games, Wellwood has a nice blank under the goal column. He only has two points in total. And in almost every game, he’s been completely invisible or nonexistent. I'm trying to be fair here, he's been brutal.

It’s quite a surprise that he’s been this horrible. Last season, he set career-highs with Winnipeg in goals and points. He did so actually looking like a solid and capable player. It’s been a complete reversal in the 15 games this season.

Wellwood is a UFA after this season so the suggestion of trading him isn't that much of a stretch. He's probably going to be traded anyway, but usually teams will wait until the deadline to trade UFAs. The wait is over with Wellwood.

Wellwood has already been a scratch in three games this season including the win on Sunday over New Jersey. It looks like he's in coach Noel's dog house. With Antti Miettinen making his return on Sunday (although it only lasted one shift due to an injury), Wellwood is likely to be a consistent scratch.

The only thing preventing Wellwood from being traded right now is the fact that this team can’t stay healthy it seems. However, there’s no confidence when Wellwood is in the lineup. At this point, one of the kids in St. Johns would fare much better.

As far as what the Jets would garner for Wellwood, well there's a few options. Teams will be interested in Wellwood, but he's not worth much. And the fact that he's a UFA next season makes his worth that much less.

A fourth-round draft pick or higher would be a complete steal. If the Jets continue to suffer long-term injuries on defense, Wellwood could possibly be dealt for just that, a defenseman.

Regardless, if Wellwood doesn’t pick up his game soon, and by soon I mean like two weeks ago, he’ll be the next player to get traded out of Winnipeg this season. He's already past due.