Winnipeg Jets

Since acquiring forward Evander Kane last week, the Dinamo Minsk of the KHL have played five games with losses in the previous four prior to their most recent game. However, on Thursday night, they finally won their first game since the Kane signing.

The only problem or concern here is that Kane was not playing in the game. He was a healthy scratch.

Since Kane was acquired by the Minsk, he has played in four games, but failed to register a single point in all of those games combined. In fact, the only statistics he has to show for are penalty minutes with 16 and shots on goal with 14. He’s been held in check for the most part, and frustration on behalf of the Minsk organization may have resulted in the recent scratch.

Other than a game misconduct, Kane has been completely invisible in the KHL. Granted, he’s only played in four games with his new club, but there has to be some slight concern for the young forward, right?

We should not dig into this too deep. Not yet and probably never since the only thing that Jets fans care about is what he does in the NHL.

Kane is still adjusting to a new environment and the most important factor is that, yes, hockey is still a team game—even in the KHL. Outside of Kane and Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, there are not many other notables on the Minsk roster. Even Rinne can’t save the team all by himself.

Sure, Kane hasn’t produced in four games, but that’s all it is—four games. Kane’s lack of production should not result in an immediate scratch. Instead, the Minsk should be questioned here for signing probably the best forward they’ll see on their roster the entire season, and scratching him four games in.

I don’t know what statement they’re trying to make, but it should not start with a Kane benching. Give the young forward the time on ice he deserves.

Kane has potential to be an elite-level player at the NHL level. Even so, signing him to a KHL team does not automatically make it the best team ever since it was a mediocre team to begin with. Kane should make the Minsk a better team than before, but he has not shown it yet.

About this time last week, Winnipeg Jets’ forward Evander Kane signed a contract to play in the KHL for Dinamo Minsk. One of the NHL’s brightest young forwards will look to take his game to a whole new level… sort of.

Kane has already established himself as one of the up-and-coming "superstar" forwards in the NHL. Kane’s hockey sense, awareness, size, strength, goal scoring ability and ability to drive the net make him one of the NHL’s best power forwards, with a little added dose of sniper. Kane is progressing nicely and is developing into that superstar forward.

However, the only thing that could stall a player’s progression is not playing at all. This is especially dreadful for a young player who's continuing to grow and progress at the highest level. And not playing at all is what happened when the NHL decided to lock out their season. For Kane, it was time to find a new home in a new league until the NHL came to an agreement.

That’s when the KHL became an option.

The difference in talent is massive between the NHL and KHL, but the KHL does have plenty of skilled players, which arguably makes it the second-best league behind the NHL. But the primary worry for Kane and many other young players in the same position was to just find a place to play during the lockout.  

Kane is playing hockey and that is probably the most important achievement during the whole lockout fiasco, because playing hockey is better than playing nothing. What Kane does in game with his new club is all relative, but I’m sure playing in the KHL will be a great experience for him and will certainly give him the much-needed playing time.

Remember, when Kane was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2009, he made the NHL immediately. He never developed in the juniors as a junior, instead, was thrown right into NHL action. The KHL should be a good test for him to develop his game further although there shouldn't be much concern with statistics and how he produces.

After two games with his new club, Kane’s made himself known off the score sheet. He’s playing rough and tough, and even got a 10-minute misconduct for a cross-check in his second game with Dinamo. Unfortunately for Kane and Dinamo, they lost both games.  

Hockey fans from all around the world just want one thing: hockey. But not just any hockey, they want the most prestigious league in the world, the National Hockey League. Dark and gloomy days are upon the NHL, as the lockout could potentially affect the entire season if an agreement isn’t reached between the players and the league.

Fans from all over are disgusted, sick and pretty much just fed up with the way the league has handled the situation. As October nears, hockey doesn’t. The rest of the preseason was canceled and sooner or later the entire regular season will be in jeopardy. And the biggest losers from all of this are the ones who make a franchise run: the fans.

Not enough attention goes to the fans in situations like these. The players see and know it, but the owners and the league seem to be ignorant to the fact that the fans make their franchises go. The fans are the biggest losers here.

The lockout has affected many fans, but none worse than Winnipeg Jets fanbase.

This time last year, the Jets were making their return to hockey as the preseason was just beginning. Fans were excited and thrilled to finally have their Jets back after a 15-year hiatus. But now, the only thing to hope for and look forward to is a breaking news report of the lockout's end. Or else, tack on another hockey-less year for Winnipeg.

Jets fans aren’t unfamiliar with no-hockey territory, but it’s a shame that Winnipeg has to live once again without the league—with the possibility of missing an entire year. The lockout couldn’t come at a worse time for the Winnipeg diehards.

While there are teams with just as good of fanbases as the Jets, if not better, those teams have had hockey for decades. Losing out on one season might not hurt as much. Not the same for Winnipeg, though—taking it away just before the fans were beginning to make themselves known to the world again is unfair and frustrating.

Sure, we could all follow our favorite players as they sign contracts in Europe, or we could follow our favorite team’s AHL affiliates. But until the NHL returns, hockey just isn’t hockey…even for the diehards. Winnipeg fans want the Winnipeg Jets back.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Winnipeg Jets have re-signed forward Evander Kane to a six-year contract worth a total of $31.5 million.

Kane played in 74 games last season in his first playing under the spotlight in the city of Winnipeg. Kane posted 30 goals to go with 57 points.

Kane was the Jets' No. 1 priority this offseason, in an offseason which has already included many major moves and rumors that also involved Kane himself (as summarized by The Hockey News). Kane's happiness in Winnipeg can't be questioned, as he's set to become the team's marquee player for years to come.

The 21-year-old forward will be the main focus for the Jets to continue building their team around. Kane is the face of the Jets organization and is focused on becoming one of the most elite players this league has to offer.

Kane will undoubtedly have some high standards for himself and the franchise. The bar is set high as Kane is looking to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Kane's deal comes just minutes before the NHL is set to lock out. Whether or not Kane had intention on dragging it out this long, the Jets are surely happy to have their superstar forward for another six years.

As the gloomy days of a lockout are upon us, Winnipeg Jets fans are going to have to find a way to live without hockey yet again. I can’t think of another city that would be more devastated when the news of a lockout officially hits tomorrow.

Winnipeg got their team back in 2011. It only took one year for them to lose their team again. Well, the good news this time is that it’s not permanent. Still, losing something special after only just getting familiar with it is devastating.

For the fans of Winnipeg, it almost feels as though the return to the league was only just a tease. The fans were just becoming acquainted with their team again. From sellouts to an amazing atmosphere, the fans were just beginning to establish themselves as the best in the league.

Out of everyone and everything, the lockout is a huge blow to the fans and a devastating one.

The lockout is still a very surreal moment. It’s hard to grip the fact that there’s a possibility the entire 2012-13 season may be canceled. This hurts the most—knowing that an entire season may go by without a single game being played.

As far as the Jets go, the lockout could be harmful to player development. The management put a lot of stock in some of these young players, and it would be a disaster for them to not get their experience—or simply waste an entire year of their career because of a lockout. Also, if there is a shortened season, who really knows where you stand with a small sample size of games?

There's nothing but negative outcomes to the lockout, especially if it's an entire season.

Coping with the loss of a passion can be hard for everyone. Jets fans are going to have to find a way to live without hockey again as if the Jets' return to the NHL was just a tease to the fans.

The Winnipeg Jets are set to begin their second season since moving north from Atlanta; that is, if there is a season. The NHL is preparing to lock out its players come Sept. 15, when the current CBA expires.

The lockout could last weeks or months; or perhaps, like in 2005, the entire season will be lost. However, if an agreement is reached between the NHL and NHLPA in late autumn or early winter, would the Jets benefit from a shortened season?

The Jets remain in the Southeast Division after the NHLPA rejected a realignment proposal that would have changed the format of regular season and playoffs. The proposal would have seen the NHL divided into four conferences; with the Jets playing alongside the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

Instead they remain in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals.

For a team located north of  Minnesota this means a lot of traveling.

According to ontheforecheck.com, the Jets are scheduled to travel 47,876 miles this year, significantly higher than the league average of 39,872 miles. With that in mind, it’s possible the team could benefit from a shorter, less grueling schedule.

The Jets' schedule in November features a string of 13 games, nine of which are on the road. Considering the Jets finished with a 14-22-5 record on the road last season, starting the season in December wouldn’t hurt. In fact, if the schedule were to remain the same the Jets would avoid road games against some Eastern Conference powerhouses such as the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.

A few months off would also mean less games played without defenseman Zach Bogosian. The 22-year-old underwent wrist surgery in August to repair a chronic ligament tear. This could leave the former third-overall draft pick sidelined for four to six months.

Bogosian was an important part of the Jets' blue line last season, scoring 30 points in 65 games. With the Jets lacking depth on defense, the more games Bogosian plays, the better.

The Winnipeg Jets finished tied for tenth in the Eastern conference last season, with 84 points. Regardless of the length of the upcoming campaign, the young Jets will be expected to improve on that point total. And while a shortened season could benefit them, it certainly doesn’t benefit the fans. 

The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed restricted free agent Spencer Machacek, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

The 23-year-old forward appeared in only 13 games with the Jets last season, but scored two goals and seven assists for nine points and was a plus-eight.

Machacek was selected in the third round (67th overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2007 NHL entry draft. Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, Machacek played for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, winning the Memorial Cup in 2007. He spent three seasons with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves before suiting up for the St. John's IceCaps last season.

Evander Kane, who was also a member of the 2007 Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants, is Winnipeg’s last restricted free agent without a contract.

Kane signed autographs at an EB Games store in Winnipeg Monday, promoting the release of EA Sports' NHL 13. When asked about his future, the 21-year-old remained tight-lipped, refusing to shed light on his contract situation, (via Winnipeg Free Press).

The Jets reportedly offered Kane a six-year, $29 million contract in July, but nothing came of the offer. At one point rumors had surfaced that Kane was interested in leaving Winnipeg, but Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and Kane’s agent have both denied these rumors.

It’s possible that Kane and his agent, Craig Oster, are seeking a deal similar to those signed this summer by some of the NHL’s other young forwards.

Jeff Skinner signed a six-year, $34.35 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. Taylor Hall signed a seven-year, $42 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Hall’s teammate Jordan Eberle will also be in Edmonton for a while after signing a six-year deal worth $36 million. Finally, Tyler Seguin just signed a six-year, $34.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins.

However, with the lockout looming, Kane may not have the opportunity to sign such a contract. Kane, P.K. Subban and a few other restricted free agents could remain unsigned for a number of months should the NHL lockout its players.

Evander Kane may indeed be the next player to sign with the Winnipeg Jets, but the announcement may not come for some time.  

The Winnipeg Jets brought in Olli Jokinen this offseason on a two-year contract worth $9 million in total. The Jets have high expectations based on the money alone. In general, Jokinen will be expected to make the Jets a better team, as that's what offseason acquisitions are generally expected to do.

Jokinen is a proven player especially after a rejuvenated season last year. Outside of getting the points, assists, and goals on occasion, Jokinen brings a lot to the table.

Skill

This is the obvious one. The Jets signed Jokinen mainly for his skill and production that he brings to the team.

Jokinen has the ability to score some goals which he’s done often in the past, but is widely known for his playmaking skills. Obviously, he’s not in his prime anymore and may not be able to get 80 points, but he’s still fully capable of a 60-point season or better.

The Jets will surround Jokinen with talent to which he’ll be relied upon to “make better”. At the same time, Jokinen will benefit from having talented wingers on his line.

The expectations will be for him to produce consistently because that’s why he was brought in for the kind of money he got. And since he is certainly capable of producing, he should be able to live up to expectations. Aside from that, there are many other ways he’ll help the Jets.

Size

The Jets already have a good amount of size on their roster, but the addition of Jokinen adds a lot more. Jokinen is listed at 6-3, 215 lbs. and for a center, that’s very valuable and desirable in this league.

Jokinen’s size gives him the advantage over players trying to defend him. He has the ability to strongly protect the puck, win puck battles down low, as well as cause some ruckus in front of the net. It’s difficult to contain a player in the middle with good height and weight such as Jokinen’s.

The Jets will certainly benefit from having another tall player on their roster after already having an abundance of players with good size. It’s never a bad thing to have too much size. 

Experience

Jokinen is the most experienced Jets forward, playing in 1042 professional games over a span of 14 years, which included six different teams. He'll be entering his 15th season, with the Jets being the seventh team he's played for. 

Experience goes a long way in the NHL and it’s something the Jets don’t have much of.  The Jets are a very young team outside of a couple of players, so the addition of Jokinen becomes beneficial in a way people may not have expected.

Although Jokinen has only played in one playoff series in his entire career, it doesn’t take away from the experience he has in the regular season. However, it only makes him hungrier to get to the playoffs because the 33-year-old doesn’t have much more time to do so.

News broke this afternoon regarding the status of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian for the coming season. The Jets announced today on Twitter that Bogosian will undergo surgery this Friday to help repair an injured wrist.

While reports have varied, Bogosian is expected to miss at least three months, but he could miss up to six. Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press reports that Bogosian will miss at least four months. Regardless of exact timetables, what we do know for sure is that Bogosian will not be ready for quite a while.

This is a huge loss for the Jets' organization. Focused on living up to the expectations of a third draft pick overall, Bogosian started to find his stride again last season. With a long-term injury that will sit him out for months, Bogosian will likely take a step back, though it may be a small one.

There is still a lot of hope that Bogosian will once again find his game, and he'll still have plenty of time to do it as a Jet. With that having been said, the Jets will certainly miss Bogosian's services, but now attention has to shift to other matters at hand.

The Jets have to evaluate what they have now.

First things first: While the Jets will likely try to find some sort of cheap replacement, this isn't an urgent matter to where something potentially ill-advised must be done.

If the Jets feel they need to sign a veteran defenseman for help on the penalty kill, that's fine, as long as he's not eating up time from other players of more importance.

The right play here is for the Jets to have faith in one of their young blueliners, especially one who has been on the brink of NHL stardom for a couple of years now.

Paul Postma has been with this organization since 2007, when he was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers. The kid certainly wasn't turning any heads when he was taken in the seventh round at that time, but he got my attention when he started putting up the numbers in the WHL and AHL—and this all occured after he was already drafted in the NHL.

In fact, Postma was drafted after a 24-point season in 2006-07 with the Swift Current Broncos. After a trade to the Calgary Hitmen, Postma scored 14 goals to go with 42 points in his first year with the organization. In year two, Postma broke single-season team records for goals and points as he upped his goal total to 23 to go with an astonishing 84 points. At this point, you have to think steal, as in "You sure he was a seventh-round pick?"

Postma made his way to the AHL to play with the Thrashers' affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, where he scored 15 goals and 29 points in 2009-10 and 12 goals and 45 points in 2010-11. Last season, Postma scored 13 goals and 44 points with the St. John's IceCaps, in a season which he missed games.

Through all of this, Postma has only seen time in four career NHL games to date between Atlanta and Winnipeg.

Postma signed a one-way contract this offseason, so he was set to see some NHL time regardless of the Bogosian injury. My only concern then was whether it would be enough time, or would it have been a game here and a game there as the possible seventh defenseman. Rest assured, I can almost guarantee that Postma will see continuous time as the possible fifth or sixth defenseman.

It should not be taken lightly, however.

To get such an opportunity doesn't come easy, and it could go away faster than it arrived. The opportunity will surely come this season, and it will be up to Postma to seize it.