What should the Winnipeg Jets do? Who should they target?
Sportsnet: Hockey Central panel talk about what the Winnipeg Jets should do heading into Friday’s trade deadline and who they should target.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
David Amber: “All right, this was during the second period Matt Marchese, you listen to him alongside Mike Futa on the hockey show across Canada, he said, ‘The more you watch the Winnipeg Jets, the more you want them to go out and make an absolute blockbuster of a deal to push them over the top. They are so damn good and have the opportunity to be even more of a juggernaut.’
So that’s going to start our discussion here. The Jets, they have all sorts of, you know, cap space, nearly $10 million. They have all sorts of draft capital as well to play with.
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Play GM. Play Kevin Cheveldayoff. Let’s start with you, Sam. You’re the Winnipeg Jets. They’re on pace for 120 points. However, they’ve won one playoff series since 2018. Some Jets fans like Matt Marchese want them to go all-in. What would you do?”
Sam Constantino: “I do too. I’m going to go off the page a little bit from what they normally would do. Very conservative. Yeah, we add (Tyler) Toffoli and Monahan, two good adds I felt for last year. It didn’t quite work out. Colorado got to them in the first round.
I’m saying, go get both Schenn’s. If you add up the salaries between those two guys, it’s right about $9 million. So that’s the cap space of where they’re at. But you go get Brayden Schenn. You got him for three more years at six and a half million bucks. You expect that maybe Ehlers might leave. He’s a guy that moves into the middle. You bump Vladi Namestnikov down to your fourth line. You give him some cookies playing in the power play.
You get Luke Schenn. Because why wouldn’t you want Luke Schenn? He’s tough. He plays a physical brand of hockey. He’s got experience. Both of them have won cups. You got a right shot guy. They need a little bit of help there. So it shores up those two areas and gives them a little bit more depth. Go get the Schenn’s.”
Amber: “I like, and they both, and as you mentioned, they both won.”
Constantino: “Western Canadian kids, let’s go.”
Amber: “So what do you guys think? Stand pat or do you guys have some ideas here?”
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Luke Gazdic: “I heard the word depth, and that’s what I think they need. They don’t need a ton of help. I don’t think this needs to be a big blockbuster where you’re going to mess with the chemistry.
Where they do need help is on their penalty kill and on the left side of their defense corps. Monday night they played the San Jose Sharks. Mario Ferraro would be a perfect name, and add to that left side. $3.25 (million) this year and next. Luke Kunin an upcoming UFA to. Throw him into your bottom six. I think a Kunin-Ferraro deal from San Jose could really shore up that team.”
Jennifer Botterill: “So I’m more on the same page as Luke. I think this team has found the best chemistry they ever have internally in the locker room. They’ve got a lot of belief. The coaching has been outstanding for this Jets team.
So to me, I think they should be subtle adjustments. I do think they need more depth up front. If you think about a potentially long playoff run, to have a player, whether he starts in your fourth line, but the potential to move up to your top six if you want.
And then I think, potentially you’re looking at a D for your third pair that could just help with that depth piece for the Winnipeg Jets. But I don’t think you need a lot of changes because of, of what they have right now and how well they’re
playing.”
Amber: “The chemistry has been fantastic. Kevin Cheveldayoff, frantically making notes here. All right.”
Gazdic: “They need Ferraro, he’s a Jet.”
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