On the Winnipeg Jets …
- Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun: Jets captain Andrew Ladd still can’t see himself wearing a different jersey.
“At this time it’s hard for me to see that,” Ladd told a swarm of reporters after practice, Monday. “But I’ve also been around long enough to realize that anything can happen and things change quickly. So you never know.”
Contract talks between the Jets and Ladd are on ice, something both sides didn’t really expect.
“If you ask both sides, we would have both said we’d have something done by now,” Ladd said.
Ladd doesn’t think his contract situation has affected his ability to be the Jets captain.
“No,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be here tomorrow. It doesn’t affect anything we’re trying to do in here. We’re motivated to try and get back in this race and get things going the right way.”
- Mark Spector of Sportsnet: The Jets appear to be unwilling to invest six-years and around $36 million for Andrew Ladd and will look to get some assets for him. If the Jets do trade Ladd, they will lose any leverage they had with Dustin Byfuglien. They don’t really want to go over three years with Byfuglien.
The Jets were originally loathe to give more than about three years worth of term to Byfuglien, who turns 31 on March 27. Why is that? Because even though the feeling on Byfuglien is that he cares and wants to win in Winnipeg, nobody trusts him to stay in proper physical shape, a reputation he has earned by spending an entire career at various stages of overweight.
Byfuglien may be a more impactful player, but Ladd is more trustworthy.
- Matt Larkin: “Also, if Ladd wants to remain a Jet but deal can’t be worked out…could he do what Vermette did last year? Leave, net a 1st-rounder, return?”
- Jim Matheson: Would be shocked if Panthers GM Dale Tallon doesn’t make a big push for Andrew Ladd. The Panthers could use a power winger, and Tallon had him in Chicago.
- Platinum Seat Ghosts: Gary Lawless on Dustin Byfuglien: “I don’t know if a deal is imminent, but they are working towards one.”
- Pierre LeBrun TSN Video: LeBrun thinks that Jets could get one of Andrew Ladd or Dustin Byfuglien signed before the trade deadline. With the Jets recent slide, it may make the decision easier to trade one/both if they can’t get them signed by the deadline. The Jets are a budget team and not a cap team, so they have to get assets back. LeBrun thinks they may be able to get Byfuglien done, and to trade Ladd.