The Winnipeg Jets are not just surprising for their recent vault back
into the Eastern Conference playoff race. The larger mystery is how they
are doing it without any star players. But, it's like a winning baseball team's batting order. Different players get hot and carry the team at different times.
This week's Stellicktricity talks Mike Babcock, the Winnipeg Jets and trades.Babcock coaching Team Canada?-- Had an enjoyable interview with Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock on Hockey Night in Canada Radio after his team had established the new NHL team record for most
consecutive wins at home.
When he was asked about a return to coaching Team Canada in the 2014 Olympics in Russia, I was surprised by his candor. Rather than the usual "have to wait and see" or "no comment", Babcock offered one strong observation.
"I will be much more interested in coaching Team Canada if Steve Yzerman is my boss once again," he said.
Though they are no longer on the same NHL management staff, the respect and high esteem obviously still exists.
-- The Winnipeg Jets are not just surprising for their recent vault back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. The larger mystery is how they are doing it without any star players.
To be fair, forward Evander Kane is very close to star material while Blake Wheeler shows some glimpses as well.
But, it's like a winning baseball team's batting order. Different players get hot and carry the team at different times. Whether it was a Kyle Wellwood, Alexander Burmistrov, Nik Antropov, Tim Stapleton or one of a half dozen others....they have all gotten hot at different times and often score the timely and game altering goals.
They are things that don't show up on the score sheet but are significant reasons why the Winnipeg Jets are sitting higher in the standings than most people predicted.
-- Almost forgot that the Colorado Avalanche were still in the Western Conference playoff hunt when they made the trade to acquire forward
Steve Downie from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenceman Kyle Quincey.
Colorado has become an almost forgotten, non-descript team that looks nowhere close to the identity it had for years with Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Rob Blake and company.
Keep in mind, though, that they were involved in a totally surprising "real" hockey trade around last year's deadline. They sent forward Chris Stewart, defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk and a second-round draft choice to the St. Louis Blues for defender Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a first-round draft choice on February 19th, 2011.
Blues goalie duo setting mark -- The Blues remain the consistently surprising NHL team this season. Goaltenders Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak became the first netminders in history to record six shutouts for the same team in the same season.
-- Their success means that top goaltending prospect Ben Bishop remains in the American Hockey League. Though born and raised in St. Louis, Bishop looks forward to plying his trade with another NHL team now that his hometown Blues are rock solid between the pipes.
Look for Yzerman to use his gaggle of draft choices (two first-round, three second-round and another conditional second-rounder) to try to land Bishop for the goaltending challenged Tampa Bay Lightning.
-- Hal Gill not only brings size, depth on defence and a history of strong playoff performances to his new Nashville Predators team, he brings many intangibles that will be missed in the Montreal Canadiens dressing room.
Gill is an American-born player who embraced and enjoyed the opportunity of playing in and for Montreal. He was instrumental in other Americans like Brian Gionta deciding to sign up for the Montreal experience. His departure leaves a huge void in the Canadiens' lineup and is big plus for Nashville.
Legendary lineage -- Talked to Blake Geoffrion on Hockey Night in Canada Radio right after
the Gill trade as he was one of the players heading the other direction. When Geoffrion dons a Montreal Canadiens jersey (right now he remains in the AHL with their Hamilton Bulldogs team), it will be the first occasion that a family will be represented by one of their own playing on a professional sports team over four generations.
Blake's great grandfather is the legendary Howie Morenz, his grandfather is Hall of Famer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion and his father Danny played in 111 NHL games with Montreal and Winnipeg. The Morenz and Geoffrion banners hang proudly in the rafters of the Bell Center.
While he could handle the pressures of playing in Montreal, even the bilingual Bernie lasted less than 20 games as the head coach of the Canadiens beginning in the 1979-80 season. He found those pressures overwhelming and it was complicated by his son Danny (a first-round pick of the Canadiens) being a rookie on that team.
-- Bruce Boudreau is enjoying life nowadays as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He still feels sentimental toward the Toronto Maple Leafs as he grew up cheering for and played for them as his first NHL team. It is former Maple Leafs that have quietly made significant contributions in the Ducks' remarkable reversal of fortunes.
Francois Beauchemin has been their top defenceman while Niklas Hagman and Jason Blake have been strong contributors.
General managers of the future -- When Nashville ownership rewarded general manager David Poile with a contract extension through the 2014-15 season, it did the same for assistant general manager Paul Fenton.
Fenton and Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill are touted as two of the top general manager candidates of the future.
-- Colleague Nick Kypreos had a funny line when Yzerman first announced that the Lightning would be sellers and that Pavel Kubina would be a healthy scratch for all upcoming NHL games to prevent any sort of injury.
"A rather unusual tactic," said Kypreos, "if Kubina doesn't get traded by the Feb. 27 deadline, Tampa might have to send him to the minors for conditioning since he has been out of the lineup for so long."
Fortunately, for all involved, Kubina was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers this past weekend.
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The Winnipeg Jets' resurgence has been sparked by players like Andrew Ladd, centre, and his teammates chipping in at different times. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Gord Stellick
Gord knows hockey. He better. He became General Manager of the Leafs when he was 30 years old and then became Assistant GM for the Rangers. He's been covering the game ever since. He's now host of Hockey Night in Canada Radio, heard Monday to Friday, 3:00 p.m. ET - 6:00 p.m. ET on Sirius 157.
