With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, we have been taking a look at the situations with each of the seven Canadian clubs. The Winnipeg Jets slip into our hot seat on Friday.
With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, we have been taking a look at the situations with each of the seven Canadian clubs. The Winnipeg Jets slip into our hot seat on Friday.
The Situation: Before they relocated to Winnipeg, the former Atlanta Thrashers made the playoffs only once, way back in 2006, and they were swept out of the first round by the New York Rangers ... Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff wanted an entire season to evaluate the talent on his roster. But what happens if the Jets win all five or four of their five games before the trade deadline? Do they jump into the rental player market to improve their playoff aspirations? Likely not. Chevedayoff has preached patience all along. He has reminded fans in Winnipeg that he plans to build around veteran players like Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien with the organization's young players and through the draft ... It doesn't hurt that first-round draft pick Mark Scheifele picked up seven games of NHL experience earlier this season and has returned to junior with a successful campaign that he has seen him score 18 goals and 46 points in 34 games with the Barrie Colts ... Sure the Jets could use an offensive infusion for stretch run, but they are exactly dealing from a position of strength.
Playoff hopes: Ninth in the East, four points behind eighth-place Toronto. The Jets, however, have played one more game than the Maple Leafs. Winnipeg has a chance to gain ground in standings when it begins an eight-game homestand on Friday.
Schedule: 23 games remaining (14 home, 9 road).
At Home: Boston, Colorado, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Edmonton, Florida, Buffalo, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Ottawa, N.Y. Rangers, Tampa Bay.
On the Road: Vancouver, Calgary, Pittsburgh, Washington, Nashville, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida, N.Y. Islanders.
Restricted free agents: Evander Kane, Eric Fehr, Ondrej Pavelec.
Unrestricted free agents: Jim Slater, Tanner Glass, Kyle Wellwood, Tim Stapleton, Johnny Oduya, Randy Jones, Mark Flood, Chris Mason.
No-trade clauses: Andrew Ladd (modified), Nik Antropov (modified), Antti Miettinen, Dustin Byfuglien (modified), Ron Hainsey (modified).
Cap space: $12.01 million
On the farm: Forwards Carl Klingberg and Patrice Cormier as well as defenceman Paul Postma have been considered players destined for the NHL one day. But maybe it's time for an extended look at right wing Spencer Machacek. The Lethbridge native has been a consistent goal scorer in four AHL seasons and he plays with a lot of energy.
Back to accessibility links
Evander Kane is one of the cornerstones for Winnipeg going forward, but it remains to be seen if the Jets can acquire scoring depth to help the young player. (Chris Schneider/Associated Press)
Tim Wharnsby
Tim's worked the sports beat at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun, specializing in Canada's one true sporting obsession - hockey. He knows the players, the coaches, the backroom boys and most importantly, the fans. That's what he brings to his stories. Knowledge, fairness and understanding are trademarks of a Wharnsby story. That's what you will get here as he writes for CBCSports.ca.
