Jets get veteran centre Paul Stastny from St. Louis for picks, prospect

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This article was published 26/02/2018 (2805 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Blake Wheeler’s most important assist of the season might be a play he made away from the rink.

The Winnipeg Jets captain and potential Hart Trophy candidate had a pivotal role in helping his team land a big name at the trade deadline in the form of Paul Stastny. Wheeler called up his long-time friend Sunday night to pitch the idea of waiving his no-trade clause – leaving the sinking St. Louis Blues to aid Winnipeg’s drive to the playoffs and, possibly, a protracted run in the post-season.

“When I first caught wind of it, that it was a possibility, even just the possibility was really exciting. I think what he brings to our team is something that is going to be really helpful for us. He can plug in a number of holes, awesome faceoff guy, he’s put up numbers his entire career, outstanding guy in the room. Just a really great addition to our room,” Wheeler said Monday, shortly after the big trade was announced.

Stastny was dealt to Winnipeg in exchange for the Jets’ 2018 first-round draft pick, prospect Erik Foley and a conditional 2020 fourth-round pick to St. Louis which only kicks in if Foley – chosen by the Jets in the third round of the 2015 draft – doesn’t sign with the Blues once he finishes up playing at Providence College.

Stastny is expected to make his debut Tuesday night when the Jets host the Nashville Predators at Bell MTS Place.

Defenceman Joe Morrow was the second trade deadline addition, with a 2018 fourth-round draft pick headed to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange. Unlike Stastny, he won’t step right into the lineup. But he would be an option should injuries hit at some point.

St. Louis is picking up 50 per cent of Stastny’s remaining contract, which allows the Jets to squeeze him under the salary cap.

Stastny, 32, is a pending unrestricted free agent who is making US$7 million this season.  He’s a rental, if the Jets elect not to re-sign him.

He has 12 goals and 28 assists with the Blues, who are quickly falling out of the playoff picture and rapidly moved into sell mode. Stastny has played 805 career NHL games, accumulating 216 goals and 417 assists. He began his career with the Colorado Avalanche, spending his first eight seasons there before heading to St. Louis for the past four campaigns.

“He comes from a pretty strong hockey background and just so knowledgeable about the game. His dad (NHL Hall of Famer Peter Stastny) is as smart a hockey guy as there is out there. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in a couple of those conversations and it’s pretty awesome,” said Wheeler.

Wheeler is a friend of Stastny, shares the same agent and played with him during the 2012-13 NHL lockout in Germany. But he downplayed his role in the trade, not wanting to put any focus on himself.

“I didn’t want to bother him too much. It was probably a whirlwind for him, when he first caught wind of it. He’s been on a team that’s been contending for a few years, very much in the mix all year this year. To have to kind of change gears on the fly is a lot for a player to have to go through,” said Wheeler. “I think the opportunity to contend was more attractive than anything I was going to say. As a friend, I was more than happy to answer any questions, tell him that we were excited about the possibility. I wasn’t going to sway him one way or the other, it was just to let him know I was there for a sounding board if he needed anything.”

But Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s used his captain as a sounding board in the past.

“Blake and I have a very good and professional relationship about being open and candid with each other. It goes back to last summer when Blake and I sat down at the end of last season and talked about some of the pending moves that I was hoping to be able to make in free agency. Blake’s been an ally in that regard,” said Cheveldayoff.

Stastny now gives the Jets a loaded group at centre which already includes Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, the injured Adam Lowry and Matt Hendricks. Andrew Copp has been filling in for Lowry on the third line between Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, which might be where Stastny first slots in.

“Very pleased to get a veteran centre iceman, they’re just so hard to come by. I think (he’s) a player that fits our game and how we try to play, that can cover off a lot of areas, faceoffs, penalty killing, power play, play against the other teams’ best by role for an awful lot of years. Real nice vision and creativity, so we get a guy that we can move around with different people. He’s a lot like the other centremen that we have, really versatile, which is important to us because move our wings a fair amount,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said Monday. “He’s going to be fun to work with.”

Laine, who leads the team with 31 goals, including six in the last five games, likes how the Jets look up the middle.

“All our centremen are really good. Now, when Stastny comes in, it looks really good… It really doesn’t matter who I’m playing with,” he said. “I didn’t know that he had so many points this year. I just checked it. So, he’s really good in the (offensive)-zone, and he’s just overall a really good player. He can play defence and he’s good at faceoffs. He’s going to be a really good centreman on this team.

“It looks like we’re now really wanting to win the Stanley Cup, and now we have a really good chance to do it. That just gives us a better chance to even get there. We were happy with this team we had, but now we’re even happier.”

Ehlers said knowing management was working hard to improve an already solid roster sent a strong message throughout the locker room.

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“I don’t think it sends any other message other than we want to win it this year. We’ve known that from the start of the year. Getting him just says exactly the same,” said Ehlers. “Great player, lots of experience, he can help this team really well.”

Morrow, 25, is a left-shooting defenceman who has five goals and six assists in 38 games this season. He was a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, going 23rd overall. He has played 103 career regular season games and five playoff games, all with Boston last season. Morrow is a pending restricted free agent currently making US$650,000.

“The thing that impressed us the most is that he played five of six games in the playoffs for Boston (last spring) and I believe he had over 20 minutes played in those games. Those are the types of things that are important. He’s got some experience in big games,” said Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “He can skate, he can move the puck. Those are things that are important. He’s a left shot and I believe he can actually do a little swing back and forth to left and right. It’s about flexibility and it’s about fit.”

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Mike McIntyre
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Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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