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Happy Saturday folks,
Over the last few weeks, Mike McIntyre and I had been debating what the Winnipeg Jets needed more: a frontline defenceman or a second-line centre.
It’s my opinion, the NHL team has still yet to acquire either.
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The first day of free agency came and went on Friday and the Jets have one new player. Well, kinda new.
Winnipeg traded for Paul Stastny again, this time landing the veteran centre from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 and defenceman Carl Dahlstrom.
Paul Stastny? Say What?!
Mike thinks the Jets did indeed find the second-line centre they so desperately need and you can read about that here. But, it’s my opinion Stastny was a second-line centre when the Jets traded for him in the spring of 2018. Now, I don’t think so. The last two seasons in Vegas, where he signed after his stint with the Jets, Stastny has shown flashes of elite play. But for the most part, his time in Nevada was marked by injuries — and he’ll be 35 by the time he gets on the ice again for the Jets.
Paul Stastny had a short but productive run with the Winnipeg Jets in 2018 during the team’s run to the Western Conference final and then signed as a free agent with the Vegas Golden Knights that summer. Speculation surrounding a possible trade between the two teams to bring the 34-year-old centre back to Winnipeg has heated up recently. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Folks trying to put a positive spin on the deal cite the chemistry Stastny had with Patrik Laine in 2018. Ugh. Unless he’s traded, Laine should be playing on the top line with Mark Scheifele. Period. And the second-line centre role was handled quite nicely for the better part of last season by captain Blake Wheeler.
I continue to assert the Jets’ major need is on defence. The one that has lost Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tobias Enstrom, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot from that memorable spring of 2018.
The Jets did re-ink free-agent D-men Nathan Beaulieu and Luca Sbisa on Friday. Um, ok.
With the signing of potential free agent Dylan DeMelo earlier in the week, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has basically kept intact the blue-line corps that got killed in the play-in playoff series vs the Calgary Flames. Man, prospect Dylan Samberg must be good. He’d better be.
But, what do I know. I don’t pretend to know more about generally managing a professional sports team. Ok, sometimes I do, but my assessment is always based on one thing: results. The Jets have regressed in since the spring of 2018. I’m skeptical Friday’s moves will help get them back to that great moment of the past.
What do you think? How are the rest of you armchair GMs feeling about the player deals the team did or didn’t make on Friday? As always, you can reach me by replying to this mailing or by sending me an email here.
Have a happy Thanksgiving folks.
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