Jets captain Ladd upbeat about rookies

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This article was published 07/10/2015 (3650 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the even of the team’s regular-season opener, Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd said today he’s still talking to the team about a contract extension but that he’s about done answering questions about it.

“We’re still in the same spot,” Ladd said after this morning’s practice at the MTS Centre. “For me, after this point I’m probably not going to answer any questions about it. We don’t need that distraction in here. We’ll just leave that where it is.”

The captain said he hasn’t yet decided if he’ll call a halt to negotiations when the season starts. He hinted last week he has that option so that the business side of things is no distraction to him.

“I haven’t decided yet,” he said. “Whatever’s going to allow me to concentrate on hockey and is the best for the team is the way I’m going to go. I’ll decide that myself.”

Ladd and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien are about to begin the final season of their contracts and could become unrestricted free agents next summer.

The Jets worked out downtown this morning before taking off this afternoon to Boston, where they play Game No. 1 of their NHL season on Thursday night.

Coming off last spring’s playoff spot, earned with a 99-point regular season, the Jets are inserting three rookies to start the new season, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp and Nic Petan.

The captain today was decidedly upbeat about this latest injection of youth.

“They earned the right to be here,” Ladd said. “There weren’t any freebies. We weren’t giving them an opportunity just because we think they’re going to be good down the road.

“It’s that they’re good players right now and they’ll fit in great with our lineup and we’re excited to have them.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice said there are adjustments young players must make but pointed out that rookies today are well-prepared.

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“What happens is that whatever young players you get, they kind of gravitate to each other,” Maurice said. “Everything’s kind of new. But all these guys now have been exposed to such a high level, (like) world championships, so they’re not nearly as wide-eyed as they used to be, or maybe that I was in my first year in the league.”

The Jets have their first four games away from home this season, continuing to New Jersey on Friday, to visit the Islanders on Monday and the Rangers on Tuesday.

“It’s the first time this group will go and have a dinner together and after a game, whether you win or you lose, they’re together, not in their cars going to their separate homes,” the coach said. “It’s a really good chance. I like going out on the road early.”

During the pre-season, the Jets and most NHL teams are permitted to fly into a visiting city on the day of the game and depart right after it’s over.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca