What’s the deal on a trade?

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This article was published 29/03/2021 (1622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The noise around the Winnipeg Jets will get louder and louder as the NHL’s April 12 trade deadline inches closer.

With the Jets in contention for first place in the Canadian division nearly two-thirds into the season, making them a clear buyer over seller, the No. 1 demand coming from outside the locker room is for an upgrade to the defence. According to media reports and fans’ pleas, the only thing stopping the Jets from going on a long playoff run is the absence of another top-pairing defenceman.

Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm and David Savard from Columbus are just two names that have been connected to the Jets. No doubt either would help Winnipeg in a bid for a Stanley Cup.

But as calls for trade deadline frenzy reach a deafening pitch, there’s a group inside the Jets locker room that feels they’re doing just fine. It’s less about thinking what might happen and more about focusing on the players who are here.

“All of it’s outside our dressing room. That’s something that people are gonna speculate on and have their own opinions on, on every team in the league, and what they should do … that’s the nature of the business,” defenceman Josh Morrissey said following Monday’s morning skate.

“Everyone hears about it … it’s impossible not to, especially when you play in Canada. What’s key as players is to try and block that out. It’s out of your control.

“Your job is to play the game and be ready to go and adjust on the fly to whatever happens. That’s all you can do.”

It’s not as if the Jets haven’t seen results this season, even if at times their play hasn’t always impressed. They’ve lost consecutive games just twice, and just once without earning at least a point. At 21-12-2, they entered Monday’s action second in their division, two points back of first-place Toronto Maple Leafs.

When it comes to the playoffs you need to be more than just good to make a long run — you need to be a complete team in all areas. While the Jets have one of NHL’s top forward groups, as well as arguably the best goalie on the planet in Connor Hellebuyck, where they lack in comparison is on the blue line.

While the players might consider it above their pay grade to suggest who should join the team at the deadline, that doesn’t apply to head coach Paul Maurice. It would be Maurice working closely with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to decide the direction of the club, at the deadline.

So, are the Jets in need of a defenceman?

“You can’t go into any game feeling you need more ever, right? And that really is important in the room, in the coaching staff, that you’ve got to have a belief that the group that you have now can win, and be solely focused on that. Because there’s just too long a list of trades that didn’t make the team better. There are guys that step out of nowhere in the playoffs and you sit there and go, ‘Thank God,’ or you get an injury that you think is devastating and some kid comes in and plays and the next thing you know your hockey team’s better,” Maurice said.

“And then making all of the great trades that I read about that are just so much harder to do than people think. ‘Why don’t they just make that trade, right?’ I have an opinion on areas that we can improve, for sure. But there won’t be any part of my day (spent) saying, ‘Well, we’ll wait for two weeks and see what happens. Because if we don’t get a defenceman in here we can’t win?’ We’re winning hockey games now.”

Winnipeg has been active at the deadline before. They picked up Paul Stastny for a long playoff run in 2018 and went back to the well the next year to obtain Kevin Hayes, who wasn’t nearly as effective.

The Jets’ next best option, and perhaps only other option, is to look within. There have been some major developments on the blue line this year, including the play of Logan Stanley, who after being drafted 18th overall in 2016 is making an argument to be a regular. Waiting in the wings, currently starring with the Manitoba Moose, are Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg.

Winnipeg should also expect more from the likes of Morrissey, who has struggled at times this year but is a very important piece, as well as Dylan DeMelo. After a slow start, DeMelo has started to morph back into his usual consistent self.

“We’ve been improving throughout the course of the year. We’ve had some new pairings and I think guys have taken some huge steps forward. Having Derek Forbort come in … he’s been outstanding in what he brings to the team, on and off the ice,” Morrissey said.

“Then you see (Logan Stanley) come in with (Nathan Beaulieu’s) injury and he’s just been outstanding as well, just getting better every game. I like where we’re trending and we’re gonna have to keep pushing forward.”

Then there’s the concept of improving team defence, rather than just focusing on the blue line. Better overall play from the forwards in the defensive zone should only help take pressure off the defence.

“We know what it takes. We know we need to help each other out at both ends of the ice and we got two goalies that have been incredible again this year,” forward Nikolaj Ehlers said. “So, yes, I do think that we have the team to do some good things this year.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton