It’s spring and Jets’ fans fancy turns to … playoffs! By: Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre Posted: 3:40 PM CDT Sunday, Apr. 14, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/04/2024 (535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We now know the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche will do battle in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s the first — and so far only — NHL series that is set. The other seven will become clear over the next few days, with all the action set to begin next weekend.

Naturally, our monthly Free Press mailbag contained a heavy dose of related content. Let’s dig into what should be a marquee matchup, along with some other timely topics that are on your mind.

1. Assuming the team is in full health and you guys were behind the bench, what would the Jets lineup/line combos be for Game #1? -CRAIG

Ken Wiebe: Assuming full health, the Game 1 lineup has largely come into focus during the recently completed road trip, with one exception. Despite the strong play of David Gustafsson, who chipped in three assists during the past two games, he’s going to be replaced by Nino Niederreiter. Niederreiter has missed the past five games with a lacerated leg that was the result of a skate cut. He will practise with the Jets on Monday and is tracking to return for Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken, though that will depend on how he feels after Monday’s workout.

With Logan Stanley dressing for four consecutive games for just the second time this season and playing seven of the past nine games, he looks to now have the edge to play alongside Dylan Samberg on the third pairing. I don’t foresee any other surprises.

One of the most interesting things to monitor for me is who is the first forward to be called upon? Now that we know the first-round opponent is the Avalanche, would Gustafsson be first up or would it be Cole Perfetti, who has 17 goals and 36 points in 70 games. It could depend on how the series is going or if the opening is in the top-6 or the bottom-6.

Nate Schmidt would be the first D-man to enter the series. It’s not that he played his way out of the job, but Stanley brings the kind of size and a physical element the Jets don’t have a ton of among the defence corps. As for the line combos, I expect them to stay the same, at least to start. If Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers need to be flip-flopped, that’s always an option. But Ehlers is clicking with Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli since they were put back together. And against the Stars and Avalanche, the trio of Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Gabriel Vilardi showed it can handle the responsibility of going up against Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz.

That line needs to continue to get more than it gives up, but it took an important step forward on that front on the road trip.

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi

Ehlers-Monahan-Toffoli

Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton

Barron-Namestnikov-Iafallo

Morrissey-DeMelo

Dillon-Pionk

Stanley-Samberg

Hellebuyck

Brossoit

Mike McIntyre: Kenny took the words right out of my mouth, and my lineup wouldn’t look any different than his. Winnipeg certainly has some solid depth options with the likes of Perfetti, Gustafsson, Schmidt and Colin Miller able to step in should circumstance require it. It’s a very good problem to have.

2. Someone asked Bowness the other day about resting players and he sort of implied that barring nagging injuries it would only be the last couple games. Do you see any Manitoba Moose call-ups happening for those spots? Ville Heinola, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, etc? Or just the scratches going in? -CODY

KW: This is something that could fall under the category of being a work in progress. If the Jets lock up second place with one (or both) of their remaining home games left to play, that could potentially open up a window to rest some players who are a bit banged up. The Jets also have six players with the chance to appear in every regular-season game this season, so that could be a consideration as well.

The opportunity to reward several players who are having great seasons with the Moose is a consideration for sure, though the roster rules limit the number of recalls from the AHL after the NHL trade deadline. So, it won’t likely be more than two players being rewarded.

Would it make sense to give defenceman Ville Heinola his first NHL game of the season after Bowness said he did enough to make the opening-night roster before suffering a fractured ankle? No doubt, but if he’s resting one or two of the regular blue-liners, it probably makes sense to give Nate Schmidt and/or Colin Miller some game action to help keep them fresh if their number is called in the post-season.

I do think it’s possible Lambert has an opportunity to make his NHL debut, either against the Kraken or the Vancouver Canucks. The 30th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is up to 20 goals and 51 points in 61 games during his first full AHL season. The Dallas Stars recently rewarded forward prospect Mavrik Bourque, a 2020 first-rounder who has 26 goals and 75 points in 69 games for the Texas Stars in the AHL, with a game. It’s a fairly common practice around the NHL at this time of the year.

The other consideration is that the Moose and Stars are jockeying for position in the standings as they prepare for a first-round matchup. Still, it makes sense to give Lambert a taste of the NHL game as a way to let him know the organization appreciates the progress he’s made in his development. The Jets probably would like to get a game for Rasmus Kupari, who has played just once during the past 17 games.

3. I was thinking about playing at 1609 m (or 5280 ft) above sea level. The Avalanche are used to the elevation but the Jets may be at a disadvantage. Any thoughts? -COLLEEN

MM: It’s definitely can be a factor for visiting teams, as the air truly is thinner in the Mile High City. Of course, the Jets managed just fine with a pair of regular-season victories in Denver, including Saturday’s 7-0 shellacking. I’m expecting the series to begin next Sunday, and I’d guess the Jets would fly out on Friday if they’re starting on the road to give themselves an extra day to get acclimatized.

If Winnipeg has home-ice advantage, both the Jets and Avalanche will be in the same travel boat (or charter plane, in this case) as they’d fly there at the same time for games three and four.

4. Will either Gabriel Landeskog or Mikko Rantanen play in a 1st-round matchup vs. the Jets? -CHRIS

KW: The return of Rantanen on Saturday afternoon was a great sign that he should be good to go for Game 1 after sitting out the previous two games, as he was in concussion protocol after taking a massive hit from Edmonton Oilers blue-liner Mattias Ekholm. Rantanen wasn’t his dominant self but still has a week or so to get back to the form that has him second in team scoring (40 goals, 102 points in 78 games).

Landeskog is back skating on his own in Denver, but there is no indication that he will be ready for the opening round of these playoffs. The Avalanche captain has missed the past two seasons after leading his team to the Stanley Cup in 2022 and it’s been a long road with multiple knee injuries to endure.

There’s no doubt they miss his presence, but it will come as a massive surprise if he shows up in this series. There’s no guarantee he returns at all this spring, even if the Avalanche went on a run.

5. With Laurent Brossoit’s performances as of late, has the backup actually earned a start if the Jets were down two or three games in a playoff series? -CARL

MM: File this under “decisions Winnipeg hopes it wouldn’t have to make.” Brossoit has been a tremendous backup this year, arguably the best in the entire NHL, and there would no be qualms tossing him into any situation. See his performance last Thursday in Dallas as the latest example.

That said, Connor Hellebuyck is the No. 1 guy, the likely Vezina Trophy winner, and I don’t see a situation where a switch is made should the Jets fall behind in the series. If that’s the case, there’s likely other issues at play that go beyond the quality of goaltending they are getting, and I’d expect other lineup tinkering outside the crease to occur.

6. Mark Scheifele is having a year of renewal, the way he’s playing this season. He backchecks, he’s willing to be first into a corner to battle for a puck, he’s really strong on the puck when he has it, he’s trying “stuff” again and some of them have worked. In my humble opinion (I have a jersey with his name on the back, by the way), he’s having his best season of the past several and he’s leading his team in the best of all ways, by example. Would you agree? -BOB

KW: Scheifele’s commitment to two-way play has been one of the most important developments of this entire season and there’s almost been no dropoff in terms of his production. He’s still managed to operate at nearly a point-per-game pace (70 points in 73 games) but his diligent effort in all three zones has simply been excellent.

Scheifele’s goals are down this season (from 42 to 25) but he’s always been more of a pass-first player and he’s still generated nine consecutive 20-plus goal campaigns. There have been signs of late that Scheifele could be poised for a 2018-type run.

For those who need a reminder, that was the playoff when the seventh-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft finished with 14 goals and 20 points in 17 games as the Jets reached the Western Conference final before being bounced in five games by the Vegas Golden Knights. Scheifele had only one empty-net goal in the past two games, but was noticeable for all the right reasons in consecutive shutout wins over the Stars and Avalanche.

It’s not a coincidence that Scheifele has found the joy in his game once again after signing a long-term contract extension prior to the season. Recent playoffs have been filled with frustration and disappointment for Scheifele, ranging from being sidelined with injuries to the four-game suspension he received for a hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans.

Going up against Hart Trophy front-runner Nathan MacKinnon, the Jets need Scheifele to continue to be one of their best players if they want to advance beyond the first round for just the second time since 2018.

7. With Rutger McGroarty’s Michigan teammate signing Saturday (Frank Nazar) do the odds go up of McGroarty signing? -ERNIE

MM: I just spend much of the past week in Minnesota with McGroarty and his family members, who are truly good human beings, as he competed in the Frozen Four. In putting together an in-depth feature on the first-rounder, naturally the question of whether he will sign with Winnipeg now that his college season is over came up repeatedly.

I left St. Paul on the fence about it, wondering if a second straight loss in the semi-final might cause McGroarty to decide to run it back one more year in Michigan in an attempt at a national championship. But then came Saturday’s most interesting development, with Frank Nazar opting to turn pro and sign with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is big, as Nazar is McGroarty’s closest friend on the Wolverines, in addition to his linemate.

I chatted with Nazar for the feature, and he took me way back in time to when they first started playing spring hockey together as kids, moving up through the ranks together including time in Honeybaked playing AAA hockey, and then as teammates on the world junior team. Add in the fact McGroarty’s other linemate (and buddy) Gavin Brindley is said to be mulling an offer to also turn pro and sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and suddenly I’d say his chances of joining the Jets have gone from a coin flip to much more likely.

I know the family is currently mulling it over, and I’d expect a decision in the next couple days here. Whether it’s now or in a year from now, I can confidently say (as many others I spoke to did) that the Jets have a real good one coming in McGroarty.

8. Sean Monahan has fit into the lineup really well. What do you think his new contact will look like and do you think the Jets will be serious suitors? -BUBBA B

KW: I wrote about Monahan extensively last week, tapping into the insights of several folks who know him well from past stops, including former Flames head coach Bob Hartley, who raved about him and his willingness to learn and get better as a young player after he was chosen sixth overall in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Near the bottom of the article, I mentioned that Monahan’s camp is likely going to be looking for something in the neighbourhood of five years with an AAV likely north of US$5 million. There’s no doubt the Jets are going to be serious suitors, but can they win a bidding war for him?

Much like Paul Stastny did in 2018 after his arrival, Monahan’s value has only increased since the trade. That means he will be in demand, especially since centre is a premier position and both contenders and teams looking to become one are going to be looking to add someone such as Monahan.

As Jets head coach Rick Bowness told me last week, Monahan has been “a perfect fit” since his arrival and he wasn’t exaggerating. Monahan is contributing to every facet of the game and it stands to reason that his best is likely yet to come in the postseason, given his skillset. He’s quickly become the Jets’ best faceoff man, he’s clicking at even strength, given the power play a boost in the bumper position, killing penalties, providing reliable defensive play and contributing plenty of offence.

Monahan, who has 13 goals and 24 points in 32 games since joining the Jets, is well-positioned to cash in if he gets to the open market. My expectation would be that the Jets make their best offer before July 1 as Monahan on a long-term extension would line up with their window of contention and eliminate the need to find a solution at 2C elsewhere.

The flip side of the equation is that if a deal can’t be reached before July 1, there will be no shortage of suitors. Might the Columbus Blue Jackets try to reunite Monahan with close friend and former linemate Johnny Gaudreau? Could the Ottawa Senators look to bring Monahan in to help provide some veteran leadership during a region where he starred as a junior with the Ottawa 67s? Those are two of many teams that would figure to have interest in Monahan’s services. That list will be long.

9. When the Coyotes move to Utah do all the Jets 1.0 records follow them to Salt Lake City or can Mark Chipman get them back to the Winnipeg (the original franchise) if he wants.? I was told before that all New Jersey’s records still belong to the Kansas City Scouts I was told that after so many years ( not sure how many) that all the records belong to the current franchise. Just like all the current Jets 2.0 still belong to Atlanta. -KEN

MM: A great question, and also one with no clear answer. This entire situation is a convoluted mess, and it’s been complicated with reports that the Coyotes are basically going to be rendered an “inactive” franchise — rather than a re-located one to Utah — which would seem to suggest the 1.0 history stays dormant in the desert, at least for now.

There’s reportedly going to be a five-year window to resurrect them, essentially as an expansion franchise, should the whole arena saga eventually get sorted out. This is because the NHL, as has become clear over the years, does not want to abandon Arizona entirely. They have no choice but to do so now.

My solution: Transfer the Jets 1.0 history back to Winnipeg where it rightfully belongs. Have the Coyotes 1.0 history (from 1996-2024) stay with the zombie franchise, with the potential to eventually move it to Utah (who would start fresh this fall) should they not ultimately rise from the dead.

10. Are you surprised regarding Colin Miller’s limited usage and that Logan Stanley’s usage has increased after the addition of an 8th NHL defenceman on the active roster? -CRAIG

KW: The larger element of surprise surrounds Stanley, who seemed like a mostly forgotten member of the competition into early March, with only 12 games played when the calendar flipped. But the light bulb went on and Stanley began delivering a more consistent game during the past month and has pushed himself into strong consideration for Game 1 participation.

As for Miller, I’m definitely surprised that he’s only appeared in four games since he arrived from the New Jersey Devils. But my expectation from talking to multiple sources around the league was that he was being brought in to be the No. 7 guy. Miller was going to support Schmidt as an insurance policy, not necessarily replace him.

That Stanley leapfrogged both of them on the depth chart was something not many people had on their bingo card. Any team that goes on a long run often requires eight-to-10 blue-liners to make at least one appearance in the postseason. Adding a right-handed shooting D-man was a priority and Miller’s 40 Stanley Cup playoff games are an obvious bonus as the Jets prepare for what they hope is an extended run.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

@WiebesWorld

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

@mikemcintyrewpg