Mailbag: Stanley’s role a sore point for fans, but Jets haven’t given up on him yet By: Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe Posted: 1:41 PM CST Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 Last Modified: 9:47 PM CST Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 Updates

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This article was published 29/12/2024 (280 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gather ‘round, folks, as Free Press hockey writers Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre are back for another edition of our monthly Winnipeg Jets mailbag.

There were a few common themes: Logan Stanley, the upcoming NHL trade deadline, Logan Stanley, some prospects with the Manitoba Moose, Logan Stanley, honouring some stars of the past and — did we mention this one? — Logan Stanley.

Dig in.

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1A. Does Logan Stanley finish the year on the Jets roster? JOHN

1B. Would you be able to give an in-depth answer of why you think Logan Stanley is getting the role on this team he is? I’m not gonna get as upset as some people on social media but do you believe it is because of where he is drafted? Do they not want to admit they fumbled the pick? Do they see something the general fan isn’t seeing? To me and some of my friends that are Jets fans, it seems like it’s turnover and penalties like crazy and when we have better options such as a young player like Ville Heinola. Does it not make more sense to play him? BLAKE

1C. I understand why Jets coach Scott Arniel says we need Logan Stanley to be in our top six. I would rather Arniel say, “We need a player in our top six that plays like Brenden Dillon.” Stanley has proven that he is not that player. What players are out there that the Jets may be able to trade for that could provide that missing role in our top six? LEE

McINTYRE: To be honest, we probably could have gone through the entire alphabet this month (1A through 1Z) with questions about the Jets polarizing 6-foot-7 defenceman. He’s quite the hot topic, to say the least. So let’s unpack these three related questions, which are representative of the general theme that came our way. Yes, I believe Stanley finishes the year on the roster.

They haven’t given up on him yet — that should be crystal clear by now — and I don’t expect that to change by way of a trade or placement on waivers. However, I would be surprised if he’s seeing game action once the stakes get really high and the playoffs come around. Stanley should be relegated to a depth spot by then — like seventh or eighth or ninth spot — with the Jets hopefully healthy and also having added at the trade deadline. If he isn’t, that’s a big whiff in my eyes.

So why is he playing now? His draft position plays a small role, with the organization not wanting to pull the pin on someone they have invested plenty of time in trying to develop. But that’s not the entire story. To me, it’s as much about what the Jets don’t currently have enough of — size and physicality on the back-end — that is giving Stanley plenty of rope.

At this moment, the coaching staff clearly views him as an asset in that department, and continuing to play him despite some of the faults you’ve accurately pointed out is as much an SOS to general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. Not replacing Brenden Dillon with a reasonable facsimile, and then losing Dylan Samberg to a broken foot, has created some holes.

I will be surprised if a serious attempt isn’t made to try and fill them between now and the March 7 trade deadline. In terms of some targets, there are names such as Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia), David Savard (Montreal) and perhaps Jamie Oleksiak (Seattle) out there who could potentially check the appropriate boxes, and perhaps some others whose names haven’t emerged just yet.

One final thought from me: I truly don’t believe success or failure of this team is determined by who the sixth defenceman is, and the fact so many are up in arms about Stanley’s play on a team that is soaring high near the very top of the NHL standings would support that.

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2. Do the Jets have a D-corps capable of a quality run in the playoffs? VERN

WIEBE: The Jets defence corps is still in a greater-than-the-sum-of-its parts phase and they deserve credit for how they’ve played to this point, especially when you consider Dylan Samberg has missed 16 games (and counting) with a broken foot. Josh Morrissey is having an outstanding season and would find his name on a lot of Norris Trophy ballots if the season ended tomorrow.

Neal Pionk is enjoying a bounce-back season, both defensively and in terms of offensive production and that was going to be important for this defence corps. There are some ongoing battles remaining and while Haydn Fleury has done a great job — especially during Samberg’s absence — he’s now week-to-week, which leaves more time for Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley and potentially Dylan Coghlan to try and improve their standing.

So, back to the original question — the Jets defence corps is capable of a quality run in the playoffs, provided they’re all healthy. But there’s little doubt that Cheveldayoff is going to explore the trade market and I will be surprised if they don’t pursue an upgrade before the deadline.

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3. Which do you think the Jets do first? 1. Trade for a No. 2 centre; 2. Trade for a top right-handed defenceman; 3. Try to get one of the Moose to make the jump to help the team out so they can re-jig the lines. STUART

McINTYRE: We’ve already seen a couple of Moose call-ups in Brad Lambert and then Nikita Chibrikov given a brief in-season audition, albeit one necessitated by the injury to Nikolaj Ehlers. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more from both players, especially Chibrikov who could potentially slide into a fourth-line role and add a bit more offensive punch.

However, I truly believe a second-line centre will again be a top priority. Not to discount the job Vlad Namestnikov has done in that role, but we know the organization tried to re-sign Sean Monahan last summer, which tells you they recognized it as a position of need. I think an ideal situation would see a Monahan-type add against this year, which would allow Namestnikov to slide down into a third or fourth-line role.

I also believe a right-shot defenceman is equally high on the wish list — Colin Miller has gone from being a recent healthy scratch to on the second-pair in that role on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators — so it’s a bit of a coin flip in trying to predict which comes first.

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4. Will Nikolaj Ehlers be gone by the deadline? I would love to see a Josh Anderson type added to the Jets’ forward group? RYAN

WIEBE: With just over three months until the NHL trade deadline arrives on March 7, all the options remain on the table for Ehlers but the least likely of those options appears to be him being traded.

Signing an in-season extension also appears to be unlikely, though that could change with one phone call. Which means keeping Ehlers on the roster as a self rental appears to be the most logical outcome.

Ehlers is having an excellent season and has only enhanced his value, should he hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Ehlers has taken full advantage of the opportunity to play regularly on the top power play unit for an extended period of time for the first time in his career and his play-driving ability has been evident — despite missing nine games with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

After delivering a goal and two assists on Saturday, Ehlers is up to 11 goals and 30 points in 28 games.

For Ehlers to be moved before the deadline, the Jets would have to be blown away by an offer. As for Josh Anderson, the version of him in his prime would definitely be appealing to the Jets. All contenders will be looking for someone with power forward capabilities, but the 30-year-old has shifted to being more of a complementary player, not someone who could improve the top six.

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5. I think the Jets need to add some muscle if they hope to go far. Having Adam Lowry off for five minutes was a much bigger loss for the Jets than it was for Boston to lose Nikita Zadorov. He is far too valuable as the captain to have to be the policeman, so to speak, yet the Bruins got by quite easily without the three guys that got majors. Someone such as a Chris Thorburn or Brenden Dillon would be nice to have. The days of Gord Donnelly and Tie Domi are long over. JONATHAN

WIEBE: To Ryan’s point, someone like Anderson would bring some additional bite to the forward group. Having a heavyweight in the lineup like Donnelly or Domi isn’t going to be an option, but if the Jets could find someone that occasionally drops the gloves and could also make the team harder to play against while having the ability to play a regular shift and contribute elsewhere, they would consider it.

You’re absolutely right that losing Lowry for five minutes hurts the Jets more than losing Zadrov for five minutes would. Lowry is the best fighter and toughest player on the Jets, so bringing someone else in to help with that role is a consideration, though it’s a lower priority than adding a 2C or a D-man.

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6. I look at the Jets as having 4-5 very capable players of playing a middle-six role at forward (Mason Appleton, Morgan Barron, Vlad Namestnikov, David Gustafsson, Alex Iafallo) that they should consider as movable. These are all players that on a Cup contender are bottom-six type of forwards. Can you see them moving 2-3 of these players in order to get a middle-six player, but on that plays with more “bite/aggression” and who would be a better person to fight instead of our captain all the time? LEE

McINTYRE: I don’t necessarily see the Jets moving any of the players mentioned above, but that doesn’t preclude them from adding to the group, either. Adding a top-six forward (presumably a centre), would allow for someone like Namestnikov to slide down into a bottom six role, while also moving others another spot down the depth chart which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I also think adding a player with some bite, as you point out, would be a smart move to help Lowry do some of the heavier lifting in that department.

But these adds don’t have to come at the expense of deleting current contributing members of the club, who very much might all be needed should the Jets go on a long playoff run next spring. The more likely scenario is moving some draft picks and/or prospects to help bolster the roster.

Appleton, Namestnikov and Iafallo are all pending unrestricted free agents, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see at least two of them re-signed by the organization.

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7. Will GM Kevin Cheveldayoff ever go big game hunting? When elite players become available via trade (example Elias Pettersson) it doesn’t seem like he is ever willing to give up anything for a game breaker. Like why go shopping for a 2C when you can get another 1C? MALLORY

WIEBE: First of all, big-game hunting is a relative term and sometimes the under-the-radar deals at the deadline are the ones that have the biggest impact. That’s not to say bringing in high profile players doesn’t work, but it’s not a guarantee of success either.

Secondly, big-game hunting often costs draft capital, prospects and/or players off the roster and more than occasionally, if a top-line centre or top blue-liner is available, they may have trade protection as well. Should all of those hurdles be cleared, the Jets would require the cap space required to add that talented and likely highly-paid player into the financial restraints.

According to Puck Pedia, the Jets currently project to have just under US$12 million in cap space available to them. Much like Cheveldayoff did last year in addressing the 2C position with Sean Monahan, adding scoring and Stanley Cup experience in Tyler Toffoli and a depth blue-liner in Colin Miller, the chances are good the Jets are going to be active in the trade market once again as they take a run at an extended playoff run. Obviously the cost of acquisition will be a factor.

The Jets have not been shy about shipping out first-round picks, but they haven’t sacrificed a lot of top-end prospects in deadline deals previously — and that’s probably what’s going to be required to look at a second 1C or a top-pairing D-man.

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8A. What do you think Nikita Chibrikov needs to do to become a regular NHLer and how soon do you think he’ll be able to? IRA

8B. Beyond age, why are Rasmus Kupari and Morgan Barron ahead of Nikita Chibrikov? @mennoknight427

WIEBE: Chibrikov did an excellent job during his recent call-up and he’s done what you have to do to put yourself on the radar to become a regular, which is to produce when given the opportunity.

Chibrikov has a shoot-first mentality and he’s willing to go to the hard areas and mix it up — all excellent qualities. To make the leap on a full-time basis, Chibrikov needs to continue working on his skating and his defensive play, which is not a knock on how he defends, but something almost all young players (and many experienced ones) need before they’re ready for consistent top-six minutes.

As for the second question, both Barron and Kupari are superior skaters — even if Chibrikov has shown more natural finishing ability in his small NHL sample size. Barron is one of the top penalty-killers over the boards and has a double digit goal-scoring season on his resume and is a diligent checking forward.

As for Kupari, he’s improved his faceoff ability and is also used on the penalty kill, so those are some of the reasons he’s not ahead of them on the depth chart right now. Could Chibrikov see time on the second power play unit right now? Absolutely, but I don’t see him ahead of any of the guys currently logging time on the Jets’ fourth line.

I do see Chibrikov getting another opportunity (or several) before the season is over, but I don’t see him becoming a full-timer until next fall, provided he continues to develop the way that he has this season. The future looks bright for him.

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9. Is there any talk about a tribute to Dustin Byfuglien for his past contributions? Even a salute and raising the flag for No. 33? PETER

McINTYRE: I haven’t heard any, but that’s not to say it couldn’t happen one day. Byfuglien is truly an enigma, someone who literally walked away from millions of dollars for a quiet and extremely private life.

How many interviews have you seen with him since he retired? The answer is none. That’s not for a lack of trying. He prefers to stay way out of the limelight, and I’m not sure that will ever change.

Having said that, no question the Jets recognize what a popular player he was, and I suspect the organization would love to give him a proper send-off at some point down the road. Knowing how Byfuglien thinks, I’m not sure I’d hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

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10. What are the chances Blake Wheeler retires as a Jet like Bryan Little did? JACKIE

McINTYRE: Not unlike Byfuglien’s situation, file this one under, “it’s possible.”

The former captain enjoyed the best years of his career here in Winnipeg, even if his tenure ended in less-than-ideal fashion with him being stripped off the C, then bought out of the final year of his contract.

Wheeler recently let his guard down in a fascinating, hour-long podcast appearance in which he candidly discussed the emotional roller-coaster he went on while taking plenty of responsibility for how things played out. Clearly, time is in the process of healing some wounds.

One little caveat: I’m not entirely sure Wheeler has played his final NHL game. While the 38-year-old admitted the rigours of a full season are no longer for him, he hasn’t formally announced his retirement and a part of me wonders if he could sign with a team in a couple months from now as part of one final push for an elusive Stanley Cup.

It would be the ultimate form of load management, and there’s some precedent for it, too, with Zach Parise joining the Colorado Avalanche for the final 30 games last year.

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11. With the second Manitoba Moose forward being waived for the purposes of terminating contract (Henri Nikkanen and now Daniel Torgersson), what does that say about the Jets draft-and-develop philosophy and who will the Jets/Moose slide into those two spots? JOE

WIEBE: It’s definitely abnormal for a draft-and-develop team like the Jets to be terminating the contracts of two players in the same season, but both Nikkanen (fourth round, 113th overall, 2019) and Torgersson (second round, 40th overall, 2020) were heading into similar territory — as in both players were pending restricted free agents who were unlikely to receive a qualifying offer this June and would have become unrestricted free agents anyway.

The development of both players had stalled and they’d been passed on the depth chart with the Moose and will pursue opportunities overseas. Nikkanen (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and Torgersson (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) both brought some size to the organization’s forward pool, but neither player was able to make a big enough impact offensively (Torgersson had 11 goals and 20 points in 69 games but was limited to one goal during the past season and change) and neither was overly physical either.

Missing on a draft pick happens as it’s an inexact science, but not having a player chosen high in the second round get a sniff of the NHL is a tough blow for the Jets, for sure.

As for who replaces those players, in the short term it provides more opportunities for guys on AHL deals to potentially earn more ice time and eventually, a two-way NHL contract or for someone to come up from the ECHL level to come up and try to establish himself.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @wiebesworld