Jets mailbag: Recouping assets a trade deadline accomplishment By: Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe Posted: 12:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2026

The trade deadline has come and gone. A rather unlikely late-season playoff push is on. Fans are torn and conflicted. And the monthly Free Press mailbag is once again overflowing.

Hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe are back to answer all your burning questions regarding the Winnipeg Jets.

---

1. What letter grade do you give the Jets for their trade deadline efforts? What could have been done better? ED

WIEBE: It’s been a few years since the Jets found themselves selling instead of buying, but overall the letter grade given to Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is a B-plus that has the ability to grow into an A or A-minus, depending on what impact Isak Rosen has during the coming seasons.

There’s temptation to shift the grade to an A-minus already, given the potential for Rosen, but I’ve occasionally been called an easy grader, so let’s leave it as a B-plus for the time being.

To recap, in two separate trades with the Buffalo Sabres, the Jets moved a trio of pending unrestricted free agents: D-men Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn (while retaining 50 per cent of Schenn’s US$2.75 million annual average value) and forward Tanner Pearson. What the Jets got back in return included Rosen (a top forward prospect), pending UFA D-man Jacob Bryson and a trio of draft picks including a 2nd in 2027, a fourth in 2026 and a seventh in 2026.

So instead of having only four picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Jets are up to seven (with no pick in the second and two in the seventh). Recouping assets was a priority for Cheveldayoff and he accomplished that feat.

As for what could have been done better, there are a few layers to that answer. Had defenceman Colin Miller (knee) not been injured, he would have made sense as an insurance policy to one of the contenders. There was an outside chance the Jets were going to move D-man Ville Heinola, but since he’s going to be a Group 6 UFA this summer, that might have limited the return there.

Shipping out another UFA or two could have been on the table, but the value coming back was probably limited. Cheveldayoff probably didn’t want this to be a full-blown fire sale since the Jets have managed to stay in the playoff race with their strong start coming out of the Olympic break.

I had been curious about the Jets potentially taking a big ticket contract (as long as it was expiring on July 1) to try and add a first or second round pick as a sweetener, but none of those deals were made on deadline day, with the new rules on double retention likely playing a role there.

2. What are the odds that Kevin Cheveldayoff re-engages and signs Logan Stanley as a UFA? Consider: Normally the new team is motivated to extend but the Buffalo Sabres are unlikely to have the cap space to re-sign Stanley. Jets have plenty of cap space. Both Chevy and Stanley said they kept the door open. @bfj-mb.bsky.social

MCINTYRE: I would file this under possible, but rather unlikely. At this point, I suspect it would take a significant drop in ask from Stanley to make the numbers fit in Winnipeg.

As Ken reported last week, there were some 11th-hour discussions between Cheveldayoff and Stanley’s camp on what a potential extension would look like. It’s safe to say the two sides had rather different views, which is why the trade trigger got pulled late Thursday night.

The Jets couldn’t afford to let their most valuable asset walk for nothing and I truly believe Cheveldayoff did well to package Stanley and Luke Schenn together and ultimately get four assets in return. That’s some tidy business.

Given the season Stanley is having, along with his unique toolbox combined with the rapidly rising salary cap, I’d be shocked if there isn’t a team or two this summer that makes Stanley an offer he simply can’t refuse. Obviously how the final quarter of the season plays out for him in Buffalo along with his playoff performance will play a role as well.

I’d be shocked if there isn’t a team or two this summer that makes Stanley an offer he simply can’t refuse

Now, should that not come to fruition, there’s always a chance some circling back could happen — especially since it appears no bridges were burned. I just wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

3. Mark Scheifele’s omission, Kyle Connor’s lack of opportunity and Josh Morrissey’s injury (again) must be salt in their wounds (from the 4 Nations Face-Off). How do they play down the stretch? CRAIG

WIEBE: It’s tough to argue with the results so far, though I realize it’s only been one game back so far for Morrissey. All he did was come out of the infirmary to play nearly 24 minutes, help set up the tying goal on the power play and then deliver the OT winner for a team that was struggling mightily in extra time during his absence.

Morrissey was devastated by the injury that limited him to one period and change at the Olympics, but he’s been focusing on gratitude and will continue to do so. There’s no doubt he will be leaned on heavily during the final quarter of the season and I’d expect him to make a late offensive push for 60 points (he’s got 44 with 20 games to go), which would make it four consecutive seasons of hitting the mark.

There’s no doubt Scheifele was disappointed by his omission, but he’s come out of the break playing an inspired game and was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after he delivered three goals and eight points during the past three games. He’s not driven by the quest to hit numerical milestones, but he’s up to 30 goals and 78 points in 62 games and remains on pace to eclipse his career-best of 87 points — and hitting the century mark for the first time in his career also remains a possibility.

Sitting out the gold medal game at the 4 Nations Face-Off was a challenge in itself, but being limited to two games at the Olympics would have been frustrating to Connor, who still came home with a gold medal from his experience. Connor has three goals and seven points in the six games coming out of the break and is playing inspired hockey. He’s improved his two-way play and that’s probably not a coincidence.

All three of these players are proud individuals and I expect them to continue to play at an extremely high level during the stretch run and if the Jets are going to somehow chase down the final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings, each of them will play a pivotal role — along with Connor Hellebuyck standing tall between the pipes.

4. I am curious as to your thoughts and the feeling around the team moving forward regarding Connor Hellebuyck. I believe he’s had his moment in the sun (Olympic gold) and is the best goalie in the world, but going forward I’m not sure he’s the one to lead the Jets to the promised land. His trade value would never be higher, yes, I said trade. I don’t believe he will maintain this level of play with more Olympic fallout yet to come. I say Logan Thompson and Tom Wilson would both look great in a Jets sweater. DOUG

MCINTYRE: A year ago, the prospect of trading Hellebuyck — the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner — would have gotten you laughed out of the room. The Jets, after all, were the best regular-season team in the NHL and poised to go on a championship run.

However, a tough playoff performance by Hellebuyck last spring combined with the Jets now looking like they won’t even qualify for Lord Stanley’s annual tournament has changed the tune, at least to a degree.

I see no world in which the Jets would even consider such a move UNLESS it was Hellebuyck himself who broached the subject — which I also don’t envision occurring.

For one, the Jets have no desire to enter a long and potentially painful rebuild in this market, which is what would happen if you ship out Hellebuyck. Frankly, if you’re doing that, I’d expect Mark Scheifele to follow him out the door. Maybe Kyle Connor, too. Not to mention Josh Morrissey, whose contract is soon up for renewal.

These core players committed long-term to Winnipeg, and vice versa, so moving any one of them would likely create a domino effect and a massive shift in organizational philosophy.

Moving any one of them would likely create a domino effect and a massive shift in organizational philosophy

Is it fun to think of what a Hellebuyck return could get you? Sure. But anyone thinking that would somehow set the Jets on a clear path to long-term success might want to take a look at the lowly Vancouver Canucks, who just traded their franchise player (Quinn Hughes) for a haul to Minnesota, yet now seem even further away from relevancy than ever before.

Hellebuyck is a player all 31 other NHL teams would love to have right now. You try and build around that — not get rid of it.

5. Is there any concern that if next season follows a path similar to this one that getting Josh Morrissey to re-sign in Winnipeg becomes an issue? CHUCK

WIEBE: The Jets have Morrissey under contract for the team-friendly AAV of US$6.25 million for two more seasons after this one (with a 15-team no-trade clause), but I recognize your point would be to get him signed to an extension at the earliest point possible — which would be the summer of 2027.

While it’s true that the Jets still face an uphill climb to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, the expectation is that Winnipeg will attempt to reload this summer and take another run next season. As long as that happens, there shouldn’t be an impediment to Morrissey getting an extension locked up, just like Kyle Connor did last October and Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele did before that.

Morrissey, chosen 13th overall by the Jets in 2013, is a foundational pillar and the organization would like this to be the only NHL team he plays for. Morrissey shares those sentiments and has expressed them frequently. Things would need to go off the rails for Morrissey to end up somewhere else.

With a rapidly rising salary cap, you can be sure that Morrissey is in for a hefty raise on that next deal, but the expectation is that he will remain in Winnipeg for the duration of his career. Just last Saturday, Morrissey chipped in a goal and an assist to move past his old defence partner Dustin Byfuglien as the franchise leader in points by a D-man (417 in 719 NHL games).

6. As someone who has been caught wrestling with wishes the Jets would just tank and earn a valuable, high draft pick, and then who catches myself cheering like they’re battling for first place when a game is being played, what are your thoughts on how this team would best be served? BRIAN

MCINTYRE: Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.

I get the sense plenty of Jets fans are in the same mixed-emotion boat as you are, Brian — not sure whether to cheer or boo at this recent surge (4-0-2 since the Olympic break, 11-4-5 over the past 20 games) and the potential implications.

Here’s my take: The Jets smartly moved a few expiring contracts at the deadline, which not only was good asset management and helped stock the prospect pipeline, but also paved the way for some younger and faster players to get opportunities that might otherwise have been blocked.

The Jets smartly moved a few expiring contracts at the deadline

Holding on to those guys in the name of a playoff push would have been a terrible decision. So the Jets were “sellers,” at least to a degree.

Now, the players who are still here will determine how this season ends. They are not in the business of “tanking,” so there’s not much anyone can do but let the games play out.

Yes, a top five (or, even better, top three) draft pick this year would obviously be better for the Jets than something in the teens. But there’s also something said for building a “winning culture” — or, to look at it from the opposite view, not building a “losing culture.”

I know most folks believe the potential juice isn’t worth the squeeze, with a likely first-round date (and prompt elimination) at the hands of the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche being the reward for grabbing that final wild-card spot.

Just don’t tell that to the players, coaches, management or ownership, who would obviously love to have even a couple playoff gates to help boost the bottom line.

7. My question is hypothetical, depending on how the team decides to play out the last 20 games and on whether the playoffs become further out of reach. Do you see the Jets coaching staff start the experimental phase of line construction? For example, should they experiment with 36 at 2C, or give 13 a crack at 2C? Move 57 to the top D pair and move 2 down to third D for a period of time? If the playoff push comes up short, I would be curious to see some new combos and see if the evergreen search for a 2C could be filled by someone already here. Not sure if you see the same upside for Morgan Barron, but he has put in the work to at least see what could be. CORY

MCINTYRE: Yes, absolutely.

For now, the Jets are essentially going with the status quo as they try and see if they might be able to sneak into that final Western Conference wild-card spot.

But if and when that no longer becomes a reality, I would definitely expect some tinkering. Moving Elias Salomonsson up with Josh Morrissey would be an easy one for me, just to give that duo a bit of a run together.

Elevating Barron, such as you suggest, would also make plenty of sense. I think the ship has mostly sailed on Gabe Vilardi as a centre, and much of that has to do with the wear and tear on the body that position takes and trying to keep the talented young winger as healthy and productive as possible.

I also think you’ll see guys like trade deadline addition Isak Rosen, Manitoba Moose call-up Brad Lambert and a few other guys from the farm — Brayden Yager, perhaps — get some bigger opportunities down the stretch, once the games no longer carry the same high-stakes.

8. Why do the Jets keep Morgan Barron on the fourth line? Other than his ability to play centre, it seems like a waste of a big, fast and intelligent player. LEE

WIEBE: There seems to be plenty of internal and external debate about where Barron fits best in the lineup, whether that’s down the middle or on the wing. For me, it’s less about his position and more about his role, which goes back to your question and point.

Barron brings a lot of qualities the Jets don’t have an abundance of in their Top-9, which is why I believe he’s best suited to play alongside captain Adam Lowry on the checking-plus line. As the Jets are constructed right now, Lowry is being asked to centre more of a scoring line with Perfetti and Rosen.

But I’ve talked about reuniting Barron and Lowry before and believe that they’ve got good chemistry together and could flourish together. Barron is on the verge of hitting double digits in goals — despite two lengthy droughts this season — and he’s someone that could hit 15-plus with a slight increase in ice time.

I can certainly understand why a head coach would want to have someone as stable as Barron on the fourth line and he’s played well with Cole Koepke, but someone like Danny Zhilkin could likely slide into that job, with Barron taking on more responsibility.

I can certainly understand why a head coach would want to have someone as stable as Barron on the fourth line

The Jets are coming to a crossroads with Barron, as he has one more season left on his contract before he has the ability to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Moving him up the lineup might enhance the ability to get him signed to an extension before the current deal expires.

9a. What are the chances management are looking at a coaching change? @ theredwun.bsky.social

9b. Is Scott Arniel the right coach going forward or is it time Kevin Cheveldayoff moves to front office and a new coach and GM are brought in and go in a new direction ? My vibe is the Jets took a long time to decide on Rick Bowness as Barry Trotz was the front runner to coach this Jets team, but Trotz wanted to be a GM. With Trotz gone from Nashville, is it related to be closer to home and his father maybe the Jets are thinking him as GM. It’s been 15 years and you wonder if Chevy’s burning out. @golferwpg.bsky.social

MCINTYRE: I don’t expect a coaching change to happen this off-season. Nor do I believe a new GM will be brought in. I think the organization has deep loyalty to both Kevin Cheveldayoff and Scott Arniel and ultimately believes this season is an outlier.

Now, we can debate about whether that’s smart thinking. I’m just telling you what I believe they believe.

The Jets have shown zero sign of quit this year. In fact, quite the opposite. So there’s no scenario here when Arniel has lost the room. Key players such as Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabe Vilardi and Josh Morrissey are all having strong individual seasons, too.

Cheveldayoff has pointed the finger at himself when it comes to roster construction, and it’s obvious some mistakes were made in that regard. The key now is learning from those errors and ensuring they don’t happen again.

Increased pressure on Cheveldayoff and Arniel? Absolutely. As there should be. But I think they will be given every opportunity here to essentially right the ship.

10. I’ve never understood how a player like David Gustafsson was good enough for the big club when it was much better the past two or three years, but doesn’t have a place in a much worse team this year. Maybe I’m exaggerating how much he played in previous years but it seems obvious he would be an upgrade on several current Jets. Same thought about Rasmus Kupari, I guess. (I’m not sure if he left because there was no place for him, or if he was leaving anyway.) Even with all the injuries, Gus doesn’t get a look. Why does a player like him run out of runway? He’s still young. He’s mostly been fit this year. I don’t get it. LES

WIEBE: This has been a bit of a mystery to me a well.

The short answer was that the Jets were looking for an upgrade or someone with a bit different skill set. Gustafsson, the Jets’ second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, was a reliable player who did a lot of things pretty well but wasn’t truly elite in any particular area. He’s incredibly intelligent and defensively sound, but never produced much offence at the NHL level (six goals, 20 points in 149 NHL games, plus two goals in 11 playoff games).

Although he worked at his skating, he isn’t considered fast and while he competes hard, he wasn’t really a physical force. He wasn’t truly a force in the circle, so he never became a faceoff specialist and while he was adept at killing penalties at the AHL level, his opportunities on that front were limited in the NHL. He’s had a strong season with the Manitoba Moose (nine goals, 30 points in 44 games) but it’s looking more and more like a change of scenery might be required for him next season.

It often comes down to what type of player the head coach favours

Although he’s a restricted free agent, Gustafsson is someone who might not receive a qualifying offer, which would make him a UFA. As for how things got to this point for Gustafsson, for players on the edge of the roster, it often comes down to what type of player the head coach favours. Cole Koepke hasn’t matched his career-best 10 goals or 17 points from last season with the Boston Bruins (he’s got five goals and 13 points in 46 games this season), but he’s a regular on the penalty kill and also leads the Jets in hits, which is probably why he grabbed the fourth-line job.

As for Rasmus Kupari, his departure was a bit of a mystery, as it looked like he was going to get more opportunity with the Jets this season before signing a two-year deal in the Swiss League. Injuries have limited Kupari to one game this season with Lugano though, so his future is up in the air a bit.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe