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SEATTLE — The NHL trade deadline has come and gone and there’s no doubt the Winnipeg Jets improved their roster.
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On Friday morning, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff took another big swing to augment the forward group, bringing in winger Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils for a pair of draft picks (a second-rounder in 2025 and a third-rounder in 2024).
“When they got (Sean Monahan), that was a message sent to the team. Getting (Toffoli) was an even bigger one,” said Jets’ centre Mark Scheifele. “It was a good message, and it shows a lot of faith in this group. I’m very, very excited for what this team can do and I’m ready to welcome him aboard.”
The Winnipeg Jets traded for winger Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils. (Peter K. Afriyie / The Associated Press files)
Before the buzzer sounded at 2 pm (CT), the Jets went back to the Devils and added right-shot defenceman Colin Miller.
“He’s got a big shot from the point. He’s had a lot of playoff experience. We are just looking for another right-handed D,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. “He’s a key acquisition as well. He will play an important part of our team moving forward as well. Again, I hear nothing but great things about his character. We are bringing in good players and just as important, we are bringing in good people.”
Neither player will be in the lineup Friday night as the Jets face the Kraken.
The other major development for the Jets is that right-winger Gabriel Vilardi isn’t expected to be out long term, with Bowness saying the plan is for him to be back on the ice Monday.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” said Bowness. “Every time he seems to get going he gets another injury. It sets him back a little bit. But we’ve seen how important he is to our power play. And when we get that power play rolling… we got six goals in three games. He was a huge part of it, so we certainly miss him and are anxious to get him back.”
The Jets are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Kraken on Tuesday night, with Andre Burakovsky providing a late power-play marker that turned out to be the game-winner.
Although Connor Hellebuyck is feeling better after dealing with a flu bug on Thursday, Laurent Brosoit will get the call in goal for the Jets in the rematch with the Kraken, who counter with Philipp Grubauer.
The lone lineup change for the Jets has Nate Schmidt inserted back on defence for Logan Stanley.
The Jets continue to push for top spot in the Central Division, while the Kraken, who signed right-winger Jordan Eberle to a contract extension on Friday, enter action six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“They’re good off the rush and they’re fighting to move up the standings,” said Monahan. “They’re a desperate team. We know what we’re up against.”
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Here’s a few other things to help get you ready for the game:
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: The Jets have had a few days to simmer over Tuesday’s frustrating loss, so I’d expect this group to come out with some extra giddy-up tonight. No doubt seeing their general manager go “all in” at the trade deadline should provide some additional fuel. Of course, the flu bug going around the room might be tempering that to a degree.
The competition for playing time is about to pick up with Toffoli and Miller now in the mix, so I’ll be keeping an eye on the likes of Nate Schmidt, David Gustafsson and Cole Perfetti to see how they perform. They could soon find themselves on the outside looking in, provided everyone remains healthy. File all of that under good problems to have, as the Jets are going to need plenty of reliable depth if they are to ultimately go on a long playoff run.
I continue to be impressed with Brossoit’s play, who is probably better than the No. 1 netminder on several teams right now. He’s not long for Winnipeg, with Hellbuyck now signed for another seven years beyond this one, meaning his path to more playing time is blocked. But Brossoit is showcasing himself for what should be plenty of summer offers every time he takes the net.
The Jets also acquired right-shot defenceman Colin Miller from the Devils. (Noah K. Murray / The Associated Press files)
KEN SAYS: It’s impossible not to begin with the news of the day, and the Jets hit this one right out of the park, finding upgrades without sacrificing too much of the future. Toffoli figures to be a perfect fit and while he may need some time to get settled in, having familiarity with Monahan, dating back to their time as roommates in junior hockey with the Ottawa 67s, and guys like Alex Iafallo and Vilardi from their time with the Los Angeles Kings, should help the cause.
It’s too early to tell if Miller will jump into the lineup on Monday or if he’ll be involved in a rotation of some kind on the third pairing. Either way, he figures to be more than just a valuable insurance policy. This is a puck mover who has been used on a second power-play unit in the past.
The Jets weren’t happy about how loose they were defensively on Tuesday against the Kraken and you can expect them to tighten things up in the rematch, given all the chatter about limiting the odd-man rushes against.
Nino Niederreiter has been red-hot for the Jets, scoring four times during the past three games to move into a three-way tie for third spot on the team with 18. He’s had a little extra spring in his step of late and so has Adam Lowry, especially after finally snapping his 21-game goalless drought. The trio with Mason Appleton is in a groove and they’ll try to keep that going.
The Kraken are already in playoff mode here and figure to have a boost of their own, knowing that Eberle was extended and that there wasn’t a steady stream of players heading out of town prior to the deadline passing.
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