Jets GM Chevy does some scouting

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This article was published 10/12/2023 (667 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANAHEIM — Perhaps he just wanted to take in a showing of A Christmas Carol at Wolf Theatre. Or, maybe it was Donnell Rawlings performing his standup act at Comedy Works South that kept him in town.

All kidding aside, the travel itinerary of Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is sure to raise some eyebrows — especially after a source told the Free Press he was at Ball Arena in Denver Saturday night, watching the Colorado Avalanche take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

The same Flyers, we should note, who are believed to be actively shopping a few players on the open market as part of their ongoing rebuild.

Cheveldayoff didn’t join the Jets on their charter Thursday night after they had downed the Avalanche 4-2 to kick off a four-game road trip. Something else was clearly on his mind as he opted to stick around, rather than immediately go with the team to sunny California. Cheveldayoff arrived here in Anaheim on Sunday, a few hours before the Jets took on the Ducks.

Let the speculation begin.

It’s no secret the Flyers are a team to keep an eye on. GM Daniel Briere is trying to get the franchise back to contender status sooner than later, and that could mean moving out some players who, for whatever reason, might not be in the long-term plans. Among the names currently churning through the rumour mill are a pair of defencemen currently in the final year of their contracts.

Sean Walker, 29, is a right-shot which is something the Jets could be looking for an upgrade in. There’s been an ongoing rotation in that spot on the third-pairing between Logan Stanley, Nate Schmidt and Declan Chisholm. All three of those players are playing on their off-side as left-handed shots.

Walker is a mobile puck-mover and is off to a strong start, with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 27 games. That’s nearly halfway to his career-best of 24 points set in 2019-20 in 70 games with the Los Angeles Kings. Speaking of which, there would be plenty of familiarity with current Jets Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari, as Walker had played his previous five NHL years with the organization prior to getting traded to the Flyers last summer. He is making US$2.65 million this season.

Another possibility is pending UFA Nick Seeler, a left shot who can play the right side. The 30-year-old from Minnesota — the Jets love players from the state — would bring a bit more sandpaper and snarl to the lineup. He’s making the league minimum of US$775,000 and has seven assists in 27 games.

If you want to think really big, there’s forward Travis Konecny, a player the Jets have coveted since his 2015 draft year when he was selected 24th-overall by Philadelphia. Winnipeg had taken Kyle Connor 17th-overall and also owned the 25th pick, which likely would have been used on Konecny if he was still available. Instead, they got Jack Roslovic in that spot.

Konecny, 26, is a right-shot winger — something the Jets could absolutely use — with plenty of offensive pop. He currently leads the Flyers in scoring with 23 points (16 goals, seven assists) in 27 games. Philadelphia is believed to be asking for a king’s ransom, and for good reason: Konecny is signed for this year and one more, at a reasonable US$5.5 million. (Which would only add to his appeal from Winnipeg’s perspective). If the Flyers were to move him, based on the belief they might not be able to extend him, the hope would be to get enough back in return to accelerate their timeline back to true contender status.

In what will surely add some additional smoke to the situation, the Flyers had a pair of executives in the press box Sunday night to watch the Jets face the Ducks, including senior adviser Bob Murray and pro scout Ross Fitzpatrick.

As for what Winnipeg could be dangling on the market as a potential return, there’s no doubt they’d be open to moving Schmidt and/or Stanley, especially if they could get an upgrade. They would likely have to pay a premium to get a team to take on Schmidt’s US$5.95 million salary, which is on the books for one more year after this. Stanley is a restricted free agent next summer and currently makes US$1 million. Winnipeg has a bit of a log-am on the blue line, which could get even more crowded once Ville Heinola is back from a broken ankle in the next few weeks.

Considering the Jets have an “all-in” mentality this year — inking Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Nino Niederreiter to extensions is proof of that — you’d have to think their first-round draft pick and, possibly, some prized young prospects could potentially be available depending on the return. There’s also the rather unexpected development of the Flyers being surprisingly good this year, with a 15-10-2 record that has them in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Will they still be looking to sell if they keep piling up the points?

All of which is to say Cheveldayoff’s extended stay in Denver might just be the first of several travel detours in the coming weeks, especially as we get closer to the March 8 trade deadline.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg