Jets mailbag: Breaking down the club’s off-season moves

One player seemingly can’t wait to get here. The other is looking for an exit route.

Not surprisingly, these two members of the Winnipeg Jets — Viggo Bjorck and Connor Hellebuyck — were featured prominently this month in our Free Press mailbag.

Hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe dig into your questions about the duo, plus plenty of other topics as we enter the dog days of summer.

1. For Connor Hellebuyck, a deal with Buffalo didn’t work out on draft day. There was mention of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, either Jack Quinn or Josh Norris and a swap of 4th overall for 8th overall being involved — which the Jets and Sabres obviously didn’t reach a deal on.

If it still happens, UPL would still be a piece for Buffalo, but without the 4th overall pick, my guess is that the Jets want one substantial piece from the Sabres, with varying suggestions having Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius (my personal favourite) and Radim Mrtka being mentioned.

Do you think a trade with Buffalo is still achievable with a major piece coming back to Winnipeg and what are the odds of any of those three being that main piece?

What will make Jarmo Kekalainen blink? Or will Kevin Cheveldayoff settle for a slightly lesser prospect like Noah Ostlund or Jiri Kulich? Or will another team like New Jersey, San Jose or Carolina step up? DUANE

WIEBE: History has shown that Cheveldayoff won’t be interested in settling when it comes down to making a deal involving a significant player like Hellebuyck.

So while it sounded like things were progressing towards a draft day deal, the trade with the Sabres broke down when the Jets insisted they wanted to obtain the fourth overall pick and keep the eighth overall selection. That would have given them the opportunity to select Bjorck either at four or eight and also add one of the prominent D-men into the fold, with Daxon Rudolph being a likely target.

The Jets insisted they wanted to obtain the fourth overall pick and keep the eighth overall selection

Since that option is no longer available, the two sides are expected to continue to search for a trade that makes sense. The Sabres aren’t likely to be choosing in the Top-10 next season, so the first round pick in 2027 won’t carry the same value. So current players and prospects would likely be the focus for the Jets.

The Sabres still seem like a destination that makes sense for Hellebuyck to land, since he’s willing to waive to go there and given the variety of quality targets the Sabres have. Benson would be a great addition for the Jets, but he just signed a lucrative seven-year extension and looks like he’s staying put. Helenius is the Sabres top prospect and is ready to graduate to full-time NHL work, so he’s unlikely to be dealt.

The Sabres still seem like a destination that makes sense for Hellebuyck to land

Mrtka would bolster the Jets right side on defence, but any deal would need to be augmented with an impactful forward (or two), whether that’s Quinn, Ostlund, Kulich, or someone like Ryan McLeod, who is under contract for three more seasons with an average annual value of US$5 million before he can become a UFA. Norris has a modified no-trade clause, as does Luukkonen, so adding either player would be more difficult, though not impossible.

The Devils look like an unlikely landing spot to me, while the Sharks and Hurricanes would probably appeal to Hellebuyck. My sleeper team is the Utah Mammoth, who have an interesting collection of roster players and prospects that make for a blockbuster deal — even if trading him within the Central Division could complicate matters somewhat. It’s hard to take the temperature on the timing for a potential Hellebuyck trade, mostly because the Jets won’t be in a rush to get something done unless they receive what they consider to be fair market value.

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2. Do either of you think fame and disgusting nationalism have gone to Conner Hellebuyck’s head?

His year-end lack of expression of loyalty to teammates disturbed me. On the other hand, these negative thoughts may be groundless.

I just don’t really understand his motive for leaving. Is he so self-centered and deluded as to really believe winning a Cup supersedes all other goals and values? If so, happy to see him go. GARRETT

MCINTYRE: Oh, to be a fly on the wall when it comes to the U.S. Olympic team and what that group might have discussed as they soaked up their gold medal win from the Olympics.

There’s no question the return from Milan marked a turning point for Hellebuyck and plenty of other players from that squad.

We’re seeing a trend where players — especially American ones — are grabbing more control of their careers, in some cases before they even play a single NHL game. See Rutger McGroarty for a recent local example.

Look, I don’t begrudge Hellebuyck one bit for wanting to win. Shouldn’t that be the goal of all professional athletes? And I’m sure reaching the promised land at the Olympics only lit a more intense fire for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one-time Hart Trophy winner. After all, what’s left to achieve now but a Stanley Cup?

It’s also painfully obvious the Jets took a significant step back last year, although Hellebuyck shouldn’t be absolved of all blame for that. He just never looked quite right, even after his return from knee surgery, and his final numbers reflect that.

Bottom line: This seems like a relationship that has reached its conclusion, and a breakup now seems inevitable.

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3. If Viggo Bjorck is on the NHL roster for 40 games in some way (playing/scratched/injured), he accrues a season towards UFA status.

With that info, if I set the over/under for Bjorck at 39.5, what are you taking? MICHAEL

WIEBE: The Jets have a glaring need at 2C and Bjorck is currently the best bet on the roster to fill that spot, so take the over.

Although it’s up to Bjorck to show he can handle the responsibility, the Jets have plenty of belief he can get the job done.

The Swedish forward is the most exciting prospect the Jets have chosen since Patrik Laine went second overall in 2016. Not only is Bjorck gifted offensively and has pro experience before he turned 18, he’s reliable in all three zones and won’t have to be sheltered as he adapts to the North American game.

Taking the over is an easy decision for me.

The Jets have a glaring need at 2C and Bjorck is currently the best bet on the roster to fill that spot

MCINTYRE: I will also take the over. I expect Bjorck to be given plenty of runway with the Jets this season. Will there be some growing pains? Likely. It’s important to remember he’s still a teenager.

But I suspect, barring injury, he’s a regular in the lineup throughout the season. And, if all goes well, a legitimate Calder Trophy contender.

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4. What are the chances we see a line with Isak Rosen-Viggo Bjorck-Brad Lambert on it? BRAD

WIEBE: I can see how you landed on those three guys, given the speed and shooting ability each of them would bring to the table.

However, those players lack experience and it’s not a line I would expect to be used out of the gate, depending on how the rest of the off-season goes. It’s conceivable that one of Lambert or Rosen could be riding shotgun with Bjorck, but more likely he would be joined by one of Cole Perfetti or Gabe Vilardi.

I’ve even made the case for having Morgan Barron on the left side with Bjorck, to help provide some size and a power forward element.

But to your point, if Vilardi is on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor and the Jets use Perfetti with captain Adam Lowry and Barron, then the chances of the trio you suggested would have a better chance of happening.

With the NHL going to a shortened training camp and just four pre-season games for the Jets, the exhibition season could be a time where that line gets a test run.

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5. Why would Chevy trade Helly? Just because he wants a trade? I have no problem making Helly return to Winnipeg and fulfill his contract. DANIEL

MCINTYRE: You’ve hit on an overlooked but significant point here, Daniel — the Jets don’t necessarily have to trade their franchise goalie. As you note, he’s still legally obligated to report to work in Winnipeg for the next five years. If he doesn’t, he would be in breach of his contract and setting fire to a lot of money.

That said, the Jets probably should trade Hellebuyck. For one thing, his value will likely never be higher going forward than it is today. And is keeping a disgruntled employee around really going to help matters in a team-oriented sport? Likely not.

The Jets don’t necessarily have to trade their franchise goalie… That said, the Jets probably should trade Hellebuyck

But to your question, Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t backed into a corner here. Not at all. He can afford to be patient and, ideally, drive the price up by having several teams bidding for Hellebuyck’s services as the summer goes on.

If he ultimately doesn’t hear an offer he can’t refuse, keeping Hellebuyck in the fold is certainly an option. I’m just not sure it would be best for anyone. At some point, the Jets GM may have to just decide what the best return he can get is and then pull the trigger on the trade.

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6. What’s left for the Jets to do with this team? Better yet, what should management be doing to better the club? ED

WIEBE: Resolution to the Hellebuyck situation remains the primary concern at this point, but a new contract for Cole Perfetti likely shifts to being the top priority with the arbitration hearing date set for July 20.

What we know is that Kevin Cheveldayoff said a new deal for Perfetti is a priority and the expectation is that the first-round pick from 2020 would love to see the Jets make a long-term commitment to him. Now it’s about finding the term and AAV that make sense.

The expectation is that arbitration will be avoided, since that process would only lead to a one-year term (in order to avoid walking Perfetti to unrestricted free agency).

After taking care of a new contract for Perfetti, there are a number of names left in unrestricted free agency up front, ranging from Anthony Mantha to Eeli Tolvanen to Philipp Kurashev. A case could be made to sign any of those three guys, depending on the asking price and the term.

A reunion with Patrik Laine seems unlikely, but with video of Laine’s five-goal outburst against the St. Louis Blues circulating on social media on Sunday, you can bet the Jets fan base would be willing to step into the hot tub time machine to see if the Finnish forward can return to form in the city he enjoyed his greatest success.

The issue with bringing in another forward in free agency or in a trade means that an experienced forward — and potentially a prospect — would need to be sent out the door, as things are already getting a bit crowded.

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7. The Stuart Skinner signing is a fascinating piece of business.

Wade Flaherty has a phenomenal track record of elevating goaltenders, but with Connor Hellebuyck entering his mid-30s, how do you view the long-term strategy here?

Is Skinner strictly viewed as a high-end, 1B insurance policy to lighten Hellebuyck’s workload after a gruelling stretch, or is this Cheveldayoff quietly building a transition plan and keeping his options open on the trade market if a team offers a king’s ransom for Hellebuyck? RODGER

MCINTYRE: I’m certainly intrigued by what Flaherty, aka the goalie whisperer, might be able to do with Skinner, a guy who I believe has been unfairly blamed for some of what went wrong in Edmonton.

He is six years younger than Hellebuyck, and if the Jets can unlock the best version of him over these next two seasons that he’s under contract, that would be a big win. And, as you note, one that could ultimately be called a transition plan.

Signing Skinner (and allowing Hellebuyck’s security blanket in Eric Comrie to go to free agency and ultimately join San Jose) was quite the July 1 tell about Winnipeg’s goaltending plans.

If Hellebuyck were returning, the Jets would not be making those moves. Hellebuyck is a workhorse guaranteed to make at least 60, maybe 65 starts if he stays healthy.

No way is Winnipeg paying US$3.75 million per year to a guy to come and play once every 10 days, and maybe just 17-22 times in total over a six-month season.

Adding to the intrigue is that Skinner’s agent, Ray Petkau, is also Hellebuyck’s agent (and Comrie’s!). You think he’s selling Skinner on the concept of Winnipeg if he thinks Hellebuyck is still going to be here? Of course not.

At worst, Skinner will be in a job share this coming season, perhaps splitting starts with a goaltender who might come back in a Hellebuyck trade. But he also could end up playing the majority of games (think in the 50 to 55 range) if Winnipeg’s second goaltender is less experienced.

I would not expect either Thomas Milic or Dom DiVincentiis to be considered for the backup role at this time, with both likely requiring some additional AHL seasoning with the Manitoba Moose.

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8. How hot is Scott Arniel’s seat? Exit interviews didn’t seem to have a glowing endorsement from Kevin Cheveldayoff and Arniel is in the final year of his contract.

If the Jets get off to a sluggish start, given their commitment to winning, how quickly could a change be made behind the bench? MIKE

WIEBE: There is pressure on all facets of the organization to rebound from the disappointment of last season, but the temperature on Arniel’s seat is probably closer to lukewarm and nowhere near scalding hot.

If the seat was boiling, it would be incumbent on the Jets to make a change during the off-season, not let it linger and hope things don’t start poorly.

As for Cheveldayoff’s comments during the year-end availability, it’s tough to provide a glowing endorsement to anyone when a team drops from winning the Presidents’ Trophy to 27th overall in the NHL.

Arniel is in the midst of his deep dive on where things went wrong and you can be sure he knows what is at stake for both himself and the organization going into the final year of his contract.

An extension (for Arniel) is the next logical step

It’s also important to zoom out and take a look at the bigger picture.

Not only is Arniel one season removed from guiding the Jets to the best record in franchise history, he was also an integral part of Rick Bowness’ staff for two seasons before that as the Jets created a better culture and started on the ascent.

The Jets have only fired one head coach during the campaign in 15 seasons — Claude Noel, 47 games into 2013-14, with a record of 19-23-5 coming off two non-playoff seasons.

The Jets don’t have a head coach in waiting either on the NHL staff or down on the farm with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, so Arniel will be given an opportunity to get things turned around. Provided that happens, an extension is the next logical step.

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9. Which of our Jets prospects do you surmise to be significant for the Jets? I fear many are mediocre, but hope I am misguided. GARRETT

MCINTYRE: There’s no question some of the statistical make-ups of Winnipeg’s top prospects at the AHL level last season were disappointing. Whether that’s Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Danny Zhilkin, Colby Barlow or Brayden Yager, none of their numbers jumped off the page.

I believe that’s more a product of the system on the farm — one in which they preach defence-first — than a reflection of actual talent.

Case in point: Players like Lambert, Yager and Chibrikov all impressed during brief call-ups last season.

Leaving aside Viggo Bjorck, who I fully expect to spend the year with the Jets, you can now add first-year pros Kevin He and Kieron Walton to the mix, with the two forwards coming off monster final years in the Ontario Hockey League. There’s also plenty to like about rookie defencemen Alfons Freij and Garrett Brown.

I would list all of those skaters, along with Milic and DiVincentiis in net, as ones to really keep an eye on this year. It’s likely most, if not all, could start the year with the Moose again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them get extended looks with the big club at some point.

The fact that the Jets didn’t go and sign a bunch of veterans in free agency this summer — like they did last year — would seem to leave the door wide-open in that regard.

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10. Asking this as a Finn: why do Finnish players always seem to struggle with the Jets?

Sure, there’s Teemu Selanne or Patrik Laine, but it feels like things could have gone better overall.

Is there an actual reason for this, or is it just a feeling we Finns have? @Lvvk_lvvk

WIEBE: I have some qualms with the use of “always” in the question, especially when you mention Selanne and Laine right after.

The way that Selanne burst onto the scene produced the greatest goal-scoring season by a rookie in the history of the NHL and those 76 goals look like a record that might never be matched.

Laine’s two teenage seasons were also incredible and the block of three seasons and change produced a whopping 140 goals and 250 points in 305 games.

Selanne went on to a Hall of Fame career, flourishing with the Anaheim Ducks, while Laine has gone through a lot of adversity and has not hit the same heights since departing Winnipeg.

The way that Selanne burst onto the scene produced the greatest goal-scoring season by a rookie in the history of the NHL

You’ve also failed to mention Teppo Numminen, who was one of the steadiest D-men to suit up in the 1.0 era of the Jets.

But, we certainly recognize that recent history hasn’t been as promising, since there were once “Finnipeg” headlines in this very newspaper.

The #FreeVille era has come to an end and it was a time of frustration for fans in Finland and various parts of North America, mostly because Ville Heinola looked good as an 18-year-old in the fall of 2019 as he made his NHL debut and even scored his first NHL goal on Matt Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins before he was eventually returned to Liiga.

Winger Joel Armia was a solid complementary player on the Jets team for parts of three seasons — including the run to the Western Conference final in 2018. Armia was a solid addition from the Buffalo Sabres and only departed to the Montreal Canadiens when the Jets were in a cap crunch and trying to keep Paul Stastny in the fold. Otherwise, Armia likely would have seen his role enhanced with the Jets.

Winger Joal Armia was a solid complementary player on the Jets team for parts of three seasons – including the run to the Western Conference final in 2018

It was somewhat surprising that centre Henri Nikkanen didn’t have more of an impact as the Jets were high on him coming out of the U18 World Championship in his draft year.

So, to your original question, I think it’s more of a feeling that Finns have. Though I also recognize the Jets recent shift to drafting Swede’s pretty heavily — including the last two first-rounders in Bjorck and defenceman Sascha Boumedienne — won’t exactly make things easier for hockey fans from Finland.

Unrelated, I once attended a Jets pre-season game as a teenager in which Hannu Jarvenpaa scored a hat trick. It’s hard for me to believe he finished with 11 goals and 37 points in 114 NHL games with the Jets.

I once attended a Jets pre-season game as a teenager that Hannu Jarvenpaa scored a hat trick in

For the record, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Helsinki for the Global Series games against the Florida Panthers. With 11 Finnish players suiting up for the Jets in the 2.0 era, there is still hope that someone like Brad Lambert might be able to buck the recent trend and help restore faith for the fans in your beautiful country.

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11. Is it really legal and fair for players to block a trade to Winnipeg or any team? Competition should be equal opportunity and if star players are allowed to block a trade to Winnipeg it would seem to be against fair competition laws. Right? @bobcatbobby88

MCINTYRE: In a nutshell, yes. You can thank the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, which all 32 teams ultimately signed off on and gives players and general managers the right to negotiate no-trade clauses into their contracts.

Does it impact teams like Winnipeg in an unfair way? You can certainly make the argument that it does. But it’s important to remember the vast majority of players do not have NTC’s, so it’s a bit of a cop-out for a team like the Jets to say it prevents them from being competitive.

Ultimately, I believe the majority of players want two things: to be paid, and to win. The salary cap ensures everyone is essentially dealing with the same pie, although the no-tax states south of the border certainly have an advantage there as well.

But if you build it — a championship contender that is — I believe they will come.

Just look at the Edmonton Oilers, who used to be a no-go for many players but now are seen as a viable landing spot. Getting to two straight Stanley Cup finals and having the world’s best player on the team certainly helps the cause.

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12. I wonder if there’s a chance of Dmitri Rashevsky joining the Jets this offseason. He had a bit of a down year in the KHL and I heard he was not happy with his usage, so could this be the summer he joins the Jets? SKYLAR

WIEBE: Rashevsky, chosen by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, remains an interesting prospect, even after a down season in the KHL that saw his goal-scoring dip dramatically to 11 goals, though he had 33 points in 67 games with Omsk Avangard.

Rashevsky has shown strong finishing ability, racking up three seasons of 19 goals and a career-high 24 with Dynamo Moscow in 2023-24. But he signed a three-year contract with Omsk in June of 2025, so Rashevsky is unlikely to be coming over to North America this summer.

Rashevsky is unlikely to be coming over to North American this summer

According to PuckPedia, Rashevsky is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028. So, the Jets could sign him and bring him over at the conclusion of the KHL season in 27-28, but they would no longer have exclusive negotiating rights as of July 1 of 2028.

Rashevsky projects to have middle-six secondary scoring potential, but it remains to be seen if he will ever suit up for the Jets, who have shown interest in bringing him into the organization on multiple occasions.

 

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