Potential deals not stressing out Jets

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This article was published 24/02/2018 (2809 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. LOUIS — Combine the pressure-packed atmosphere of the stretch run to the NHL playoffs with the league’s Monday trade deadline and you have a potentially explosive situation.

Matt Hendricks has some advice for those caught in the middle.

“It’s just added stress if you worry about it too much,” said the 36-year-old Winnipeg centre prior to the Jets’ game against the Blues on Friday night.

“You’ve gotta try and let the business side be the business side and not fret too much about it.

“You never want to see a teammate go who helped put you in this position. But if there’s an opportunity to better our team, a position where we can improve or an asset we can improve with, I leave that to (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff) and his team to make those decisions.”

Cheveldayoff is reportedly attempting to add a veteran forward or a depth defenceman for the final quarter of the season, but some of the best options have already disappeared.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped up Ottawa Senators centre Derick Brassard in exchange for goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson, defenceman Ian Cole, a 2018 first-round draft pick and a 2019 third-rounder in a three-team deal also involving the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brassard could have been a good fit with the Jets or the Blues.

Both the Jets and Blues should be interested in winger Rick Nash, a pending free agent who is being shopped by the New York Rangers. Nash is 33 and not the player he once was, but he has two Olympic gold-medal winning efforts on his resumé and would be a prized catch for any team fortunate enough to acquire him.

“I like our team. I really enjoy being around this group,” Blues defenceman Colton Parayko said.

“If nothing changed, that would be perfect. I’m not saying that even if something changed, it wouldn’t be fine as well.

“They’re both very good players. Nash is a big guy, he’s strong, he knows the game really well and he’s been around a longtime. Brassard is super fast, skilled and both can make plays. Both are players that would be good additions to any team.”

Third-year Jets forward Andrew Copp prefers to let his play do the talking, but he acknowledged Winnipeg’s elevated status this season makes a difference. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, the Jets were never serious playoff contenders at the trade deadline.

“This year is definitely a lot different than the last two,” Copp said. “But you can’t really control it, right? You’ve gotta concentrate on your game. Whether we add a bunch of guys or nobody, we feel comfortable with the guys we have in the room.

“We feel like when we’re on our game, we’re one of the best teams in the league. That said, there’s always things you can get better at and if management and coaches think we need to add someone, then we need to add someone.”

Blues head coach Mike Yeo admitted the importance of gauging the impact the trade deadline might have on players who might feel vulnerable.

“I think it’s a matter of understanding your group,” Yeo said. “First off, you have pick up from players whether they’re feeling any kind of stress, whether there’s been rumours or whatnot. Inside our locker room, we don’t feel we have a lot of guys stressed out about that. The position we’re in is a little more our focus right now. We have a number of older players that have been through this year in and year out, so it’s not a real big concern for us.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said he hasn’t detected any problems due to Monday’s deadline.

“I don’t feel that in the room, to be honest with you,” Maurice said.

“I think the real stress is the teams that think they’re losing guys, that aren’t adding players. So it’s a different kind of stress.”

THROWBACK TIME: many Winnipeg players are adhering to an attention-grabbing retro theme for their off-ice attire on the weekend road trip through Missouri and Texas.

Maurice was asked if he had a suitably garish suit picked out for the occasion — similar to those worn by Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey, Marko Dano and Kyle Connor.

“Every one of my suits is retro,” he quipped.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14