Sens brass in town to evaluate trade pieces

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/02/2019 (2396 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pierre Dorion isn’t in Winnipeg for three days to visit the polar bears.

Nor is the Ottawa Senators general manager here to advance scout the Winnipeg Jets ahead of Saturday’s game at Bell MTS Place.

His presence at the downtown arena Thursday was most likely tied to the sweepstakes involving a couple of his star players, centre Matt Duchene and winger Mark Stone.

There’s been plenty of speculation the Jets are keenly interested in Stone, a Winnipegger who has 26 goals (including four in his last four games) following the Sens’ clash Thursday with the host Detroit Red Wings, and/or Duchene, who also has 26 goals this season.

The NHL trade deadline is Monday, Feb. 25.

Dorion, assistant GM Peter MacTavish and chief scout Jim Clark were all on the press box visitors list. It makes sense the contingent will take in tonight’s AHL game between the Manitoba Moose and Chicago Wolves as well. The Sens and Jets collide Saturday at 6 p.m.

Jets forward Jack Roslovic, slick-skating Moose blue-liner Sami Niku and top goaltending prospect Eric Comrie are presumably among the players being monitored during the group’s stop in the Manitoba capital.

Winnipeg has been doing its own due diligence, with a pair of pro scouts reportedly watching the Senators in Detroit on Thursday.

● ● ●

While many in the hockey world assume the Jets are looking for an upgrade at their second-line centre position prior to the deadline, head coach Paul Maurice is in no hurry to replace the man currently occupying it.

Bryan Little, a veteran of 12 NHL seasons, all with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, has scored eight goals and added eight assists in his last 18 games (he was held pointless in Thursday’s game), including three game-winners. With 14 goals and 22 assists, he’s on pace for his best offensive output since a 52-point campaign in 2014-15.

“Other than the 16 points in the last 17 games, he’s gotta tighten that up, doesn’t he?” Maurice said facetiously Thursday morning.

“He’s playing with two really young, unique players (Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic/Nikolaj Ehlers) and he’s done that for the last year and a half and he’s carried them in so many ways. Maybe it’s only the coach’s point of you to see how hard he works to get in and make things happen, but also to get out, to be on the right side of the puck, to battle every shift, to work with these kids who are really unique players.

“I’ll wait until after the deadline and then I’ll argue with you — on every one of those names that we should have gotten — that we have the right guy here.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell