Jets Mailbag: What will the Jets target at the trade deadline?

WINNIPEG — It looks like the Winnipeg Jets are about to be through the worst of the injury bug that took a bite out of the lineup.

Barring something unforeseen, at least two of - and possibly all four of - defenceman Nate Schmidt and forwards Cole Perfetti, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers should be in the lineup when the Jets return to action on Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even if the Jets decide to exercise a bit of caution with one of those forwards, the number of injured players should be reduced from seven to four before the end of the weekend - and that’s a significant development for a team that remains in the thick of things in both the Central Division and Western Conference.

By putting together a three-game winning streak, the Jets improved to 24-13-1 and are back to three points behind the Dallas Stars (while holding two games in hand).

While we realize it’s not even the midway point of the season, that the Jets were able to do more than just tread water and not fall out of the race is a testament to both the excellent starts for a number of high-end players and a nod to the organizational depth that was tested during the past several months as the injuries piled up.

“The guys that have stepped in, you have to give them an awful lot of credit. You have to give them credit because they’ve been asked to play roles they don’t normally play,” said Bowness. “They’re asked to play minutes they don’t normally play. They’re asked to play against certain players they wouldn’t normally have to play. They’ve all done as good of a job as they could, so we’re very, very happy with that.

“The difference-makers on our team have also stepped up. Our goaltending, our goal scorers, (Josh Morrissey) — they’re the difference-makers in the game, and we’re missing a lot of pieces that help those difference-makers. That can’t be forgotten. It’s just as important as the role players that have stepped up. That can’t be forgotten, because we’re not sitting here where we are without both those contributions, the guys stepping in and the difference-makers. They’ve all done an outstanding job and that’s why we’re sitting where we are sitting.”

On to the questions in the monthly mailbag, naturally featuring a lot of questions regarding the trade deadline, which is suddenly just under two months away:

At the trade deadline, do you think the Jets are more likely to target player(s) with term/team control or player(s) who are on expiring contracts as a pure rental? - @AavcoCup

This is a great question and one that’s nearly impossible to answer at this stage. The best way I can put it is that it’s a combination of both. Every contending team would love to be able to add the next Artturi Lehkonen the way that the Colorado Avalanche did. Bringing in a versatile player with term that can move up and down the lineup, be able to check and contribute offensively and get involved in special teams is a perfect elixir. Staying with the Avalanche, bringing in guys like defenceman Josh Manson and forward Andrew Cogliano was also essential and while both players were on expiring contracts, you had to expect that Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland at least entertained the possibility that those players could have an interest in sticking around beyond the rental stage - and that turned out to be the case for both players. That’s why I brought up Vancouver Canucks centre Bo Horvat last week. Not only would Horvat provide a massive immediate boost for the Jets’ forward group, he could be a guy that would provide some insurance if the Jets are forced to make a tough decision with one of the other centremen this summer - provided they are willing to offer the dollars and term Horvat’s camp will be looking for. Bringing in a player with term or team control would be a bonus and expect that any rentals would be someone the Jets would like to convince to stick around a bit longer - like when Drew Stafford arrived on the scene.

With a fully healthy lineup, what is the Jets biggest need? A top-6 forward or top-4 D or other? - Matt LaForte

It’s been my contention since the offseason that the Jets biggest need is to upgrade the forward group and that’s still my belief. The Jets’ organizational depth at the forward position has been impressive to watch through the first three months, but in order to try and win four rounds, they’ll need to add an impact player up front. And while there are plenty of internal options, adding a blue-liner with a bit more bite, even if he’s initially in the seventh spot is something that would not surprise me. 

Most people see that the Jets need to go all in. Most people know the Jets need to make a splash. But what is that splash? Top centre (Jonathan Toews, Ryan O’Reilly)? Speedy winger (Patrick Kane, Timo Meier)? Depth checker (Ivan Barbashev)? Top D (Jakub Chychrun)? Do you think there’s anything the Jets aren’t willing to give up? - Matt Bergen

The targets will be plentiful and finding the right fit is going to be the challenge. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is indeed expected to be aggressive in his pursuit, but what that leads to is a challenge to predict. At minimum, the Jets will be expected to land something similar to the trade for Paul Stastny in 2018. With the St. Louis Blues receiving tough news with injuries to both O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, it’s entirely possible that Doug Armstrong will be open for business. O’Reilly would be a great fit, given his two-way play and pedigree and Barbashev is a versatile player who brings an edge and could be a great fit alongside Adam Lowry. Timo Meier would be a fantastic fit, even with a $10 million qualifying offer required, but the Jets would need to be confident they could sign him long-term, given the package required to acquire him. As for what the Jets wouldn’t be willing to give up in a blockbuster deal, the untouchables right now would most likely be goalie Connor Hellebuyck, defenceman Josh Morrissey and forwards Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Do you see the jets actually going after Toews? Or is that just a lazy rumour because he is also from Winnipeg? I would have dismissed it entirely until I saw the Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele power line. - Cole Grove

The Jets will be one of the teams making calls on Toews and it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s the pride of St. Vital. Toews is a motivated leader who hates to lose and that’s why he’s expected to waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender. He can play in all situations, he’s very good on faceoffs and has three Stanley Cups on his resume. I do believe the Jets are one of the teams Toews will consider going to, but a deal for him is complicated because of his $10.5 million AAV, even if the Blackhawks are willing to eat half of that in any deal. Teams like the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche - among others - are also expected to show interest. As for the power line, you can expect to see that trio together again at various points of the season.

Realistically, how much cap space will the Jets be able to add at the deadline if no salary is moved the other way in the deal? - Darren Ross

This answer is increasingly complicated because of the injuries the Jets sustained during the first three months of the season. The Jets were determined to stay out of Long Term Injury Reserve, but when playing without seven regulars, they had to make room for 29 salaries under the salary cap. So as the steady stream of guys returning to the lineup begins, they will be in the rare position of actually reducing their salaries and getting back to banking cap space. As of Jan. 5, CapFriendly has the Jets with just under $1.3 million in salary cap space after forwards Kristian Reichel and Jansen Harkins were assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. CapFriendly projects the Jets to have nearly $5.7 million in cap space available to them at the trade. But no matter what deals are made, the Jets are going to have to move some money back out, especially if they’re shopping in the high-rent district and taking a big swing. 

Can the Jets hold their position or at least a playoff spot? - Tony Landry

Do you think that the Jets will make the playoffs this year? - Alyssa Hebert

Going into the season, I felt the Jets were a playoff team but that they would most likely be a wild card team - though it wasn’t hard to envision a path directly to the playoffs by finishing in the top-3 in the Central Division. As they approach the midway point, the Jets have outperformed most of the external expectations, but more importantly their willingness to play to the structure that Bowness and the coaching staff has demanded is one of the reasons they’ve been remarkably consistent this season. The longest losing streak of the season for the Jets is three games and it has happened only once. That ability to limit losing consecutive games (which has happened just three times) is another important reason I believe they have the ability to remain in the mix to finish in the top-3 in the Central and not drop into the wild card mix. With a return to full health and the potential for further reinforcements before the NHL trade deadline leads me to believe the Jets are a good team with some elite qualities and it will be intriguing to see how things unfold during the stretch run and once the real fun begins.

For all of the top-six winger trials in light of the injuries, why do you think David Gustafsson hasn’t been given a shot yet? He proved everyone wrong who didn’t think he could have offensive output at the pro level, he’s got a history of chemistry with Perfetti, and his skills on the forecheck and defensive zone coverage would compliment that line in just the way Rick Bowness has been asking people to do. - Cody Magnusson

Gustafsson has the smarts and hockey sense to play further up the lineup, but it feels like the coaching staff isn’t certain he could play with the pace required to excel with someone like Mark Scheifele right now. Gustafsson has done a solid job when it comes to penalty killing and his defensive zone play can help augment any line that he plays on. Gustafsson was expected to make more of an offensive impact than the four assists in 37 games this season, so that could be part of the decision he wasn’t involved in the winger trial. He’s also more comfortable at centre and with the emergence of Kevin Stenlund, Gustafsson is going to be in competition to remain in the lineup once a few of the other injured forwards like Saku Maenalanen and Mason Appleton return, potentially later this month.

In light of all the injuries and shortage of offensive talent, why not try Ville Heinola on forward? - Steven Jennings

Points for creativity here, but this isn’t an option the Jets are going to consider. Heinola is working to establish himself as an NHL D-man and has put together a solid block of games here recently. While he has the offensive instincts that might translate to the forward position, he’s at a critical juncture in his development and the focus will continue to be on him learning to defend at this level. Heinola is coming off one of his best games as a Jet, where he took the point shot that was tipped home for the winning goal. But equally important in that contest was his ability to defend - his smart read and ability to seal off Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri along the boards was a sign that Heinola’s confidence is growing. The competition on the back end is about to ramp up with the return of Schmidt, but Heinola has earned another look and how he handles this audition will ultimately determine if he can avoid being sent back down for further seasoning.

What should the Jets do with Brad Lambert, send him back to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League or assign him to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League? - @WpgJoe - Joe from Winnipeg

Has a deadline passed for Lambert to be assigned to Seattle? It feels like his development (and confidence building) path needs to be reassessed, so he can be a top line forward (13 points in 62 games vs pros in the last two years). - Craig Zamzow

It’s been an interesting several months for Lambert. The 30th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft turned plenty of heads during his first training camp with the Jets, showing plenty of flashes of his speed and skill. But his adjustment to the North American game in the AHL hasn’t translated into eye-popping numbers or offensive success (two goals, one assist in 14 games). That’s not a reason for concern, as the AHL is a tough league, especially for someone who turned 19 in December. The Jets were probably hoping that when loaning Lambert to Team Finland for the World Junior Hockey Championship that he would flourish playing against his peers, but his impact was limited to one goal in five games. Lambert isn’t a guy who lacks confidence, but there is a case to be made for reassigning him to the Western Hockey League for the stretch drive. The Thunderbirds are an excellent team with designs on making a run to the Memorial Cup and playing a big role on that stage would serve Lambert well on his development path. The WHL trade deadline is on Jan. 10, so a decision would need to be made before that. Otherwise, Lambert will finish the season with the Moose and continue to work on his play without the puck.

Fellow first-rounder Chaz Lucius is another player who is eligible to be loaned to the WHL, as his rights are owned by the Portland Winterhawks - another team that’s having a strong season and would benefit from the addition of a player like Lucius. There’s also a case to be made for Lucius (two goals, five points in 12 games with the Moose) to be loaned to the WHL and it will be interesting to see what happens here over the next several days. My prediction is that one of the two players heads back to the Moose and one is off to the WHL. My gut feeling is that it’s Lambert who goes to the WHL, but I’m not certain.

Is it possible that the Jets look at Dmitry Rashevsky signing an entry-level contract as a potential trade deadline add when the KHL season is finished? - Alec Beatty

The Jets fifth-round selection (146th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft is having another strong season in the Kontinental Hockey League with Moscow Dynamo, with 15 goals and 27 points in 46 games so far. He’s scored 44 goals during the past two seasons and isn’t afraid to go to the tough spots, so he projects to be a guy who could be a solid contributor at the NHL level. It’s a priority for the Jets to get Rashevsky signed once his KHL deal expires, but I’m not sure that he makes his way into the lineup - at least not as a regular - until next season.