Well, the book on the National Hockey League’s free agent season is all but done and it appears, barring a late addition or an inane resigning of Jim Slater, the Winnipeg Jets are mostly set for the upcoming training camp. But why not look ahead to next year? Here’s a list of pending UFA’s in 2016 for the Jets.
Andrew Ladd – We’ve written in the past about the cost of resigning Ladd and why the Jets need to get a deal done. There isn’t much to add here other than Ladd certainly has worth to the Jets past his abilities on the ice; he’s been the leader and one of the faces of the franchise since the team moved to Winnipeg. It’s really difficult seeing the Jets and Ladd part ways after the season and hopefully a reasonable deal will keep him wearing cheddar for the Jets for the next few years.
Prediction: Resigned
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Grant Clitsome, Jay Harrison, Adam Pardy – Let’s lump these three depth defenceman together. Clitsome’s status is a big question mark right now after he had back surgery in January. Harrison, who filled a spot after injuries decimated the blueliners last year, very well could lose his spot in training camp this year. The only name I could possibly see being a Jet after next season would be Pardy, who had eaten some valuable minutes in past few years for the team but he could easily be usurped by some of the younger depth in the Jets system.
Prediction: Maybe one stays, but the rest walk
Chris Thorburn – oh wait, he’s under contract until 2017?
Prediction: I guess he stays
Dustin Byfuglien – We’ve touched on Byfuglien status before as well! In the interest of keeping this short and sweet, any extension with Byfuglien is going to be done while he’s on the wrong side of 30, plus he’s had a history of, uh, conditioning issues. Somebody is going to give Buff a colossal contract and maybe it would be in the best interest of the Jets to not be that team. They have a glut of defenceman as it is and the money that would go towards resigning Buff could be put to better use locking up players like Jacob Trouba.
Prediction: Traded