Winnipeg, Manitoba – The Winnipeg Jets have really got themselves in a pinch, this time last year they were sitting in a good position fighting for a play off spot and in the thick of the hunt this year the team is full of questions about the future of Captain Andrew Ladd and the future of the whole roster.
The Jets have really got themselves in a cap space crunch as well after signing star defensemen Dustin Byfuglien to a 5 year deal worth $7.6 million cap hit next season kicking in and Captain Andrew Lad still unsigned and asking north of $7 million per season. Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba are also unsigned for next year and coming of their respective entry level deals and are expecting a raise not a huge raise but a raise none the less.
The trade market looks pretty small when you take into consideration that most of the rumors that are out there the big contracts are the ones up for grab not so much the little deals that we are used to seeing on deadline day. Andrew Ladd may not be the only name that is being tossed around in Winnipeg either. Because of the fact that Ladd is captain and becoming a UFA it is the dominate on the roster.
Jacob Trouba has been another name that has been out on the market as of late, Trouba has played two full seasons with the Winnipeg Jets and is over half way through the third season and it set to become an RFA, yes Trouba is young and still has a lot of the game left to learn but Trouba was a highly prospect in the Jets system and Trouba’s point total has gone done every year in the league. if the trend keeps going he could end up with less then twenty points.
So where would Trouba go the New York Islanders are looking at the trade request of Travis Hamonic and that is a move that the Winnipeg Jets need to look at and seriously, the Jets don’t have the strongest defensive core in the NHL and Hamonic could fill that void. Hamonic is signed for four seasons past this year giving the Jets some much needed stability on the back end and a cap hit of only $3.8 million per season which would lighten the loud of carrying both an Andrew Ladd and Byfuglein 7 plus per year. Hamonic has been in the league a few years and is better set up for the rigours of playing on a very young team like Winnipeg.
Ondrej Pavelec is another option for the Winnipeg Jets on the trade market, Pavelec was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the second round, their is a good chance that if the Atlanta franchise was not around in 2005 Pavelec could be playing in the KHL not the NHL. Don’t get me wrong Pavelec has had flashes of greatness and could even be a solid number two goalie in the NHL, the Jets would be smarter to trade Pavelec and is final year of his contract at a cap hit of $3.8 million dollars and pick up a prospect and a draft pick.
This option on Pavelec does two things for Winnipeg, the first option is Winnipeg has a great set of young goalies in Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson that can carry the team for the rest of the season this is not a long term fix but for the remainder of the season this can be a positive fix until Winnipeg can go after a big goalie in the summer time during free agency. The second option is sending Pavelec out of Winnipeg can free up some money to sign Andrew Ladd and they can go with Hellebyuck and Hutchinson in net or that can free up money to sign a big name in the off season .
Whichever route the Winnipeg Jets go it will be a very interesting trade deadline in Winnipeg