Winnipeg Jets prospect Brendan Lemieux made his NHL debut on Friday in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. The early results prove that Brendan plays a similar agitating style to his father Claude.
LEMIEUX’S NHL DEBUT
His NHL debut didn’t show much on the stat sheet, but his presence was felt. Lemieux only played 9:53 in his debut and didn’t register a single shot on goal. He was credited with only two hits.
The fancy stats will point out that Lemieux was on the ice for six shot attempts for, and seven shot attempts against making him a negative Corsi player.
Lemieux made most of his impact with a ruthless forecheck and a nose for the net. He seemed to try and play it safe and stay out of the box in his NHL debut. Expect him to be more of a pest like his father in future games.
Lemieux is known as an agitator. His agitating style sees him spending some time in the sin bin. He had 130 PIM last season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose. While he didn’t produce as much offence as was expected, Lemieux proved he can project to be a solid third liner in the NHL.
THE JETS HAVE WON THE KANE DEAL BY LANDSLIDE
The emergence of Lemieux as a legitimate NHL player makes the Evander Kane trade an even bigger victory for the Winnipeg Jets. As a refresher, the Jets acquired Brendan Lemieux along with Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Joel Armia and a 1st round pick from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Jason Kasdorf, Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane.
Drew Stafford had two solid seasons with the Jets before being moved to the Boston Bruins in a trade deadline deal and currently is plying his trade with the New Jersey Devils.
Joel Armia and Tyler Myers are still with the Winnipeg Jets contributing on the third pairing and third line.
On the flipside, Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian are still with the Sabres. It’s been speculated that Kane could be moved if the Sabres continue to struggle. Bogosian has not been able to stay healthy since the deal. Jason Kasdorf is now playing in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones.