Winnipeg Jets Free Agency: Three Free Agents to Target
The NHL season has come to a close, and a rather disappointing one at that. But! Free agency season is upon us, and we have some suggestions for the Winnipeg Jets.
The Winnipeg Jets don’t have a ton of holes in the NHL roster. They could use a little help in the middle, and teams always need defensive depth. That being said, let’s take a quick look at a few targets.
John Moore, D, 27
John Moore is a former first rounder with good size and great speed for a blueliner. He never quite reached the highs he could have, with that pedigree, but he’s a useful defenseman.
Moore will throw the body, albeit too aggressively at times, but he’s not afraid of contact. And, after floundering with the Blue Jackets, Rangers and Coyotes, he’s found steady playing time and some offensive game.
Both his three highest MPG totals and point totals came in the past three years, on the other side of the Hudson. I would not want John Moore playing 20 minutes a game and getting anything more than third tier power play opportunity, but, hey, he wouldn’t be doing that in Winnipeg.
NJ might make a strong push to re-sign him, and if they do, the Jets should bow out. Moore isn’t the type of guy that should command upwards of $2 million, but if someone wants to give it to him, he should take it.
That team should not be in Manitoba. But if you can get him cheap to play on a contender on the third pairing? Sign me up.
Chris Kunitz, RW, 38
If you believe in the guys who can play the middle already on the Jets roster (I’ve omitted the team’s own FAs, so no Paul Stastny in this post), upgrading the edges seems prudent. Mathieu Perreault can play the pivot, as can Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp, Jack Roslovic and, if necessary, Marko Dano. Those players sit behind Mark Scheifele and Bryan Little on the depth chart.
Give a useful center some good wings, especially on the bottom six, and he can impress. To start, why not Chris Kunitz? Kunitz is so old he played for the Mighty Ducks, as well as the Atlanta Thrashers once upon a time.
But he made his mark with the Penguins. The undrafted free agent spent a fair amount of seasons with the Regular Ducks and the Pens, where he won a combined three Cups. Can’t hate on that type of leadership.
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He’s a gritty winger with more than 600 points in fewer than 1000 games. But at his age, you can’t play him at heavy minutes. Which works out for his cap hit as well as his fit on the Jets actual roster. They don’t need a top six winger. They could use some upgrades on the periphery.
That’s where Kunitz comes in. He gets to the net and keeps pucks away from it capably. In the event of an injury, he could move up for a few games. And hey, he can teach everyone, except for Dustin Byfuglien, what it takes to hoist the Cup.
Ryan Reaves, RW, 31
This is part of this plan that the Winnipeg Jets don’t need help up the middle. Maybe they do. But BRING THIS DUDE HOME. Ryan Reaves is not an offensive player, but he is an offensive player.
He’s been voted the NHL’s toughest player. Pair him with Dustin Byfuglien (and perhaps John Moore in this fantasy), and you have yourself a supremely talented team on the offensive end that will be able to operate with impunity.
Reaves doesn’t offer, well, anything offensively. No goals in 21 games last season (although he scored a big one against the Jets in the playoffs) with Vegas, and only 31 in almost 500 career contests.
But he’s racked up about 800 penalty minutes, including six fighting majors last season. He’s more dispensable than Byfuglien, which feels rude to say, but it’s fair. I’d rather see Reaves drop the gloves than one of the team’s best players.
Reaves is a glue guy. But he’ll separate you from the puck. He’s fun to watch, he’s got tons of energy, and he’s been on some really great teams in his career. Plus, he was born in Winnipeg. Bring him home.
So, that’s it. There ya have it. I got a few other honorable mentions, if you care.
Throw me Dominic Moore if he doesn’t retire, he can be a great fourth liner. I also suggested, in my first post here at JWO, that the team trade for him. I love players named Moore, apparently.
Jussi Jokinen, Chris Stewart, Joel Ward and Antoine Vermette interest me, as well. There’s one more, but I think he deserves a post of his own someday. Stay tuned.