Did The Jets Do Enough At The Trade Deadline?

The trade deadline has come and gone in the National Hockey League and the Winnipeg Jets have a slightly different look. Plenty of chatter was going around leading up to the deadline on how aggressive the Jets should be. Should they start selling and move some of their core pieces? Or is this year not a true reflection of how competitive they can be? General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s moves showed his cards as to what he’s thinking. Before we evaluate the Jets' window let’s take a look at what they did and didn’t do. 

What the Jets did at the trade deadline

The Jets got a little younger. Chevy pulled in 22-year-old Swedish forward Isak Rosen from the Buffalo Sabres, along with defenceman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 second round pick, and a 2026 fourth round pick. In return, they sent Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn and their expiring contracts to western New York. The pair of defencemen were prime candidates to move, and Chevy did well by the Jets to bring back a piece in Rosen that might be a meaningful contributor moving forward with some development. 

Rosen isn’t without criticism - he’s had a couple chances to stick with the Sabres but has gone back and forth between the NHL and AHL levels in his young career. A speedy winger with a good shot, he doesn’t offer the forechecking and physicality that may be required to help the Jets wear down a team like the Dallas Stars over a seven game series. That said, he does provide an offensive upside that could grow into an effective role on a scoring line in the future. The Jets have already indicated he’ll get some time at the NHL level with the season drawing to a close. Both Bryson and Rosen will need extensions this spring if they’re to be part of the plan moving forward. 

The Jets also moved Tanner Pearson to Buffalo for a 2026 seventh round pick. While Pearson was a steady presence on the fourth line in Winnipeg, at age 33 and with an expiring contract he likely wasn’t going to get an extended stay with the Jets. The seventh round pick could be a gamble or could be repackaged in another deal this summer. 

What the Jets didn’t do at the deadline

Chevy didn’t blow things up. He showed a commitment to the current core and making a run towards Lord Stanley’s chalice in the near future. Rosen isn’t the lone piece that will get them closer, so Chevy is giving fans the expectation that he will add proven NHL pieces this summer or at the next deadline. He doesn't want to tear the roster down to the studs, but they aren't competitive enough now so they will need to invest in the team to show their commitment.

The Jets didn’t get the second line center they needed to make this offence work next year. Mark Scheifele has the first line center position locked down, along with his partner Kyle Connor on the wing. Guys like Alex Iafallo, Gabe Vilardi, and Cole Perfetti will occupy top six roles next season, but they don’t have a proven centreman capable of generating a similar scoring threat to that of the first line. 

They also didn’t move enough pieces that won’t contribute next year. Aging players with expiring deals like Gus Nyquist and Colin Miller could have potentially been flipped for draft assets. That said, there may not have been a market for them given the greater number of sellers than buyers at this year’s deadline. If at all possible, you'd prefer to get draft picks rather than let free agents walk but if no one is buying what you're selling it's hard to force a move. Chevy got rid of two contracts but he’ll have several more to address before free agency. 

Verdict

Did the Jets do enough at the trade deadline? In short, no. The return they got for Schenn and Stanley was good, and Rosen might turn into a contributor. But if the front office believes this team is capable of competing next season, they should have pursued a second line center or top four puck-moving defencemen - or the draft capital to flip for them in the summer - more aggressively. It’s easier said than done when you’re near the bottom of the standings, but even if this year’s outfit isn’t as bad as their record shows, they don’t have the top end or the depth to beat Dallas, Colorado, or Vegas in a playoff series. With just the one big move at the deadline, they'll need a busy summer to get there.