March 6th. The Jets and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff have just one week to make some moves that will improve this hockey team next season. The trouble is, the Jets don’t have a wealth of assets other teams will be interested in acquiring. They have a couple pieces that will draw attention but don’t expect them to be involved in a splash trade next week. Chevy is probably waiting for a few more shoes to drop in the trade market before getting serious. Elliotte Friedman on this week’s 32 Thoughts podcast said there are too many sellers in the market, which will make Chevy’s job that much harder to bring back value.
What the Jets need
The Jets have an interesting roster. They have a Stanley Cup calibre goaltender, a second-round capable core, wild card supporting cast, and a bottom-half prospect pool. What the Jets need is an infusion of youth, especially in the form of a scoring center. Mark Scheifele is a first line center and should have that spot locked down for the foreseeable future. Captain Adam Lowry is capable of being an elite shut-down center in a third-line role. There was some hope Jonathan Toews could fill that second line hole but it hasn’t materialized. A true second line, scoring center will help this team compete better against top end talent. The Jets have the cornerstone goalie, and a defence corps capable of competing in big games with Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg, Dylan Demelo, and Elias Salomonsson on the rise, but depth scoring is what sets the club back when faced with the attrition of a long playoff run.
What the Jets have to offer
While a lot of National Hockey League teams would be interested in Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabe Vilardi, and Josh Morrissey, they aren't for sale. The pieces Chevy does have to put in the shop window won't give them the big trade but could add depth next season or a couple chips to gamble with in the draft. Starting on the blue line, Luke Schenn is open to moving, but little traction has come to get him traded so far. Logan Stanley's trade value has never been higher, but he has indicated he wants an extension with Winnipeg. Colin Miller, Kale Clague, and Ville Heinola also have contracts expiring this summer and should all be on the table for draft picks or included in a package trade for a bigger piece. Eric Comrie is another contender to be moved, especially with his struggles filling in for Hellebuyck for extended stretches this season.
Up front, a name that might get a little more attention would be Jonathan Toews, but he recently mentioned he wants to resign with his hometown Jets. He could add value next season, but it would have to be in a bottom six role. The Jets took a flyer on Gustav Nyquist this year, hoping he could add speed and a few goals to the lineup and it hasn't come to fruition. At 36 years old, the market for him won't return much. Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke also need to be moved or extended before this summer. Koepke has produced a little offence of late, but his defensive numbers haven't been as strong as Chevy would desire. That said, he has been solid on the penalty kill. Pearson is in a similar boat statistically, but at six years older than Koepke would be more likely to get traded. Finally, Cole Perfetti will be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of this campaign. He was rumoured to be on the block for a potential Shane Wright trade, but Chevy would be wise to extend him if nothing of that calibre surfaces this week. One of the few reliable scorers outside of the top line, Perfetti can help the Jets reach the playoffs over the next few seasons.
It’s going to be hard to find the sort of deal that improves the Jets significantly in this trade market, but Chevy needs to do something to give head coach Scott Arniel a fighting chance next year. He’s also got to make the most of these expiring contracts and give the fans some excitement going into the 2026-27 campaign. We’ll have you covered through all of the trade drama at Jets White Out.