32 Thoughts Podcast | “It’s pretty positive for them as a group right now” Elliotte Friedman on the Winnipeg Jets

Today on the latest installment of 32 Thoughts podcast the conversation between Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas the conversation turned to the Winnipeg Jets at the 59:44 mark. They began the conversation with Friedman’s takeaways from the conversation GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had with Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press and Murat Ates of The Athletic Winnipeg in Denver.

(if the Spotify link doesn’t work the Itunes one is below).

1) He found the Toews comments interesting but said he doesn’t expect the Winnipegger to play this year:

“I do think the Jets would be on Toews radar if he does return to play”

2) Feels that Cheveldayoff will “talk more” with his UFA/RFAs during 4 Nations:

Said the NHL making a salary cap announcement ahead of the tournament and that this will spur teams to get their business done. Said the signing of Connor Hellebuyck was key.

“The way Hellebuyck is playing has convinced those guys that they can win. That they have a chance to win there with him in net.”

Said a player from this market told him “The players there feel really good about the way things are going.”

3) Mentions Dylan Samberg changing his agent:

“Whenever I hear that a player is changing their agent right before a contract negotiation I’m like ‘Oh man that’s not good, that’s not good’. But even I heard in this particular case it’s nothing like that, it’s not because he’s unhappy. He’s in a good place.”

4) Final Thought:

“I think the number 1 thing is, you sit there and say, am I at a place where I think I can win? And I do think those players think they can. That’s the number 1 thing you have to have. All that other stuff is other stuff. The question is can you win? And I think those players think, even in that loaded West, that they can win.”

The chat runs to 1:06:59