Note: Yesterday was the opening day of free agency in the NHL which isn’t usually a particularly busy one in Winnipeg. Last year they got their business done in advance of it and on Wednesday they made just two moves. The day unfolded as follows: Copp signed in Detroit | Comrie signed in Buffalo | Jets signed David Rittich | Jets signed Kevin Stenlund | Adam Brooks signed in Philadelphia | Austin Poganski signs with Seattle. Could see some more additions today as well as some players for the Moose being announced. Stay tuned for that.
Note II: Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke for about 13 minutes yesterday afternoon covering the moves his club made, the players that left, his current roster, prospects getting a shot next year and more. You can watch it here.
Note III: Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet is opening up his summer mailbag so hit him with your Jets related questions to his email at kenjr@shaw.ca.
Jets news:
The Hockey News: Are the Canadiens and Jets Working On a Pierre-Luc Dubois Trade? Lots of speculation which Montreal GM Kent Hughes was asked about today. His response according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet was “says he can’t comment on another team’s player. Asked if he’d be interested, he said they would always be interested in any player that’s a big, established centre in the NHL.”.
Sportsnet: With Cheveldayoff quiet in free agency, is current core enough for Jets to win? That is the 82 million dollar question.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Winnipeg Sun: Jets dormant as free agency period opens in NHL. This is never really an active team during free agency but yesterday the team did seem to be in a bit of a stasis.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets stuck in holding pattern. (Paywall). Normally there wouldn’t be an urgency to get some of these major questions worked out immediately (high value RFAs often don’t sign before or even during training camp) but they kinda need to figure out a plan for this club.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Jets 2022-23 depth chart 1.0: Comrie out, Rittich in, major moves on the way? (Paywall).
TVA Sports: Pat Brisson talks about his client Pierre-Luc Dubois. (French language). This is from an interview with Pat Brisson, the agent of Jets RFA Pierre-Luc Dubois, on TVA Sports which was conducted in French. You can read the English translation. (There is also a video interview with Brisson which you can also watch, final minute of the video, which is also in French).
Buffalo News: Sabres fill needs in goal by signing Eric Comrie. The folks in western New York are quite happy that they were able to secure Comrie’s services who will get a lot more action in a tandem with Craig Anderson than he would have here in Winnipeg.
Jets video:
Sportsnet: A quiet first day of free agency shows a sign of confidence from Cheveldayoff. Sean Reynolds and Ken Wiebe discuss the first day of NHL free agency for the Winnipeg Jets and why their quiet day was no surprise, and why it’s a sign of confidence from Kevin Cheveldayoff.
