Note: An era ended on Saturday with Blake Wheeler hitting free agency after he was bought out by the Jets and it didn’t take long for the former captain to find a new team as he is taking his talents to New York where he will join a very good Rangers team. Of course I’m not sure how many of us ever envisioned a world where Jacob Trouba is Blake Wheeler‘s captain but here we are.
Note II: For the first time in years Jets prospects will be heading to Winnipeg in July for Development Camp. A really good crop of prospects for fans to check out next week. Check out the full list of prospects attending and times of skates here.
Note III: Yesterday was the start of NHL Free Agency. Traditionally not a particularly busy day in Winnipeg which actually began with the aforementioned departure of Wheeler as well as Kevin Stenlund who signed in Florida. It got off to a bit of an underwhelming start with the signing of backup/AHL netminder Collin Delia but then a twist as the team chose to bring back former goalie Laurent Brossoit, re-sign Vlad Namestnikov to a two-year deal and then add a depth piece in Jeffrey Viel who had been in the Sharks system. There was one more departure as former backup David Rittich joined Pierre-Luc Dubois by signing a one-year deal in L.A. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke at length once the festivities had quieted down.
Jets news:
Sportsnet: Brossoit comes aboard, but ‘evolving’ Jets stay quiet on opening day of free agency. One of the things Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke about was the opportunity for Hellebuyck and Brossoit to renew their tandem.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Winnipeg Sun: Jets bring back Namestnikov, Brossoit as free agency opens. They give Namestnikov an extra year to provide some stability and Brossoit gets to come back to an environment where he spent three years and had quite a bit of success. Let’s just hope he’s forgiven fans for their playoff chants.
Winnipeg Sun: Former Jets captain Wheeler signs in Big Apple. And courtesy of the schedule maker October is going to be a hell of a fun month for Jets fans inside Canada Life Centre. They see Paul Maurice/Kevin Stenlund the first home game, Pierre-Luc Dubois/David Rittich the second home game, playoff foes Vegas in the third home game and then conclude the month when Wheeler and the Rangers come to town.
Winnipeg Free Press: Jets bring back familiar faces in free agency. (Paywall). Who says you can’t go home again, again?
The Athletic Winnipeg: Where the Winnipeg Jets stand after Day 1 of NHL free agency — and no trades. (Paywall). Murat gives you his lay of the land.
Jets video:
Sportsnet: Why the Jets’ first day of free agency was about the moves they didn’t make. Sean Reynolds and Ken Weibe break down the Jets’ first day of free agency, the new goalie tandem with newly-signed Laurent Brossoit, their decision to keep Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheiffele, and some decisions to be made on the defensive end.
Sportsnet: Why trading Connor Hellebuyck should be at the top of the Jets’ ‘to-do’ list. The Hockey Central panel takes a look at the Winnipeg Jets and how their free agency outlook is shaping up, as well as why trading Connor Hellebuyck should be at the top of their ‘to-do’ list.
TSN: Maximize return for Hellebuyck, bolster fourth line, get experienced winner. The Winnipeg Jets have a lot of tough decisions ahead of them this offseason, including maximizing their return for Connor Hellebuyck, making a decision on Mark Scheifele and bringing in an experience winner. TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button breaks down the key decisions that Kevin Cheveldayoff will have to make in the upcoming months.
Jets audio:
Illegal Curve Hockey Show: Saturday Podcast. Our show ran right into the start of Free Agent Frenzy and provided two hours of Jets talk including discussing the 32 Thoughts Podcast comments by Elliotte Friedman on the Jets “I thought they had a really good week”. Extending qualifying offers to seven. Blake Wheeler buyout. What’s next for Hellebuyck/Scheifele? Types of contracts Winnipeg might sign with their RFAs. We were joined by Daily Faceoffs Steven Ellis who broke down the prospects selected by Winnipeg in Nashville on Wednesday and Thursday.
