Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff appeared on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show this past Saturday. To listen to the interview in full, download part 1 of the podcast.
For those that like to read, here is a transcript of the interview
On trade discussions heating up due to the team’s lack of success:
“I think that in a 30 team league, there are varying degrees of starts for different teams. some teams get off to strong starts, some teams have to find themselves a little bit. There’s generally conversations that go on all the time, all year round, starting right at the beginning of the season and they continue on, they don’t increase or decrease, it’s a pretty steady flow of conversations about everyone’s teams, and hockey in general.”
On where the organization sees Alexander Burmistrov long term:
“I think that with his playmaking abilities, he’s probably more suited for center, but right now he’s having some good success playing on a line with Antro and Kane. I think that it shows to his versatility and his ability as a player to adapt, and that’s always good to have that flexibility, because you never know as a player when opportunities are going to arise for different types of play.”
On trying to give Dustin Byfuglien increased time on the penalty kill:
“I think that you have different players that play different roles on the team, some guys will get their ice time on the penalty kill, and some guys will get it on the powerplay. There’s different ways of doing things, you can spread ice time around all over in the different areas of special teams and 5-on-5 play, it’s something that Claude and the coaches have the guys out there penalty killing, right now Buff is more on the powerplay and 5-on-5 play.”
On a reason for the teams penalty trouble:
“I think you have to look at the types of penalties really close to see what kind of penalties they are, to see if there’s any type of trend. Irrespective if you’re tenth, thirtieth, or first in penalties, it’s a conscious effort all the time to decrease the minor penalties because that’s a point you’d like to not have to worry about. It’s something we’ve talked about trying to make sure we can decrease those numbers, but you have to play the game hard, physical, and intense, and sometimes that does lead to penalties. As long as they are penalties of aggression, as opposed to the other kind of penalties, that’s something you have to look at.”
On contract discussions with Evander Kane and his agent, Kane is an RFA at the end of the season:
“Those discussions with all the different types of players happen in different points in time. There really is no set timetable of what you have to do to an RFA, some teams choose to do it earlier, and some teams choose to do it later. Those are individual circumstances that surround each team and each player.”
On how the salary cap comes into play when making a trade:
“Each and every team the circumstances are different, but I think that any team that’s making a trade any point in time is looking at first and foremost how the player can help your team both short term and long term. Every team are in different situations and circumstances. When you go to make a trade salary does come in to play, but how the player fits on your roster is very important as well.”
On the guiding philosophy on evaluating talent:
“Any time there are deadlines you have to make some decisions weather you like to or don’t. We try to not put deadlines on any decisions and evaluate it as need be, and take your time and make sure the evaluations you are comfortable with as an organization. To say that there is a guiding philosophy after x amount of games, and then the decision is made. I don’t think you can say that is the case, because every decision that is made in those regards is its own type of thing.”
On what he likes about the team right now:
“They are a group that genuinely cares about each other; they get along on the ice and off the ice as far as teammates go. When Claude and I talk about the different meetings he has with the teams and the players, strategically and from the personal standpoint, you get the sense that these players do genuinely care and they are working hard behind the scenes to become a consistent team. Right from the onset when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, the question was why the inconsistencies in this teams game? That is something we are working towards finding out.”
On Ron Hainsey’s injury status:
“He’s skating a little bit with Lee Stubbs our strength and conditioning coach. There really is no timetable; he’s got a couple of injuries he’s getting back from. Unfortunately we have about five guys out here right now because Festerling is not in the lineup either. It’s an interesting dilemma, but you get an opportunity to evaluate some players that wouldn’t get the chance otherwise.”
On Brett Festerling’s injury status:
“With all injuries you deal with them, it’s hard to put timetables on some of them, because his body is healing. You’d like to say definitively when things are going to happen, but everyone mends at different rates.”
On philosophy of developing defenseman:
“When you have the defenseman we have out (with injuries), you tend to stray from those things. The good news is we have depth there in terms of players that can come up and play. You’d like to keep your young players developing for the period of time that they need. Certainly Paul had a good training camp, and that was one of the reasons why we did send him back to continue to develop. If a player is getting the ice time at the National League level and playing, great. But if a player is not getting the ice time then they should be getting it at the American League level if they have that opportunity.”
On the 1-3-1 fiasco involving Tampa Bay and Philadelphia:
“Every team plays the game differently, they have different styles and different ways to make it happen, and that’s how Tampa has had some success. As far as coaching strategies, that’s not something new. I just saw the highlights of the Tampa Philly game. It is something that’s getting a lot of discussion. We have a general managers meeting coming up on Tuesday, I assume it will be a topic of discussion as well.”
On who is responsible for that particular situation:
“I think that once the puck is dropped you have two coaches who are trying to outwit each other and two teams that are trying to outwit each other. As for any legislation coming out of it, it is pretty premature to speculate on what is going to happen in those regards. Certainly it gave for some great commentary and discussion, I’m sure there will be a lot more moving forward.”
