Winnipeg Jets Afternoon Links

Note: Puck drop is at 8:00 pm CT tonight as the Jets get set to take on the Flames for their fifth exhibition game of the pre-season.  After the Jets game, be sure to check us out for all the post-game reaction.

Note II:  Defenceman Justin Faulk was mentioned as a possible target of the Jets but that won’t come to be as he was traded to Winnipeg’s division rival St. Louis today with Carolina getting Brandon product Joel Edmundson and prospect Dominik Bokk.

Note III: Budweiser wants to pay Canada’s biggest hockey fan $50,000 to watch every hockey game this season.  The contest closes tomorrow at midnight.  For more info click here.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets poised to burst bubble for NHL hopefuls as camp enters final week.  (Paywall).  Jets took longer than most other NHL squads but the time has come for them to decrease the number of players in training camp as they send some back to Europe and others to the training camp of the Manitoba Moose which got underway this week.  Mike McIntyre predicts the Jets roster.

Sportsnet: 5 reasons why the Winnipeg Jets could disappoint in 2019-20. I think folks around these parts will prefer yesterday’s column about the Jets but you have to be eyes wide open so with that in mind here are Sean’s five points, namely; 1) 1. Too many “ifs”. 2) Loss of veteran leadership. 3) Second line centre situation. 4) Central rising. 5) Dressing room.

Sportsnet:  31 Thoughts.  1 (How Point contract impacts other RFAs like Laine and Connor), 2 (Point & Laine), 16 (Paul Maurice picking themes for the season), 17 (ignoring the noise), 18 (Maurice conversation with Morrissey) & 19 (alternate captain vacancy).

Illegal Curve: Jets vs. Flames pre-game report. The Jets didn’t hit the ice today in Winnipeg in advance of their game against Calgary at 8:00 pm CT. Includes projected lines, D pairs as well as audio from Kristian Vesalainen and Michael Spacek.

Illegal Curve: Morning Papers.  If you missed any of the news from earlier today we have you covered.

Jets video:

TSN: How did Laine fall out of Top 50? Three players saw nine year streaks on the list come to an end. Why did Laine fall out of the Top 50? The TSN Hockey panel explains.

Jets audio:

Illegal Curve: Coach Maurice pre-game. Topics included – On Scheifele and Wheeler cracking the Top 50 of TSN player rankings.  On Vesalainen being critical of his own game.  Does he get any sense that Vesalainen is playing too safe or too conservative?  Updates on Lowry, Perreault and Niku?  On Niku only playing one game.