Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers

Note:  Following a stand pay Trade Deadline day, the Jets practice at the MTS Centre at 11 am with newly acquired Lee Stempniak in the fold.  He will be wearing #20 for Winnipeg.

Standings watch:   Hawks won.  Sharks won.  The Jets remain in the first wild card spot three points up on Minnesota (2 games in hand) and six points up on Calgary/L.A/San Jose. (2/2/0 games in hand).  Winnipeg is also five points back of Chicago for 3rd in the Central (same number of games played).

Teams in contention playing tonight:  Calgary (@ Philadelphia).  Minnesota (vs Ottawa).  Los Angeles  (@ Edmonton).  San Jose @ Vancouver.

Jets news:

Winnipeg Free Press:  Maligned Chevy has been right all along.  Gary writes about the arm-chair GMs who have spent the past four seasons taking shots at the plan of the Jets GM.  He suggests that this plan is now starting to bear fruit.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Ready, set, go.  The Jets can look around the room and now know that this is the squad that they will have until the end of the season.  So the race is on for the finish as they try and secure a playoff spot.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Hutchinson no longer star-struck by big NHL names.   Seems fair to suggest that the rotation is over.  Of course every time we suggest that, coach Maurice goes back to it.  With more spaced out games and Hutchinson securing points in the last six games it seems that he will be the horse coach Maurice rides to the end.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Frolik’s future big question.  While he is the UFA that all fans want to see signed first, as Ed writes there are a number of other UFAs that Cheveldayoff and company will try to secure as well.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Less anxiety and more optimism after this morning’s Jets practice.  The new players who are joining a playoff push from teams (Buffalo, Carolina) that were well back sure seem to be playing with a sense of rejuvenation.  As well the players who have been here awhile but outside of the playoffs the past three seasons in Winnipeg and more if they were in Atlanta are also seemingly invigorated by the chase for a post season spot.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Jets stand pat before NHL trade deadline (video).  After a flurry of activity from the Jets GM since the Kane/Bogosian trade which ended with the Stempniak deal last night there wasn’t much expectation among the media that any further deals would get done on Trade Deadline day.  Gary, Ed and Tim break down the day on behalf of the Free Press.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets players love seeing the team add at trade deadline.  The atmosphere in a dressing room when you know the organization is adding players is quite different when the opposite is happening.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets are better team but signing pending UFA Michael Frolik still a priority.  While Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff wanted to address all his UFAs, the one reporters wanted to discuss and likely the one fans want to see sign on the dotted line is Michael Frolik.  Ken brings you up to speed on this situation as well as takes a look at where Stempniak fits in and Halischuk being on track.

Winnipeg Sun:  Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done his part … it’s up to the players now.  The Jets GM has to turn his attention to the draft in Florida in June as he is done tooling the roster.  It is up to the players he has assembled to do the rest of the work this season.

Winnipeg Sun:  Hats off to Kevin Cheveldayoff for making things happen with Jets on trade front.  While he was often pilloried for his lack of major moves in the past he turned into something of a whirling dervish of trades as he has bolstered his team’s roster in the push for the playoffs.

Globe and Mail:  With playoffs in reach, Jets add veteran experience for final push.  These guys aren’t taking anything for granted as they continue their quest for the first post season for this franchise in Winnipeg.  Not only are they talking playoffs but the vision of many players is on looking at the teams ahead of them as they feel they have a group capable of overtaking one of the top three spots in the Central.

TSN:  Tradecentre (video).  Some teams are building for the future and some are looking to add for a playoff run. Craig Button delivers his final TradeCentre grades for the Canadian clubs.  Guess which city got an A.

TSN:  Winnipeg – Special destination for right player.  Swap out the P in Winnipeg for a G and you get Winning.  And that, more than anything else (well maybe not money), will bring players to our city regardless of the perceived problems.  Coach Maurice’s comments about UFAs having an opportunity to see the city for a bit before deciding if they will sign another contract here will be put to the test this summer.

CBC:  What’s next for the Winnipeg Jets post-NHL trade deadline? (video).  Mitch and Jeff talk about the deadline day and what fans can expect as the team pushes for the playoffs.

CBC:  Alyx Delaloye, cancer-fighting girl, thanks Jets fans, meets team.  Huge kudos to the Jets players (specifically Jim Slater who reached out on twitter) and the organization for the effort they put forth in making it quite an experience for this young survivor.  Also deserving of recognition is the young Jets fan who gave away the stick he received from Tyler Myers after the game to Alyx.  It shows a maturity and empathy for such a young kid.  His family should be very proud of him.

Illegal Curve:  Jets Trade Deadline day.  I was down at the MTS Centre throughout the day and while the team didn’t make any moves there was still plenty of activity.  Here is a log of my day.

Jets audio:

Illegal Curve:  GM Kevin Cheveldayoff presser.  Has he done enough to get his team into the playoffs this spring?  Recapping his day.  Was he close at any point to making another trade today?  Is he happy with the trades that he has made to date?  Did it play in his favour to deal a few weeks ahead of the deadline?  Looking at the roster today as compared to how it looked in 2011.  Eight pending UFA, did he have any conversations?  Is it a new stage for the organization as they move past draft and develop?  Are they past stage where they fill one hole, and this creates another?  How much does he watch other teams and what they are doing during this time?  His thoughts on the state of the Western Conference.  At what point during this season did he recognize what the team was doing and decide that it was important to be a playoff team this year?  On players getting a taste and wanting to be a part of the organization. Is it difficult letting go now that the deadline has passed?  How committed is he to signing Michael Frolik?  Is he actively trying to sign him?  What is he expecting from Stempniak and what are his thoughts on what he can bring to the team?  Is there anything that he would have liked to have gotten done that he wasn’t able to do?  Is he pleased with what Myers has shown so far?

Illegal Curve:  Coach Maurice scrum.  Does he have a better idea of what he is going to do with Stempniak?  How does he feel about the roster as it is currently composed?  Is it a case where they could still improve?  Do some “warts” on rental players get overlooked because they are coming into a better environment?  Has he beaten his expectations for where they are at so far this season?  How does he make the players currently in the organization feel good about the new players being brought in?  What will he do in the coming weeks to keep his team playing at such a high level?  How does it feel to be on a team that is in buying mode?  Lots of UFAs on the team, does it have a temporary feel to it?  Is it easier on a player like Stempniak who has been moved before?  Update on guys (Ladd, Enstrom, Wheeler) who missed practice.  Halischuk update.  On the idea of internal competition.  Is there an issue with Pardy’s 5 on 5 play?

NHL Mid-Week:

Illegal Curve:  Replay.  0:00 – Jets defeat Kings, trade for Lee Stempniak.  14:34 – Interview with Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette.  24:16 – Central Division Recap.  39:33 – Central Division Recap continued.  51:24 – Pacific Division Recap.  1:09:02 – Atlantic Division Recap.  1:21:22 – Metropolitan Division Recap. 1:37:12 – Winners & Losers.