Note: This is day 70 since the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 season.
Note II: Jets bench boss Paul Maurice will be chatting with Ron MacLean as part of Sportsnet’s In Conversation segment. You can submit questions using #InConversation and watch the the full episode on Sportsnet’s YouTube & Facebook at 6 pm CT.
Jets news:
The Athletic Winnipeg: Breaking down 16 candidates for Winnipeg’s second-line centre vacancy. (Paywall). Lots to digest in Murat’s latest piece on who may be up the middle on the second line for the Jets.
Winnipeg Sun: NHL ‘hopeful’ border ban extension won’t impact return-to-play plans. Scott writes about the NHL plan but adds a bit of a Jets and Manitoba spin to the article.
Puck Pedia: Agent Poll. PuckPedia conducted an anonymous survey of NHL Agents and numbers 8 (Which GM they enjoy dealing with the most) and 10 (team-friendly contract) are Jets related. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is tied with three other GMs as a general manager that agents enjoy dealing with and Mark Scheifele got one vote which is tied with nine other NHLers for his contract.
Jets video:
TSN: Three reasons why the Jets would be a ‘very dangerous’ playoff opponent. Craig Button joins Gino Reda to discuss three key factors that would make the Jets a “very dangerous” playoff opponent in an expanded playoff scenario.
TSN: Wheeler feels play-in games would be an advantage. (Note: This is the ‘appetizer’ of the interview. Will post link to full video when it is available). Blake Wheeler joins this week’s installment of The Dreger Café. The Jets captain explains to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger why he feels play-in games would give the bubble teams an advantage in a potential 24-team format.
Jets audio:
The Athletic Winnipeg: The Boarding Pass. Grant Clitsome joins Murat and Ken to discuss his post playing career, working with One Sports and Entertainment Group, and his interest in the wine and cidar business, which led him to going back to school for his MBA. He talks about how tough it was to walk away from the game of hockey, right when he had just started to make a name for himself. The benefits of being Dustin Byfuglien’s defensive partner, plus he compares the leadership of Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler, and what he thinks of the Jets chances, if and when the season resumes.
NHL news/video:
Sportsnet: NHL hopeful extended border closure won’t impact return to play timelines. They can hope all they want but if the United States continues to lead the world in cases it is gonna take a herculean effort to try and minimize the risk for players and folks connected to the games (both on and off the ice).
TSN: Insider Trading (Play-in format and its fairness remains a hot topic). TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie joined host James Duthie via videoconference to discuss the play-in format, the border closures and why they shouldn’t impact any return to play scenarios and why there is still lots of uncertainty when it comes to the draft.