Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers

Jets news:

Note:  The 2012 NHL Entry Draft begins at 6 pm on TSN.  The Jets will be drafting 9th overall.  Stay tuned to @illegacurve as we will be live at the draft.

TSN:  Jets finalized strategy ahead of NHL draft.  Good to know the Jets have some idea as to who they plan on taking.  Will be interesting to see exactly who they chose.  Best player available vs. Position most needed by the team.  We will know soon enough.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Picking and choosing in the first round.  Take a look at that list and you can see how there is no such thing as “can’t miss”.  The good news for the organization is the picks from the last couple of years are still with the organization and could help to form a core of this franchise for years to come.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Pavelec’s plight.  Gary covers a number of topics from the draft (Oilers buzz, Manitoba prospects, Lu and the Leafs and Rick Nash) but the Jets related part of the article deals with the gap between Jets management and Pavelec’s agent in their contract negotiations.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Won’t call Chevy.  If the Jets did draft Pearson we may as well call Barrie the Jr. Jets as they have become quite the pipeline for this organization.

Winnipeg Sun:  Will Jets make a splash?  The news that Thunder Bay native Jordan Staal had rejected a 10 year offer to stay in Pittsburgh was met with excitement by Jets fans who relish the thought of chanting “Jordan’s better” at the MTS Centre 41 times next season.  The problem is Staal, if he doesn’t sign with the Pens, is thought to be leaning to heading to the Jets Southeast Division rival Hurricanes to play with his brother Eric.

Winnipeg Sun:  Kane, Pavelec talks has Jets GM’ optimistic.  The talks between both sides remain ongoing.  Jets fans remain on the edge of their seat as they await word that either of the young stars has signed with the team.

Winnipeg Free Press:  Expert eye on the prospects.  A good Q & A with the Jets head of amateur scouting Marcel Comeau, which I missed yesterday.

NHL Entry Draft news:

National Post:  Mock draft.  They have the Jets selecting Grigorenko with the 9th pick.

Edmonton Journal: Oilers keen on making first pick their own.  The Oilers again haven’t tipped their hand as to who they will choose, or even if they plan on choosing tonight and that has increased the sense of drama as the evening approaches.

Toronto Sun:  Draft a critical moment for Burke, Leafs. Well if it is any solace for Leafs fans our own Richard Pollock wrote an interesting article attributing a large part of the present success of the Canucks to Burke, who was largely responsible for drafting a lot of the talent which still makes up that squad.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:  Major moves could unfold in NHL Draft at Consol Energy Center.  And that is why hockey fans will be glued to their TVs and phones as they await word of any trades that go down throughout the day and night.

General NHL news:

Globe and Mail:  The salary’s not the things for enlightened GMs.  Looking past dollar signs and thinking about team needs might be too much for most GMs to handle.  As the Million Dollar man Ted DiBiase used to say “Everybody has a price”.

NESN:  Bruins inquire about Rick Nash.  Nash would look quite good wearing the B’s colours however they weren’t on his short list of teams.

Edmonton Journal: Oilers and Justin Schultz – speculatively linked again. Would be just what the doctor ordered for the Oilers who have been looking for a quality defenceman for some time.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:  Staal rejects 10-year deal from Pens.  Leading to all sorts of speculation as to what he wants.  Does he want to wait and see?  Perhaps he wants to play with his brother in Carolina?  Maybe he wants to play for his ‘local’ team in Winnipeg.  All of it speculation until we hear from Staal and his agent which might not happen until next year.