Via NHL.com
As summer slowly fades into fall, training camps are around the corner. Some could say it was a summer to forget for Jets fans, or maybe not? Not much really happened. With all the speculation of players not being happy or wanting out. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Pierre-Luc Dubois still remain. So what now?
We could say everyone is happy and everything is smooth sailing going forward or maybe it’s time to move on?
I’m going to look at the angle of once you’ve dropped a hint your unhappy where you get paid to play, it’s time to go. I don’t see GM Kevin Cheveldayoff trading within their division or conference. Leaving two teams from the Eastern Conference who stand out for different reasons. With some help from capfriendly.com, let’s look at a couple trade scenarios the Winnipeg Jets could entertain before the 2022/23 season gets underway.
* cap hits are for the 2022/23 season only
New York Islanders Blockbuster
To Winnipeg Jets:
- LW/RW – Anthony Beauvillier (4.125 million)
- LW/RW – Josh Bailey (5.000 million)
- C – Mathew Barzal (7.000 million)
- RD – Ryan Pulock (6.150 million)
To New York Islanders:
- RW/C – Blake Wheeler (8.250 million)
- C – Mark Scheifele (6.125 million)
- LD – Logan Stanley (900,000)
- LD – Josh Morrisey (6.250 million)
After seeing Mark Scheifele’s “Me, Myself & I” exit interview press conference after the 2021/22 season, and trade speculation involving Blake Wheeler. It’s time to shake up the core of the Winnipeg Jets and build around Kyle Connor. Possibly trying to convince Pierre-Luc Dubois to stay long term, who showed good chemistry throughout the 2021/22 season playing center with Connor on his wing.
Dubois and Barzal one-two down the middle wouldn’t be a downgrade from Scheifele and Dubois. If anything with Barzal coming from a Barry Trotz led team it could be argued as an upgrade. New head coach Rick Bowness wouldn’t have to continuously remind Barzal to play both ends of the ice.
Adding wingers Anthony Beauvillier & Josh Bailey would give the Jets two solid options to fill out their top-9 forwards.
Moving Josh Morrisey and Logan Stanley isn’t a necessary move to make, they’ve never been ones to complain about playing in Winnipeg. Getting a Manitoba born RD in Ryan Pulock just fits the roster shake up.
Philadelphia Flyers
To Winnipeg Jets
- C – Sean Couturier (7.750 million)
- LW/RW – James van Riemsdyk (7.000 million)
- C/LW – Scott Laughton (3.000 million)
- LD – Travis Sanheim (4.675 million)
To Philadelphia Flyers
- RW/C – Blake Wheeler (8.250 million)
- C – Mark Scheifele (6.125 million)
- LD – Brenden Dillon (3.900 million)
- LD – Logan Stanley (900,000)
Philadelphia is currently $2,523,107 over the cap limit. With the trade, Philadelphia would free up $3.250 million getting them under the cap limit.
Philadelphia seems to be refusing to admit they need to tear it down and rebuild. A top of the roster reshuffle and having Mark Scheifele play for John Tortorella, which would be a lot of fun to watch from afar.
Sean Couturier as a second line center behind Pierre Luc Dubois would give Winnipeg a dependable two way center and let Dubois center line one with Kyle Connor and fill the score sheet.
James Van Riemsdyk would give Winnipeg a winger to potentially flip at the trade deadline if the playoffs aren’t a realistic possibility. It would also allow rookie forward Cole Perfetti to take some time to find his spot in the Jets lineup without being rushed into top-6 duty right away.
Scott Laughton on a 3rd line LW with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton would give opponents headaches to play against.
Brenden Dillon and Logan Stanley are two players Flyers fan would love on their team based on their style of play. Travis Sanheim let’s Winnipeg ease young defensemen Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg into the NHL and give the team a year to see if Sanheim fits long term.
With both trade scenarios multiple players would have to sign off on a trade due to their No Movement/No Trade Clauses.
As for Pierre-Luc Dubois, if he doesn’t want to stay in Winnipeg, and Montreal was willing to trade Nick Suzuki, do a one-for-one and end the Dubois to Montreal talk.
History shows Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be patient when it comes to trading high end players who make waves about not wanting to play in Winnipeg. Stay tuned anything can happen when it comes to unsettled stars wanting traded.
The Scoring Touch 