The NHL Off-Season Is FINALLY Here, And The Winnipeg Jets Are In For A Wild Ride

The NHL Off-Season Is FINALLY Here, And The Winnipeg Jets Are In For A Wild Ride

at long last the NHL off season is finally here and boy oh boy is it already kicking off with some real fireworks [Music] you’re Locked on Jets your daily podcast on the Winnipeg Jets part of the Locked On Network your team every day hey friends and welcome to tonight’s episode of Locked On Winnipeg Jets part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day thanks for joining us on tonight’s episode i’m your host Harrison Lee an avid Winnipeg Jets fan and an online blogger you can follow me on Twitter at hl living loco and at l_winnipeg jets thanks for choosing to make Lockdown Jets your first listen of the day every day if you like what you’re hearing be sure to like follow and subscribe on all of your favorite podcasting platforms and YouTube doing so of course is always free of charge and ensures you never miss another episode most of all though and more than anything we just love and appreciate your support tonight obviously we are chatting in the uh the aftermath of the Stanley Cup finals finally being over now um the uh the Panthers of course have naturally prevailed not super surprised by the result although given the first few games you might have thought that we had another surprise in store but the Panthers just appear to be that team man they are tough to beat and uh I guess congrats to Paul Maurice still not over how the Jets tenure ended but at least he’s uh I guess doing good stuff with the Panthers and now has his second consecutive cup would have been nice if that was us but at least in the meantime we have our off season starting and a lot has already kicked off in the first 24 hours or so since the cup finals have finally wrapped we’re going to dive into all of that including some of the interesting trades some of the curious signings that might hold some keys to uh trying to figure out what exactly is about to happen over the summer market and more and how all of that impacts the Jets coming right up but before we do just wanted to let you know that today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel right now new FanDuel customers can get $200 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins now like I said the off seasonason has officially started to really kick off and curiously you know I think we are uh looking at a very unusual summer um I think this season in particular this coming summer is going to be one of the craziest off seasons that we’ve seen in a while and like I know everyone always says “Yeah we always predict that every year and nothing ever happens.” But we haven’t really seen one where the cap is going up to the degree that it is this off season right it’s been a while since we’ve really had lots of revenue leading to a big jump and so what’s about to happen for a lot of teams could be something of a bloodletting for many and a a big chance for a lot of other teams to improve and we’re already seeing some early trades right eric Holla has been sent to uh the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fourthrounder and Jeremy Hansel now this doesn’t really do anything for the Predes other than give them someone that they can maybe flip at the trade deadline and for the Devils they clear off some cap they get you know an extra little pick for this year’s draft not like they really care about it so much but I mean for the most part it’s just really opening up a roster spot getting some money off the books and kind of going from there and I think that’s where you know for a team like uh the PRS if they’re looking to maybe you know take on some salary or look for some guys to flip I kind of wonder what exactly their trade plans are going to be right uh the Jets are one of those teams that I think has a really good opportunity to maybe make the PRS a trade partner this coming summer but I just don’t know how all of this is going to play out obviously we talked about that so-called rumor about Luke Evangelista nothing has really come of it so far but maybe something here uh or or for another PRS player materializes over the next few weeks we’ll have to keep an eye out i don’t think Trotz is really opposed to trading in division and I certainly don’t think he has any real problem trading with the Jets so this could be a very uh interesting relationship over the next few weeks but you know that’s hardly the only team that the Jets are going to be calling I’m sure and you know so many things are going to be happening but amidst all of this you know free agency has also kind of uh kickstarted in a way with teams starting to extend some of their dudes who were about to hit market in a couple of weeks now obviously you know we’re not seeing new contracts being awarded to uh players leaving teams and stuff but we’ve got some extensions that have maybe kept folks in place and one of the bigger ones that dropped earlier this afternoon uh was obviously you know the uh the um Trent Frederick deal with the Oilers and I want to talk about this one a little bit more in specificity uh in a little bit but broadly speaking this one is a big big term and a lower AAV although not that cheap uh a little under 4 million for 8 years with a modified no movement clause that is a lot of term and it’s not that much uh of a discount right you’re not looking at uh a ton of savings this kind of reminds me a lot of uh a much longer version of Lowry’s most recent deal so keep that in mind as we start to head towards Winnipeg’s own free agents could be a very interesting next few weeks as the Jets try to navigate some of their own RFAS we also saw Ryan Donado sign a 4-year uh $4 million per season deal as well um much shorter term much more of a uh well sensible kind of deal especially when you you know consider that Donado only just started scoring recently so this doesn’t really lock the Hawks into doing anything too crazy and it’s a movable contract if things really get grim we also saw some smaller deals you’ve got guys like Matthew Rebe uh Victor Sodestrom and a few other signing uh extensions with their teams but I think all of this just really shows that we are finally to the offseason things are starting we’re seeing you know more minor league stuff for the most part or at least depth signings than anything but that probably means the Jets are going to be hitting the market here pretty soon too and dealing with more of their free agents now of course you’ve all seen the news uh Eers will be testing free agency here in July that’s fine um I’ve heard some rumors about what the Jets have offered uh I won’t talk about about that for now just in case but suffice it to say the Jets have given Nick a fairly decent one we’ll have to see what other teams do but my feeling is that at the end of the day if Nick does choose to to switch to another team you know it is what it is i think it’s at this point kind of down to some of the relationship damage that happened years ago and at the end of the day you know the Jets can only do so much to repair it in a short amount of time so we’ll see how it all shakes out i will say that uh Freriedman did mention the door’s not closed on Winnipeg so don’t lose hope yet um I will say that I I don’t think it’s likely that he comes back but it’s not completely off the table but I would say for my own personal feeling I’m like expecting him to walk 85 to 90% with a 10 percent that maybe he doesn’t really get the offer out there that he’s looking for and somebody else uh you know maybe undercuts it a little bit and the Jets kind of make off of that a good offer and you know maybe they can reunite and and make this happen but my personal feeling is somebody like Carolina will bring Eers home and the Jets are going to have to do some real digging and due diligence over the next few weeks to figure out how to answer and respond but if ever there was a time where a free agent leaving might not be the end of the world for a team especially a big one uh like Elers maybe the summer is it this is a very keen opportunity for the Jets to do a lot of business uh although I will say I would have you know hopefully uh liked to see them not use free agents as much i think UFA stuff is going to be a bit of a mess rfas are where the money’s at and I think that’s where the Jets could really do some damage you’ve got lots of teams that can’t pay some of their expiring youngsters players who are maybe you know not thrilled with their current situation and I think Winnipeg could really make out like a bandit if they you know tread these waters very carefully make some good decisions and come out on top but all of this of course builds to a question that I have later this episode what is this team really how far off is it from you know the truly elite squads like I suppose Edmonton Florida some of these uh cup aspirants are the Jets really that far off is there a way for them to maybe compensate for what they don’t have in other ways compared to those teams we’ll chat about all of that coming up here in a little bit and how the free agent market is already shaping up but before we do did want to give a shout out to our friends and partners at FanDuel the NBA playoffs are counting down and every night delivers highlightw worthy performances major momentum shifts and can’t miss moments whether it’s a game-winning shot or a breakout player there’s never been a better time to get in on the action than right now fanduel makes it easy to stay in the game before tip off and live with player props performance trends and same game parlays hands have more ways than ever to play smart and win big maybe you took a bit of a hit in the last game with the Pacers dropping a tough one to OKC but perhaps you’re thinking that the Pacers are not down and out yet and that they can claw back in the series if you’re feeling bold this is the chance to cash in big time obviously you know you are looking at a rough situation for the Pacers but Indiana has shown that they can come back from some pretty tough odds and so if you’re new to FanDuel this is an even better chance to cash in on a potentially big and lucrative bet head to FanDuel.com and place your first $5 bet and if it wins you’ll get $200 in bonus bets make every moment more with FanDuel official sports betting partner of the NBA hey friends and welcome back to this episode of Locked On Winnipeg Jets part of the Locked On Network your team every day every day thank you so much for rejoining us on tonight’s show as we are chatting about you know some of the free agents I mentioned earlier obviously things are kind of kicking off and this is going to be a very interesting summer for a lot of teams none more so interesting than the Jets um and Winnipeg is going to have to be very active in fact there is a very real chance that we see a lot of business being taken care of uh one of the biggest pieces of course is Eers that one i tend to feel we are not going to know uh how this resolves for at least another month or so unless Nick signs basically right out of the gates he’s already decided on a team that’s maybe not the Jets and does his uh contract immediately not sure we’re there yet um I have a feeling that July 1st will roll around he’ll field some offers and kind of make his decision then so we’ll just have to sit tight but elsewhere teams are already trying to head off the market you know make their own signings the most controversial one of course was the Oilers signing uh Trent Frederick for eight years at a little under 4 mil and he comes with a a no movement clause a modified one obviously this for me just feels like the Oilers trying to uh turn a trade that didn’t quite work out for them at the deadline into something a little more sustainable now Frederick’s a good player don’t get me wrong and I think in a vacuum you look at like three and a half to four million especially with the rising cap but it’s not really a big deal where I take issue with a contract like this is that it reminds me a lot of what the PRs used to do which is signing dudes for forever at cheap cap hits but it’s like another roster spot in a lot of term and when you’re a team that’s got a lot of money already locked up in some big names do you really want to add more inflexibility to your team i just look at that contract structure and I don’t understand it you know I don’t know why you would really go out of your way to do something like this when players of Frederick’s caliber aren’t that hard to find in free agency on the trade market and usually for pretty cheap now again Frederick I think is very solid i think he brings some real forchecking and offensive ability in a very limited capacity kind of a little bit in the vein of like an Adam Lowry you know he’s not a big finisher uh but he does chip in around the net he he drives towards that crease area and he can make some good opportunities and capitalize on some rebounds but you know you’re not really looking at him as being a tremendously major offensive driver and I look at what they already traded away you know when they did the Mloud for Seavoy trade and I’m just like so you you basically brought back Mloud but worse in a lot of ways and so for me I’m just kind of fascinated by this uh I think it does show that you know a lot of teams are going to be trying to uh cut down on some of the uh the cap hits but still have to pay a fair bit um in terms of wages and salary and for the Jets that hopefully means that guys that I think have probably needed to move on for a while now will start to be priced out and head to other greener pastures you know I look at players like Appleton who are kind of in the same vein and like it’s time for the Jets to to try and re you know configure their bottom six i think that their bottom six does a lot of things right but the Jets have to squeeze out offense elsewhere because let’s be real right you know the top six has a lot of of skill but it’s not on the level of a lot of other teams and so the Jets kind of have to do things a little bit differently than some of those other contenders if they really want to keep advancing and getting deeper um and really you know posing a matchup nightmare to really skilled teams so uh this is where I think the Jets need to be very smart don’t mess around with too many free agents i think especially in open season you know you’re not really looking to bring in anyone unless there’s like a good value underrated signing unless one of those pops up though I think the Jets should really be focused more on the trade market uh a deal like Ryan Donado is kind of interesting if you’re looking to take a punt you know obviously the Hawks signed a fairly value friendly one and it’s not like a big salary that’s unmovable if Donado really can’t repeat you know that 25 to 30 goal season which I would anticipate he doesn’t maybe that’s why he decided to get that bag right now you know it’s not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things when you look at some of the top contracts but for a guy who has been like a career bottom six player and had one big shooting percentage spike season it’s a really smart bet you give yourself guaranteed salary for several years it makes perfect sense if you’re Donado and for the Hawks it’s not the worst deal uh punts like that for the Jets you know they can’t really take as much winnipeg has to be a little choosier about who it signs but I will say you know like a a lower cap hit with a shortish term doesn’t always you know uh doesn’t always scare me right sometimes I kind of like this stuff especially if the gamble is on a player who shows really good underlying numbers or in baseball terms like decent peripherals and just needs the opportunity to take advantage and do something good uh if there are free agents like that who pop up pop up this off season and their teams don’t bring them back I would say the Jets should be at least curious and watching closely there’s not going to be many of them and I don’t think I would like Winnipeg to commit a lot of cap and roster space to these kinds of players but you know just monitor the situation as far as what I’m thinking from Winnipeg over the next couple of weeks you know uh obviously Winnipeg’s own RFAS are are needing some business done samberg I really expect to be done um I am also interested longer term in what happens with Connor right he’s got one year left and I would have to think that an extension gets done sometime this summer it just feels like they’re not going to let it get to the last season and him uh you know not have an extension in place i would expect it’s going to be a huge amount of money probably 11 12 plus million million uh it’s going to shatter Winnipeg’s usual wage structure so just buckle up it could be an interesting negotiation and maybe it doesn’t get done this summer um but my feeling is that Winnipeg will want that certainty heading into this coming season to figure out what they need over the next several months what they need this coming summer uh and really trying to map out the next several years of Jets hockey connor is obviously one of our biggest free agents and perhaps even more um well-known and well-considered than maybe an Eers uh I have my own concerns longer term about what his game’s going to be like as he ages but we’ll see right it’s just going to be a lot of money so uh I I anticipate that being a post July 1st thing that could be a real uh Jets market shaker otherwise you know I guess the other contract that I’m still curious about is Valardi he’s hanging out there and I just don’t know what his future with the Jets holds i I I generally feel like he will sign with Winnipeg and I don’t think it’s really him that would be hesitant if anything I kind of wonder how the Jets are feeling about his long-term fit you know he’s got some definite physical limitations uh thanks to some of his injuries and the Jets need real 2C help you know he doesn’t really have that center versatility he’s played there before but it didn’t really go uh super well and you look at his 5v5 performance and there are moments where he can really do some great stuff but on the whole it’s been a little roller coastery and so I’m just curious to know how the Jets approach this right do you want to bank on him being a routine contributor or do you feel like he’s going to be more of a power play specialist when he’s healthy and unfortunately misses a good chunk of the season uh every other year or so it’s going to be an you know a tougher one i do think it’s also going to limit the term and and overall uh uh cat pit for his his upcoming contract i just feel like you know both parties honestly have some incentive not to go long term so curious to know how all of this plays out i will say that for Valardi he he would have more you know incentive to try and lock things up uh in the near term just because you know for him he’s got a little more risk than the Jets do when it comes to his own health so he’ll try and push for I’m sure a big contract but I just don’t see it happening this time around interesting you know if if it doesn’t really work out and the Jets start to get down to the wire does it lead to a trade and I do think that there’s a real possibility that if the Jets are trying to reconfigure how their top nine is built that a Valardi trade would be a big step towards doing that not saying that’s the route I would want to go immediately and I would say uh I I’d really want to be patient and see what his camp is asking for and try and figure it out first before you go to you know go that route but if they can’t really you know meet in the middle and they don’t have uh a clear contract structure that everyone can agree to then maybe the trade market makes more sense and so this is going to be a fascinating next few weeks and months for the Jets i’m both a little nervous and also excited you know I think that this is a real chance for the Jets to do a lot of business and especially with what happened in March u this past trade deadline you know I think that there’s real pressure from the front office you saw probably a couple weeks ago the letter that Chipman sent out that to me felt like a real statement of intent that the Jets are going to have more pressure on them internally to make things happen whether those things are good or bad that kind of remains to be seen but something is going to be in the water i think Chevy’s going to be really aggressive especially since he didn’t get his targets last time he’s got to make something happen this summer and he has a lot of gaps to fill so this will be a big summer of change and amidst all of this I think one of the biggest questions people have kind of had to grapple with is how far off from like the top contenders are the Jets i don’t think it’s an easy question and I don’t know that I love the answer but we’ll dive into all of the uh all of the evidence and try and figure out where the Jets sit here coming right up hey friends and welcome back to this episode of Locked on Winnipeg Jets part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day every day thank you so much for rejoining us on these closing thoughts as we’re chatting a little bit about where the Jets are competitively speaking when you look at some of the top contenders out there and where the Jets themselves rank and I would say right off the bat you know the Jets are one of the most interestingly built teams out there there aren’t many squads that are built from the goal out most teams are built top to bottom and the Jets are kind of the opposite in a lot of ways uh they are are very much starting with Connor Hellabuk and a strong defensive structure and then you know they kind of fit a lot of other pieces around that they also have you know for the forwards a couple of very key lines and matchups that they really like and they really build the forward grouping out of that as well and so you know you look at how that kind of contrasts with a lot of teams like say the Panthers where for them it’s really about roster quality in their top nine they have one of the best top nines in the whole league and their defense you wouldn’t say that anyone particular player other than maybe like a Forsling or a couple of other guys is like a superstar right their blue line is made of guys who fit the system and the tactical philosophy of what uh the Panthers do and how they create offense you know even Kulakov has found a a decent role schmidt has had a bit of a career resurgence there none of these guys would probably be thriving in other systems and other teams but in Florida they have a role and they’ve done super well i also think it’s probably worth talking about the fact that a team like the Panthers doesn’t commit a lot of money to some of their bottom line guys they keep swapping them out for underrated and underappreciated players and part of that is because they have a lot of appeal as a free agent destination they can afford to get guys to take pay cuts if it means they can stick around and make a real run at the cup we’re already hearing that Sam Bennett is going to be taking uh a bit of a free agent discount signing for maybe eight years at like seven and a half million that’s what Sarah Voli has suggested and so you know for a lot of reasons they have some unique draws but if you’re the Jets right I think one of the biggest lessons you want to take away from this is flexibility winnipeg doesn’t have the crazy top end talent of a Panthers offensively you know they don’t necessarily have a Barkov uh they don’t have a Reinhardt in the traditional sense i think Connor’s probably the closest at least this year’s Connor past year’s Connor’s uh not not so much but this year’s Connor played at a very elite level in in so many facets offensively and so he’s probably I guess your your closest analog but you know you start getting into the Bennett and the the Chucks and Winnipeg scoring depth really starts to fall off very quickly um now Winnipeg again has to be a team that’s kind of built to win by committee the the Panthers sort of overwhelmed by committee uh Carter Verhy is probably a superstar on that squad that people don’t really look at as a superstar at least they didn’t before um you know the the Four Nations tournament for for kind of meme purposes but he’s also just a stud player he’s like a super skilled attacker and so Winnipeg is going to have to do things a little differently and I say that they’re kind of far off from a team like the Panthers because you know Florida had fantastic draft picks to begin with they’ve basically hit on so many of these peripheral pieces that they’ve added and they’ve taken advantage and really been aggressive using both their marketability and uh the foundation that they already built on to try and reform this core a couple of times the Jets don’t have that same luxury but I do think Winnipeg can approach this in some similar ways you know cycle at your depth and I think the biggest thing for the Jets is to really start to incorporate more of their youth you know Winnipeg when they rolled four lines and had four lines capable of applying zone pressure hemming opponents in and for checking them out the wazoo that was the strongest the Jets ever were and they’ve had seasons where they’ve had moments like that including this year where I think we saw more of it than we’d seen maybe in previous years but they’re still not at the 171 18 level and they may never be in that same way but I think that they can do a lot better than what we’ve seen the past couple of years even you know this president’s trophy year they had a fantastic regular season but we kind of know that in the playoffs they do have a couple of key limitations uh and that’s where I think the Jets are are really trying to hit that next level and where I think this summer really presents the biggest opportunity for the Jets to take a big step forward now if we’re talking in raw numbers about how many pieces they are away we’re probably talking three to four big names which look it’s not happening in one summer it’s just crazy right you’d be really happy if we got two big names um and I think that that’s actually achievable for this team whether they’ll do it I think is a very intriguing question but because of the timing of everything and how many teams are going to be losing good players and maybe even have to take a discount on some of this this feels like a really prime hunting ground i know a lot of you uh will feel at least some of what I occasionally do some skepticism about how aggressive the Jets are going to be but this summer I I just I swear something feels different i I feel like Winnipeg is moving in a different direction and I want to feel optimistic we’ll have to see how they handle like the whole Eers thing if Eers walks and signs elsewhere how they replace him is for me the most interesting situation of all if they bring in and go for a big player like a Peter or something of that nature you know talk about a a transformational deal that could really alter the shape of this franchise going forward i’d be very in favor of something like that and in fact maybe it’s even an improvement in a lot of ways you get younger you add real you know costcontrolled skill a young 23-year-old player who brings tremendous offensive potential stuff like that would be you know an incredible blessing for this Jets team and I think that they could try and make something about you know a a deal like that happen but you know the Jets are going to have to pony up and I hope that they’re willing to do so you know I don’t think that the Jets should have as many sacred cows as they have in the past there are some guys that you don’t want to give up but if the right deal comes along be open to it right consider it think about it and figure out when you really want this core to start clicking uh but you know I I think the Jets can also take advantage of teams like Vegas that need to move some salary and pick up really good stop cap options until maybe some of your own internal prospects really start to hit their stride and can take over those roles eventually you know Bill Carlson uh maybe you look at a Mark Stone there’s all sorts of stuff out there all sorts of possibilities and it’s all going to kick off over these next few weeks so as we run up to the draft we’ll start to talk a little more about how the Jets might approach this coming July 1st and ultimately the draft as well uh this is again really uncharted territory for basically the whole league and especially for the Jets so uh with all of that comes a lot of risk but I’m going to choose to be optimistic about it i think that there’s a lot of opportunity and I hope the Jets see it too curious to know if you feel that they understand the moment and if you feel like they’re going to take advantage of it drop your thoughts and feelings in the comments below or at my social medias a living loco and at l_ipejets for tonight’s episode though that’s going to be all the time that we have i thank you so much for listening and making Lockdown Jets your first listen of the day every day we’ll see you back here uh tomorrow and Friday for even more offseason coverage and hopefully some Jets news we are looking for a big contract extension some hot juicy rumors it’s coming and hopefully it happens as soon as the next couple of days but for tonight’s show that’s all the time that we have i thank you so much for listening we’ll catch you tomorrow and as always have a great night and go Jets go

With the Stanley Cup Finals now over, the real off-season is finally here. What early signings and trades have had hockey media abuzz? Are there big names already on the move, or are teams mostly working to deal with their current expiring assets? Have the Jets made any signings, or are they still negotiating? What have some of the early free agent signings told us about what to expect for the rest of summer? Can Winnipeg take advantage of a big buyer’s market to overhaul this Jets squad into Cup contender shape?

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Gametime

Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

Monarch Money

Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.

Wonderful Pistachios

Get snackin’ and get crackin’ with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!

FanDuel

Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOWinnipegJets?sid=YouTube

Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL

Locked On Jets Twitter: https://twitter.com/LO_WinnipegJets

#WinnipegJets #Jets #NHLHockey
Harrison Lee’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/HLLivingLoco