How Will The Winnipeg Jets Make The MOST Of Their New 3-Year Competitive Window?
With the Samberg contract now completed, the Winnipeg Jets have essentially set their next window to three years. Is it a real window? What do the Jets need to do to make it competitive? Let’s chat about that on tonight’s episode of Locked On Winnipeg Jets. Your Locked On Jets, your daily podcast on the Winnipeg Jets, part of the Locked On podcast 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. I’m your host Ter Lee, an avid Winnipeg Jets fan and an online blogger. You can follow me on Twitter at age living loco and at l Winnipeg Jets. Thanks for making 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 podcasts and platforms and YouTube. Doing so, of course, is always free of charge and ensures you never miss another episode. Most of all, though, we just love and appreciate your support. Tonight’s episode, obviously, we are chatting a little bit about the ramifications now of the Samberg deal being done. Uh, we were talking a little bit about it yesterday. You heard my thoughts. Um, personally, for my taste, I think the the the term doesn’t really feel ideal. It’s not the like the worst case scenario. It’s a lot better than that, but I think for the longer term Jets future, it just doesn’t really feel like Winnipeg uh quite knows which direction it wants to go. But basically, they’ve now kind of set their own window being this season until uh 2728 when a lot of contracts come up for expiration and renewals. So, uh the Jets have a very complicated picture ahead and I don’t know how they’re going to quite navigate this if their goal is to win the cup. I think it’s going to be a very uh curious next two seasons and this core is definitely on the wrong side of 30. So, how do you make this a real contender? Want to chat about that and really talk about what happens, you know, at the end of this competitive window because I think that question is even more interesting with a lot of the rookies and prospects that are going to start filtering in over the next few years. Before we dive into all of this though, did want to let you know that today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. download the GameStop app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. So, Samberg, right, that deal obviously uh in terms of the contract itself, um gives the Jets a little bit of extra cap space. I would have personally been in favor of cost certainty and locking it down at seven uhish million for the next six or seven years. Uh for Samberg’s camp, he has two ways that he could have gone about this. Now, his own comments in an interview earlier today um with the legal curve did kind of make it seem like he wanted to sign for term and really for the long term. Uh he seemed a little bit disappointed that it didn’t get done. And so, you know, I I don’t quite know that that’s really um the happiest reaction to have and it certainly makes me feel like Winnipeg maybe missed out on an opportunity here, but at the end of the day, the Jets now have them for three more years. And so, it becomes really imperative that Winnipeg does something in this three-year period. If they really feel like this is their core to get the cup win, then they kind of have to start improving the team. And there’s really not a lot of time to wait. Now, this season I kind of view as a transition year. Um, I I’ve already sort of felt like the Jets are not allin just yet. Now, if they make a big trade, that really changes the complexion of the season and probably the the future outlook of the team for the next few years, but so far we’re not really hearing anything about that. Mason McTavish, who’s probably one of the biggest pieces the Jets could acquire right now. Uh that’s publicly been listed for uh you know a potential trade or even an offer sheet. He hasn’t been linked to the Jets at all. Winnipeg in fact has been pretty radio silent in terms of any other acquisitions. They’ve had their free agent signings. Most of them don’t really move the needle. And and so you’re looking really at a team that a lot of people have said is very similar to the one from last year and it’s just not. I think people might be overestimating just how much of this team um is the same from last year. And especially with, you know, the potential uh reality of Lowry being, you know, uh early 30s coming off of a hip surgery, we don’t really want to lean too much on him being the same player that he was before he got a surgery. So, you know, I’m not banking on that. You know, we don’t know what Taves is going to be like. And so, this team has a lot of big question marks coming into the season, which makes it really weird that, you know, you now have a three-year window that you’ve got Samberg and JO for, uh, until eventually those both need uh, extensions of some sort. And for the Jets, you kind of need to figure out a who you’re replacing Eers with, and b really what your twoC situation is. Uh, look, look, I I love Lowry and Taves and some of these other guys. Um, but I I don’t think that any of them in an ideal world are your 2C. Now, Lowry, I think, could do the job relatively well, and I think there’s a case to be made that he should be given that opportunity if he’s healthy enough for it. But I I don’t think if you look at other teams out there, especially some of the top championship contenders, that, you know, Lowry would necessarily be the 2C. I think he would be a great threeC behind like a really uh high octane offense 2C because I think the Jets overall just need more 5v5 offense creators. Um they have lots of guys who do a lot of the forchecking work. They have players who can really uh uh win battles in the corner and stuff, but they don’t really have a lot of elite 5v5 creators. And I know that people will say, “Well, what about last season, right? You know, the offense did really well and the team had a really big season. They won the President’s Trophy, right? How could they not have a strong 5v5 offense and I think it’s because the Jets are built currently off of a tight defensive structure, strong goalending and an elite power play. A lot of that, I think, has actually gotten the Jets a lot further than it would many other teams because that really good goalender just happens to be the best in the league and his backup ain’t too shabby either. Uh, and you know that that elite defensive structure really locks it down for the Jets. And so Winnipeg has to find a way to add and build onto that. But with Eers’s gone, you already need a a fast skater on the wings to help transition. And like Lambert could do it maybe. Uh, I I don’t know that I’m really looking at him just yet for that. Maybe in a year or two, but I feel like I’m not expecting him to just light it up in camp this year. I could be wrong and I would really love to be wrong about this, but I I don’t know that he’s going to have that sort of performance that makes him a cannot miss for the upcoming season. So, you probably still need an upgrade there and you’ve got to figure out the center position, right? Uh, you know, you have Taves and I don’t really think that that’s the most ideal situation. Neznikov’s really not a 2C. uh you’ve got Baron Gustoson and a few others, but outside of Gus, maybe I don’t really know that anyone there has a lot of upside to handle the 2C role. And even with Gus, you know, I don’t really know that that would be um the ideal situation for the Jets to to lean on. And so at some point, Winnipeg is going to have to really start spending some assets. They’ve got a pretty decent pool of futures. They’ve got their picks and stuff for next year. Maybe it’s time to leverage it. you know, go swinging for a big fish. If you really feel like this three-year window is your window, then you got to do something with it, right? Hellabuk and Shley aren’t getting any younger and this team in general is not getting younger. The the Jets are probably about to resign Connor for, you know, 12 plus million dollars. What are we waiting for then, right? You you need to figure out how to weaponize the cap space that you’ll have remaining to make something happen. this team is, you know, in my mind, I think the the cup window was probably this past year, and I’m not sure that it’s going to be um as uh open as I hope it is for the next couple of seasons. But again, if the Jets really feel like this is the team that they want to to really make a run with and take that swing with, then they are going to have to get aggressive this summer and find upgrades. They cannot go into the season with the roster as is. Uh, I think it would just be asking too much of this team to try and and hold it together uh for a deep playoff run. Do I worry about them missing the playoffs? Not really. Um, I don’t think that that’s going to happen. I would imagine that they’re still somewhere in, you know, the upper half of the Western Conference, but in terms of their playoff ability, I I do think that that’s nec, you know, that is notably not as good as it was this past season. So, uh, the Jets have to find some sort of upgrade. they’ve got, you know, a bit of a clock ticking with this team and I I just don’t know if they see it that way. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of urgency this summer. Um, and as much as I think it would be great if they can repeat last year’s success, I feel like that is relying on a lot of things to happen that just don’t feel super likely. Um, and so with that in mind, I want to talk about this whole waiting on replacements thing because I think the Jets have to figure out what to do with Eers, right? you know, he’s gone and in his wake, you’re going to have to figure out some sort of a winger upgrade on top of the center that you already need. Before we dive into talking about that though, did want to let you know about our friends and partners at Game Time. We’ve all been there, logging on early and waiting forever for concert tickets to go on sale, only to lose your spot for a show you’ve been dying to see. No one likes it, and live music should be about making memories, not dealing with the stress of ticket shopping. That’s where Game Time comes in. Game Time makes getting concert tickets faster and easier than ever. Prices actually drop the closer you get to Showtime, and you can save up to 60% off with their killer last minute deals. I’ve used Game Time buying Ravens playoff tickets. Very convenient. No hidden charges because all prices were upfront. And I actually got a seat view, so I knew what I was paying for, right? I got to see where I was sitting, how the view was, and uh I got to choose from there. It was super convenient, very quick delivery of the tickets. It was fantastic. So, take the guess work out of buying concert and show tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account and use code lock code NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code Loc NHL for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Hey friends, 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 tonight’s show as we are chatting a little bit about uh the Jets kind of needing to take advantage of these next three years because this is kind of their window. Uh I think Winnipeg is uh more or less locked into this group of of three years including this upcoming season with Samberg signed and Morrisy still signed. Um, obviously Shifley and Hlebuck are locked up. Connor’s probably about to be locked up. Winnipeg’s got to do it. You know, if this is not going to be the time, then I don’t really know uh going forward what uh the team’s going to do after that. But for the next couple of seasons, the Jets have to actually swing, right? Uh I I said a lot at the trade deadline that I thought it was a very disastrous TDL. And unfortunately, I do think that actually happened and I think that came to pass. Uh, I you know I I I think Tanib and Shen nice guys, tryh hard, love the game, all that stuff. Uh, leadership and and certainly personality on the ice and off the ice, but in terms of the actual on ice performance, neither really move the needle. And for what the Jets needed to really make a deep playoff run, they didn’t get that get it done. And so, you know, you you can certainly argue about uh the Jets having trouble attracting talent and stuff, but at the end of the day, this is a resultsbased league. And, you know, you excuses only get you so far. At some point, maybe you need to change your your trading focus. Maybe you need to change gears and figure something out because, you know, the Jets are in this position where they have to uh do a lot of different things, right? They’ve got to balance the business side. They’ve got to balance the locker room personalities and they kind of need to keep Heli and Shifley happy which is maybe a little bit of a delicate balance when your team is kind of facing um a not too distant future where it’s going to be time to start talking about maybe a little bit more of the retooling and rebuilding. Uh I know that that’s seemingly a little premature and early, but I promise you that tends to come up a little faster than people realize. uh we we’ve seen in the past how quickly those competitive windows really have vanished for the Jets. And so that’s why I’m really hoping that this time, you know, after we saw what happened post 1718, that the Jets don’t fall into the same hole, right? Winnipeg just had a monster regular season. They had an all right playoff run, but you know, let’s be uh completely transparent. They almost got knocked out in the first round. That happens to a lot of really good teams, but I think what happened to the Jets uh was, you know, partly Hella Buck struggling and also the 5v5 offense kind of being a little bit uh here and there and the power play kind of drying up. So, you know, you can definitely see that the Jets have some gaps to fill. And right now, they’ve got two big ones. They need a big winger and they need a big center. As much as Taves I’m sure would love to hit the ground running at 2C, probably not the the fairest expectation of him. And you know, I don’t really look at Baron and Nestnikov as being guys that I would necessarily ask uh to be, you know, middle six or top six centers to really make up the difference. The Jets need to find somebody who can really drive play and be uh, you know, an offensive catalyst. And they need a winger who can also be, you know, a really high-end attacking player, uh, who can earn Arnneal’s trust and really drive offense out wide as well. You know, drive transition, uh, be a power play force, all this stuff. And I I just don’t know how the Jets can actually do any of this. Um, they have some cap space to work with, but probably not a ton. And, you know, you look at what’s out there on the market, there’s not really many options that I think the Jets can go after. Uh, I think if you’re looking maybe for some underrated options, I keep coming back to players like Thomasino and Novak. Um, as that sort of caliber of guy that I would probably target, maybe some players who have some stats profiles that are a little bit sneaky under the radar, but uh, you know, may not cost you an arm and a leg. Um, and look, it it might not work out. It might be more of a stop gap, but I think it would give you a little more stability uh at least for this upcoming season until you can really figure out a longer term solution. You know, the Jets don’t have a lot of space to work with and they’re probably not going to want to give up a lot of their futures. And so, you know, if that’s the case and they try to um roll with what they have, I think they’re going to find themselves a little disappointed with the outcome when the playoffs roll around. Uh not so much the regular season. I don’t really worry too too too much about that. Um, obviously the Jets are not going to start the season off doing a 15-1 run again, but they’ll still probably be pretty decent. Uh, but the playoffs, you know, if you’re really serious about making that run with this core, you got to improve the roster talent in the top six. It’s just not going to get it done. It hasn’t done so far um, you know, in the postseason. it did better in this playoff run and I think that that gives you a good foundation to work on and add to, but so far we just really haven’t seen the Jets being that aggressive. Um, you know, the free agents that they brought in are mostly depth pieces. Nyquist, lovely guy. Uh, I had a personal soft spot for him several years ago. He’s kind of on the wrong side of the 30 and he’s not going to be your Eer’s replacement. He is definitely a stop gap option. Uh, and I think the Jets have kind of signed him to be that. Uh, you know, a one-year 3.25 mil contract. Doesn’t really scream a guy you are super committed to. So, um, you know, Pearson very similar vein. He’ll probably be a bottom six guy. Uh, Kepka not exactly an offensive, you know, juggernaut himself. And so, I I just I wonder if the Jets are are again kind of not looking at the season as the one that they want to take their swing. Um, but I I don’t know if you really have much of a choice. You have three years to sort this out. You know, your next contracts for Samberg and Moresy are going to necessitate raises. Uh, Morrisy will probably be, you know, a 9 mil plus player. Um, Samberg, I can’t really see going too far beyond 7 mil. I would think seven and a half at the max. um unless he really takes a massive step forward. But I think what we see with him this past year is probably what you’re likely to see with him going forward um in three years. But, you know, again, that’s your your three-year window. You got to take advantage of these contracts while you still have them on the books. Um Perfetti needs a new extension here pretty soon. Uh I don’t know what his next deal is going to look like. At least you’ve got Valardi sorted out, so that takes care of that. You don’t have to worry about Gabe so much. Um, but you know, with KFC’s contract looming, uh, the Jets have some really interesting questions to ask and and really figure out. And so I I just don’t know how much longer they can go with this roster being the way it is. If they’re really serious about pushing for a deep playoff spot this year, I I wonder if they’re maybe not pushing because they want to see what the kids do and they’re not quite ready to push all the chips forward. um with so many gaps in the roster being taken up now by by kind of stop gap options. I don’t really see them um trying to lure a big RFA in, they haven’t been linked to anyone so far. And so it it kind of feels like they’re just going to wait a little bit to see who gets shaken loose and uh it becomes available early. And maybe that’s when the Jets will take their shot. And I think it would also probably depend on what happens with the team um as they they roll around American Thanksgiving. Are they in a firm playoff spot? Are they really struggling to make the postseason picture? You know, how committed and how firm are they uh locked into that playoff race? If they’re not really in it, the Jets may kind of take this season off and look to sell some of these guys uh rather than really, you know, going forward and throwing everything at this team. But, um, you know, I I do wonder how Hellbuck and Shiffley are are looking at all of this. They signed to win now. you know, they they want to win a cup. And so, a year where they have to really swallow a bad team or not necessarily a bad team, but one that they don’t feel is necessarily doing everything it can to win that championship uh title, you know, do they start to lose patience with that? And I I just don’t know. We’ve seen Shley in the past when he didn’t agree with the direction of the team. He was not the same player. You could tell in conferences when he was on the ice, he did not look engaged at all. Hellob never really have a question with him. Uh he just puts out uh pretty much every game. But Shifley, you could definitely see a difference when he was not happy with Maurice and the team. So um with that in mind, you know, I do hope that this this coming uh season the Jets really do try and bring in some big talent. You know, if you’re not going to have a big draft pick that’s going to be the franchise mover, you’ve got to find other ways to bring in that talent. Uh, I feel like I say it a lot and you know, so far the Jets have generally been a little bit on the quiet side, but this is where you you got to try and figure something out. I still think there are players out there that might be worth investigating. Uh, Chinov is a very interesting one. He might be willing to come to Winnipeg in a change of scenery. You know, he’d be joining a fellow Russian in Chipperov. Um, and Chinoikov has some interesting underlying stats that might make him a really good value trade uh, if the price is right for both parties. So, you know, look around, right? You know, there’s there’s not going to be the immediate solution, I don’t think. But there are players that you might want to take a swing on if you think that, you know, the future of the league is pushing to an area where you can attract those free agents. The Jets got to get creative. They’ve got to do some things a little bit differently than everyone else. And, you know, I think that that’s going to be how they try to uh really restrengthen and retool kind of on the fly because this three-year window has to be if you know, if they are committed to this core, this has to be when they take their swing. So, hopefully they do. Um, you know, I I don’t know uh if it’s going to lead to a deep playoff run, but you got to at least try, right? This is your window. Uh you have said you are committed to winning a cup, so it’s time to act like it. And if they do, I think they could put together a pretty dang good team. But curious to know your thoughts on that. Do you think the Jets are super committed to this window? Do you even think that they seed the next three years as their window? Drop your thoughts in the comments below or at my social medias at age of living loco and at l winnipeg jets. Now that we’ve sort of talked about three-ear window, I want to talk a little bit about what comes after because I think that question for Jets fans might be really intriguing, even if it is a little bit scary to consider. Hey friends and welcome back to this episode of Locked On Winnipeg Jets, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Everydayers, thank you so much for rejoining us in tonight’s show as uh we are just sort of wrapping up with thoughts on what happens at the end of Winnipeg’s current uh competitive core window. Now, it’s not that close. Uh I think we’re probably looking at two to three years, but you know that’s going to fly by relatively speaking, right? Uh it’s easy to think, you know, it’s not really imminent, but it’s going to be here sooner than I I’d really like. Uh we are kind of in many ways approaching um the end of the best years of a lot of the current players on the team. And so the Jets might be thinking that in a couple of years at the end of Samberg and Morrisy’s deals, maybe it’s time to reset a bit. You know, I don’t know that Hellbuck is really going to have much of a decline. I think he’ll still be good, you know, later into his career. Shley, I think, will still probably be pretty solid. Uh but, you know, a lot of other guys, we we don’t really have a clear picture. We don’t even know what Morsy and Samber are going to be like in a few years. So, um, the Jets kind of might be preparing for that sort of turnover. Uh, and I think if that’s the case, you know, it might be time to to really start thinking about the future of the team because you don’t want to end up in a position where you’re the Islanders, right? And if the Jets can’t quite get it done with this group uh, over the next couple of seasons, maybe you start to work on um, changing out some parts and looking at a different future for the team. Uh, I think Winnipeg has gotten very far in a lot of areas, but in terms of that playoff hurdle, that has still been uh, one of the toughest for them to really surmount. And the only way that I really feel like you can uh, bridge that gap and and really get better is with big draft picks. And yes, we are kind of talking more about a rebuild. And I know that there’s zero appetite to think about it right now. Uh, I’m personally not really thinking about it too too much. Uh that’s a very much a tomorrow problem for me. Um but you know, I I think it’s going to be coming sooner than uh a lot of us are probably hoping for. And so with that in mind, you know, the Jets kind of need to start laying the the foundations and groundwork. And I think this current group of prospects that’s kind of on the verge of the pros is where I really want to see the Jets focus. It’s why I was really happy that they had a really big um uh investment into the Moose. I think that’s really smart. You want to get your kids in a successful environment early. Show them that the Jets are serious about winning at multiple levels. Make it a very positive environment. Uh show a good professional development track and get them ready for the NHL. Now, you know, the AHL is not really a development league, but it can still teach a lot of the young kids some prohabits, getting used to um something closer to the pace of the game than they’re used to, uh the physicality and intensity and the atmosphere and environment. You know, this is going to be their first taste of real pro hockey, uh either this or the ECO. And so, if you can really get the Moose into good straits, I think it’s going to set the whole franchise up for better success over time. Um really just you know not being a negative crappy team the whole time uh like we saw this past year with the Moose I think would be you know a big confidence booster. Uh so you know work on figuring out how to make this pipeline really serve the Jets. you get these kids in, uh, some may have to be swapped to bring in pieces, but others can become real contributors to this team and internally improve the jet so that when you are finally ready to take your big swing, you can actually go after stuff that’s luxury, right? You’ve already got a lot of pieces in place in your depth positions. You don’t have to worry about acquiring that. You can collect the rest of your assets and turn it into something really special that puts you over the top. And so, you know, these next few years, I’m looking at the transition. I’m looking at how the Jets are going to be bringing the youth in and how much they rely on these ELC’s. I think that can be a really big strengthening thing for the Jets. I think Winnipeg has some really interesting talent for their middle and bottom six. And how they kind of incorporate that uh really can set this team up for a much better transition as the current core starts to age out and they get ready to turn it over to the next generation. Um, you know, I don’t think we have in the system uh those top top end talents that are ready to step in necessarily, but maybe in the future, in a few years, if the Jets start to slow down and maybe the seasons start to decline a bit, you start getting some of those bigger picks, you start to see some, you know, larger prospects and returns and you get ready to set up for that future core. Uh again, it’s it’s not close, but you know, as I was looking at spot track, it really sort of stuck out to me uh where the Jets ages are, where this franchise is, and you know, I started really thinking about the future of the team, and that it’s probably coming faster than uh you know, I I originally expected. So, you know, I don’t want to fear it because I don’t I I think, you know, this is probably a positive thing in the end for the Jets. Um, I think in a lot of ways, you know, evolving this franchise and really getting ready to take that next step uh of of competitive building would be a good thing for the Jets. We’ve seen some fantastic years um and a couple of really big playoff pushes over the last couple of seasons and now it’s time to take all those lessons learned and start building for uh an even brighter future. But curious to know if you think Winnipeg is going to be doing that soon. Uh, I think probably at the end of this, you know, three-year window is when we’ll start to see Winnipeg have those conversations and considerations. I do think it’s going to need some very hard decisions, but I hope that the Jets are willing to make them and that they are prepared to. But curious to know your thoughts on all that. Drop them in the comments below or at my social medias at Helvlo Loco and at Winnipeg Jets. For tonight’s episode though, that’s going to be all the time that we have. Thanks for listening. Have a great night and as always, go Jets. Go.
The Dylan Samberg extension has unofficially set a 3-year window for the Winnipeg Jets to swing big. Can the Jets find replacements for Ehlers and the 2C hole the team still has? Is Winnipeg planning to use the upcoming season as a transition year, or are they just waiting for a gem to shake loose to strike early in the season? How long can Winnipeg afford to wait for a new winger and centre? Are there any internal prospects that might make the search easier? Will the Jets be prepared for the post-window reset, and what might that look like for a team that has traditionally resisted rebuilds?
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.
FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in Bonus Bets if your first $5 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