Rich

Heard an interview on this. These lists are submitted in the summer before the season begins. Who thought we would be in a playoff hunt this year in the off season? While we will never be a prime location for size, geography, or climate, become a regular playoff team and contender and this can change for some players.

I think any discussion for Eberle starts with two of Trouba, Morissey, Ehlers, Petan. Myers. Not that I want to give up that much, but I think that is what Edmonton would be asking for.

I definitely wouldn't give up a 1st for Vermette. I'm not sure Postma by himself would be enough. I would give up a 2nd or a 3rd and a B level prospect (ie. not Ehlers, Armia, Morrisey, Petan, or our goalies and I guess throw Lemieux in there). I wonder if they would have interest in Kosmachuk. It really comes down to market and what other teams bring the bidding up to. Pretty sure Vermette would just be a rental though. Rumours I've heard is he is after $6M per. Not sure if he will get it, but the Jets certainly wouldn't give him that before free agency, so he wouldn't be re-signed before then.

If you could get Vermette for Postma and a 2nd, would you do it?

Heard an interesting discussion that they may be able to put Harrison on the IR retroactively as he was technically hurt. It really depends on if he has since been practicing with the team yet. (I suppose he could have "mysteriously" re-aggravated something).

Saw this tweet from the official Eskimos Twitter account I've asked similar questions before, but I'm always curious about people's thoughts on this. Is it wrong for an official account to tweet out something like this, or is it all in good fun and just adding to rivalries and future games?

http://www.tsn.ca/patent-troll-takes-nhl-to-court-1.209444 I'm all for protecting intellectual property, but these non practicing entities that hold these patents with no intent to ever bring them market, but make their money by suing people who actually create something are a little ridiculous. I'm not even sure how you can patent something as generic as that article describes.

Hoping if he does it is because we are blowing people out and he comes in the 4th for mop up duty. The alternative is either we are getting blown out, Willy is hurt, or Willy isn't playing well.

Speaking of Buff, if you haven't seen this yet, check out this Hutchinson interview after last game. Pretty funny stuff. http://jetsnation.ca/2015/2/15/dustin-byfuglien-video-bombs-mike-hutchinson-interview

Would have considered him last year when we didn't have a clear cut starter. Would have to think hard about it this year. Seen too much of the injured QB with Pierce in the last few years. Of course everything depends on price and salary. I wouldn't trade for him from Calgary. If he was a FA, for the right price, he would be an interesting backup with experience to Willy.

Do you really think he signed Burris to spite the Bombers or he signed Burris to make his team better? Why would he hold a personal grudge against the Bombers?

Hutchinson starting tonight. Surprising to deviate from the rotation against Edmonton. Another chance for Hutch to claim the starters job?

So this means that Jokinen will miss the playoffs .... again.

Myers is a way better skater then I ever expected for someone with his size. Very smooth.

No, that is absolutely not enough for Eberle. Ask anyone on this board who is not a Winnipeg Jet or Edmonton Oiler fan so would be more impartial to the players, and that trade would be laughed at. A bottom 6 D on the downside of his career, an expiring UFA, rights to a player who may or may not sign and who knows for what, and another throw in 5 - 6 D man at best, reserve D man right now for the Jets and a 1st rounder for what is potentially a franchise player at best, a top line player at worst who is signed to $6M / year with a lot of term.

You can't compare contracts that were signed 3 - 5 years ago to market value today. You will be hard pressed to sign any player if you do that. A lot of those players would be making a whole lot more if they were signed today. That is the trade off of long term deals. The downside for the club is if the player under performs, contracts are guaranteed. What you have to be careful of is the money you spend on Frolik now will dictate the money that Little, Ladd, Buff etc will want when their contracts are due. In my opinion you also over value what players like Postma and Burmi are worth right now. No one will give up a top six with term for a bag of pucks, unsigned players with no cost certainty, and expiring contracts. Even with a draft pick thrown in.

Myers cap hit is $5.5M per year for the length of his contact (expiring after 2018/2019). But his actual salary is $5M this year, $5M next year then $4M, then $3.5M, then $3M Bogosian's cap hit is $5.13M per year for the length of his contract. But his actual salary is $4M this year, then $5.25M, then $5.25M, then $5.5M, then $6M (I think he has one more year after that, but nhlnumbers.com doesn't show it) So for a non-cap team like the Jets, this is a fantastic deal as they budget based on actual dollars paid out and Myers contract will allow them to come up closer to the cap.

I agreed with not trading for rentals or players who were going to walk for the first couple of years the Jets were here. But the cupboards were bare and we had no prospects / assets or depth.. But right now, the Jets are flush with prospects. The NHL has a 50 contract limit that each team must abide by. This included contracts in the pros and minors (I believe junior players who have signed as well). I haven't done the math on where the Jets are right now, but with the prospects we have coming up in the next couple of years, this is going to have to be watched and managed. With the recent Buffalo trade, many experts are saying the Jets are right up there with the best prospects in the league. Lets be honest, if we trade Frolik it is going to be for prospects or draft picks because he is a UFA after this year. How many prospects do we really need? We can't keep them all, how do we decide which ones we are going to keep. Bottom line is, you can't take the last step before you take the first. The Jets aren't going to be contenders until they are able to make the playoffs and experience what it takes to win once they get in there. The longer we delay that, the longer we delay them being contenders. Trading Frolik sends the wrong message to this team. They have worked their asses off this year, have taken the punishment on their bodies that their style of play demands of them. And to have the GM trade one of the important pieces of the team THIS year, tells those players that what they've sacrificed is for nothing. And they won't be sacrificing next year. And when their contracts come due, they won't re-sign here. They will go to an organization that wants to win. We can argue this back and forth, but at the end of the day I can guarantee Chevy isn't going to be trading Frolik as long as we are in the playoff hunt unless it is for a trade to strengthen that playoff push.

Phillips rated as a 6 D.

Kasdorf was traded to Buffalo. Winnipeg kid who was a late draft pick. With our other goalie prospects coming up, Kasdorf really had no shot here, and juries out on what he becomes in his career. Hockey's Future rates him as a 7 D. The 7 means they rate his potential (ceiling) as a journeyman #1 Goalie. The D is the likelihood of him hitting that potential. So, not very high. For comparison (Other Jets goalies / prospects), Eric Comrie - 7.5 D Hellebuyck - 7.5 D Hutchinson - 7.0 D Pavelec - Was an 8 A

Found this to be a very interesting read in dissecting the difference in Pavelec’s and Hutchinson’s games right now with the Jets, and how the rotation they are currently using allows Flaherty to work with both goalies, but more specifically adding a more technical approach to Pavelec’s game where he has mostly only relied on his athleticism in the past. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=752985&navid=nhl:topheads&cmpid=nhl-twt The more you learn about how this organization was run in Atlanta makes you appreciate what True North and Chevy are building here.

What did you have to change to make it happen in game?

In my eyes, +/- is really more of a team stat, and Buffalo is a horrible team right now. I wouldn’t worry too much about his numbers in Buffalo. I was reading some fan comments from one of Buffalo’s papers last night on the trade, and the consensus there seems to be that Myers & Stafford are soft & overpaid and they are glad to be getting rid of them. They seem to think Myers is going to get eaten alive going to the West and happy to be getting a couple of hardnosed, physical, Western players. Which I got a bit of a chuckle at because it wasn’t that long ago that the Jets were a “soft” Eastern team that everyone thought was going to get eaten alive in the West, including Bogo and Kane. It took Maurice and his staff half a season and an off season to focus the Jets into the team they are now. Look at what they’ve done to Byfuglien’s game. Hopefully they can work the same magic with Myers. I think it is great when both fan bases like the deal they got in a trade. Buffalo got the better “now” pieces (even if we re-sign Stafford). But we got rid of a problem/distraction in the dressing room. Also, apparently there were rumblings that Lemieux wasn’t going to sign in Buffalo, so they are happy to be rid of a prospect who didn’t want to be there, just like we are happy to be rid of Kane. Won’t know the full ramifications of this trade for a number of years when we see what the prospects turn into and what Kane is able to do in Buffalo (does he continue on the path he is on now or does he mature). But for now, both fan bases seem to be happy, and that is a win / win.