Sorting Out Jets 2012 Unrestricted Free Agents

Jets UFA's such as Tim Stapleton are up for debate on whether to return or not.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Who should stay and who should go?

NHL free agency is a trying to time for any club that can give an NHL General Manager enough stress to see a few more grey hairs appear year after year.

Hopefully, in the case of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, his mane of brown hair still stays relatively the same, but he does have some rather large contracts to fill out before any Jets step onto the ice at the MTS Iceplex for training camp next September - and even if there is hockey next September.

But, as a relative optimist, let's just continue as if the hockey world intends to keep on spinning through to the 2012-13 season without anything as much as a hiccup.

Let's review the list of upcoming UFA's (unrestricted free agents) and RFA's (restricted free agents) that are on the Jets list this summer.

Available UFAs: Chris Mason (G), Peter Mannino (G), Mark Flood (D), Randy Jones (D), Derek Meech (D), Andrei Zubarev (D), Tanner Glass (F), Jason Jaffray (F), Kenndal McArdle (F), Jim Slater (F), Tim Stapleton (F), Kyle Wellwood (F)

First and foremost in this list has to be two of the three cogs in the very popular GST line - namely Tanner Glass and Jim Slater.

Both players made a huge name for themselves for their hard working attitude and both were rewarded for their hard play each by having career seasons.

Slater was the Jets #1 faceoff man in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Slater had career highs in points (21) and goals (13) while playing a career high 78 games centering the Jets fourth line (albeit used as a third line most nights).

He was also the Jets top faceoff man, finishing 20th in the NHL in faceoff winning percentage (55.0%), while also taking the majority of the Jets faceoffs while on the penalty kill (231) and being the only Jets centre to win more faceoffs than he lost.

Going forward, Slater's faceoff prowess is something the Jets desperately need.

For Glass, he finished with career highs in points (16) and goals (5) while also playing a career high 78 games after he came over via free agency fresh off a Game 7 loss with the Vancouver Canucks.

Gritty and hard working, Glass adds bite to the Jets lineup.
(Photo courtesy winnipegjets.com)

Glass' experience is invaluable and his lunch pail, hard work attitude did not go unnoticed as he far and away led the Jets in hits with 246 (48 more than Mark Stuart), finishing 10th in the league in that category.

For the 6'1, 210 lb forward form Regina, the rugged winger's style complemented the GST line so well that they were rarely ever separated throughout the season.

Jets fans can little forget when he played through a variety of small and big bumps and bruises during the season.  Glass became a fan favourite in Winnipeg very quickly - epitomizing what it is to be a Jet.

Scrolling down the list, certain support players raise interesting debates about the status of the team currently and whether all these players will return.

First off, Kyle Wellwood, who set a career high in points (47) and tied his career high in goals (18) while playing in 77 games and ending the season as a +3.

Wellwood had a career high 47 points in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Wellwood was a late addition to the Jets roster, but as the season wore on, he became a valuable member of the Jets second line, frequently playing alongside 30 goal scorer Evander Kane.

Not exactly a savvy veteran yet, his patience with the puck was a blessing and a curse at times, but his 47 points were good enough to place him in the top five in Jets scoring.

His output from the last year cannot be ignored and the Jets will need to reward Wellwood for a good season.

Tim Stapleton is in a similar situation.

Another former Toronto Maple Leaf system product at one time, he set career highs in goals (11), assists (16), and points (27), while playing a career high 63 games.

To add further to his repertoire this season, Stapleton, at times, quarterbacked the second power play unit, despite his 5'9, 180 lb stature.

For many hockey fans unknown to Stapleton, there is the argument that he was never given a chance and that he would not fit into any other lineup in the NHL because of a) his size and b) his skill set.

For the Jets, however, his size and skill set were nothing to be worried about.  Up front, the Jets are one of the bigger teams in the league and are able to adapt to his size, which is the least of anyone's worries.

As for his skill set, Jets fans should be happy that Stapleton is a Jet, for he possesses a similar skill set to Wellwood - a sometimes deceiving playmaker, but one who will shoot more and has a very quick shot.

If the Jets can overlook his size and focus on his skill set, he should be a Jet again.

For Jason Jaffray, the road to the NHL got easier when the Jets returned and fans in Winnipeg were more than happy to see him skate on MTS Centre ice with an NHL jersey on rather than an AHL jersey on.

About to turn 31 on June 30, Jaffray enjoyed a great bounceback season after only playing six regular season games and 14 playoff games with the Moose last season due to injury

Jaffray, who began the season as captain of the newly minted St. John's Ice Caps (his old team renamed), Jaffray was called up due to injuries and appeared in 13 games for the Jets, netting one assist and seven penalty minutes in the process.

In 47 regular season AHL games, Jaffray collected 17 goals and 21 assists but his season was cut short as he as sidelined with a neck injury and missed the Ice Caps run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

How he recovers from injury will likely tell if the Jets want to sign him or not.

Mason became Pavelec's mentor full-time in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

On the other hand, Chris Mason is a no brainer to resign.

Mason, the elder statesman on the Jets at 36, was 8-7-1 with a 2.59 goals against average and a .898 save percentage in 25 games this season as the Jets backup to now the undisputed number on Ondrej Pavelec.

His experience as starter with two other franchises will help him to mentor Pavelec further.

As for Randy Jones and Mark Flood, both were used sparingly this season, mostly whenever the Jets needed them with the absence of the top four defensemen.

Jones, who came to the Jets after spending his last three seasons with three different teams, played in 39 games, notching one goal and an assist with a +4 rating.

Relied more on for his defensive ability, Jones could be on his way out with the defensive depth the Jets have both on the big club and down in the AHL with youngsters Paul Postma and Zach Redmond on the rise.

Flood played a career high 33 games in 2011-12.
(Photo courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

The stock of Mark Flood's season will determine which of the two they keep, if they are willing to keep both Jones and Flood.

Flood, another ex-Moose the Jets signed, played in a career high 33 NHL games, collecting three goals and four assists along with a -1 rating and was a pleasant surprise, to say the least, in the Jets defensive corps.

Not expected to be much more than the top defenseman with the AHL Ice Caps, the Jets opted to use him alot during the season when they needed to and he delivered more than expected.

During the season, the Jets chose to keep Flood up with the parent club despite already having seven defensemen up and having picked up Grant Clitsome via trade.

For the Jets, having Flood as an UFA is a puzzling question to answer.  Will the Jets re-sign the 27 year old defensemen?  Or have another team give him a full time opportunity?

Flood may be the most interesting UFA of the group.

Rounding out the list of UFAs are a group of four players who are fringe players, at best, but have had their time with the Jets, save one.

First off, Peter Mannino played at all three professional levels this season - NHL, AHL, and ECHL.  The rise of rookie goalie Edward Pasquale as well as the arrival of ex-Avalanche/Canadiens goalie David Aebischer saw Mannino's prominence as number one goalie drop significantly.

Despite this, Mannino was called up to the big club during the season and played a scoreless third period of hockey, making four saves.

Mannino was not getting enough playing time in the AHL that he had a brief 22 game stint with the Chicago Express of the ECHL (going 10-8-4, 3.15 goals against, .899 save percentage) before being loaned to the Portland Pirates of the AHL for 15 games (going 8-6-1, 3.44 goals against, .895 save percentage).

With the rise of Pasquale - who went 23-12-1, 2.41 goals against, .911 save percentage - and the stability of Aebischer - who went 15-12-2, 2.86 goals against, .895 save percentage - the writing may be on the wall for Mannino if the Jets decide to re-up Aebischer as a farm goalie again.

Second off, Kenndal McArdle - who was also loaned to the Portland Pirates near season's end - had his time with the Jets, albeit short and sweet and not overly productive.

McArdle appeared in nine games for the Jets, registering no points, four penalty minutes, and a minus three rating.

In 35 games with the Ice Caps, McArdle registered only 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and was promptly loaned to Portland where he finished his season with six points in 19 games.

In retrospect, the deal last summer sending Angelo Esposito for McArdle was a bust.  McArdle was thrown around from situation to situation and sat out much of his time in Winnipeg, but his production was not what the Jets perhaps had in mind.

Third off, Derek Meech is an interesting prospect.

Having not played a full season with injury limiting any time he could have had cementing himself in a Jets uniform, Meech played only two games in Winnipeg and six games in St. John's before injuring his knee again.

Meech, however, did return for the Calder Cup Playoffs, as he was a large piece of the Ice Caps long run, collecting nine points (four goals, five assists) in 15 games.

The Jets will want to give Meech another fair chance to show why the Red Wings had him play 41 and 49 games respectively with them from 2008-2010.

Lastly, Andrei Zubarev played one game two years ago for the Thrashers (the last game of the season) after a semi-par season in the AHL (13 points in 51 games).

He jumped back to the KHL and should not expected to be part of the Jets plans moving forward.

Jets All Out 2011-12 Point Prediction Recap: Forwards

As did back in early October, I made out a list of point projections for the 2011-12 campaign based on the players past experiences, point productions, and the change of scenery coming from not-so-crazy-about-hockey Atlanta to hockey mad Winnipeg.

First were the forwards, followed by the defensemen and goaltenders. In analysis of the projections are the initial predicitions (marked in italics) and the actual end of season stats (marked in bold) and then the difference in each category (if player has more than projected, it is marked as a +).

Let's see how I did..

#26 Blake Wheeler [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 80 GP, 23 G, 30 A, 55 PTS, 56 PIMs, +11
2011-12 Actual Stats: 80 GP, 17 G, 47 A, 64 PTS, 55 PIMs, +3
Difference: Goals (-6), Assists (+17), Points (+9), PIMs (-1), +/- (-8)


#9 Evander Kane [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 79 GP, 26 G, 33 A, 59 PTS, 70 PIMs, +7
2011-12 Actual Stats: 74 GP, 30 G, 27 A, 57 PTS, 53 PIMs, +11
Difference: Goals (+4), Assists (-6), Points (-2), PIMs (-17), +/- (+4)


#16 Andrew Ladd [Left Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 81 GP, 31 G, 29 A, 60 PTS, 44 PIMs, +4
2011-12 Actual Stats: 82 GP, 28 G, 22 A, 50 PTS, 64 PIMs, -8
Difference: Goals (-3), Assists (-7), Points (-10), PIMs (+20), +/- (-12)


#13 Kyle Wellwood [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 68 GP, 10 G, 20 A, 30 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2
2011-12 Actual Stats: 77 GP, 18 G, 29 A, 47 PTS, 4 PIMs, +3
Difference: Goals (+8), Assists (+9), Points (+17), PIMs (-6), +/- (+5)


#18 Bryan Little [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 80 GP, 27 G, 35 A, 62 PTS, 40 PIMs, +15
2011-12 Actual Stats: 74 GP, 24 G, 22 A, 46 PTS, 26 PIMs, -11
Difference: Goals (-3), Assists (-13), Points (-16), PIMs (-14), +/- (-26)


#80 Nik Antropov [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 74 GP, 19 G, 31 A, 50 PTS, 50 PIMs, +2
2011-12 Actual Stats: 69 GP, 15 G, 20 A, 35 PTS, 42 PIMs, 0
Difference: Goals (-4), Assists (-11), Points (-15), PIMs (-8), +/- (-2)


#8 Alex Burmistrov [Centre/Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 77 GP, 20 G, 21 A, 41 PTS, 28 PIMs, +3
2011-12 Actual Stats: 76 GP, 13 G, 15 A, 28 PTS, 42 PIMs, +4
Difference: Goals (-7), Assists (-6), Points (-13), PIMs (+14), +/- (+1)


#14 Tim Stapleton [Right Wing/Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 60 GP, 9 G, 12 A, 21 PTS, 16 PIMs, -4
2011-12 Actual Stats: 63 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2
Difference: Goals (+2), Assists (+4), Points (+6), PIMs (-6), +/- (+2)


#19 Jim Slater [Centre]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 78 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 PTS, 22 PIMs, +1
2011-12 Actual Stats: 78 GP, 13 G, 8 A, 21 PTS, 42 PIMs, -9
Difference: Goals (+2), Assists (-4), Points (-2), PIMs (+20), +/- (-10)


#15 Tanner Glass [Left Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 78 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS, 92 PIMs, -3
2011-12 Actual Stats: 78 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 PTS, 73 PIMs, -12
Difference: Goals (0), Assists (+3), Points (+3), PIMs (-19), +/- (-9)


#22 Chris Thorburn [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 82 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS, 85 PIMs, -1
2011-12 Actual Stats: 72 GP, 4 G, 7 A, 11 PTS, 83 PIMs, -6
Difference: Goals (-6), Assists (-4), Points (-10), PIMs (-2), +/- (-5)


#17 Eric Fehr [Right Wing]
2011-12 Projected Stats: 40 GP, 11 G, 14 A, 25 PTS, 14 PIMs, +10
2011-12 Actual Stats: 35 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, 12 PIMs, -6
Difference: Goals (-9), Assists (-13), Points (-21), PIMs (-2), +/- (-16)


Throughout the season, I didn't manage to quip back to these projections much but I did see some shortcomings that would eventually make the predictions come up short.

First of all, Eric Fehr's injury plagued season did more than keep him out of the lineup - it kept his point production at a career low - even when he was playing junior hockey. To say that 2011-12 was Fehr's worst season ever would be a good approximation of his play. But to his disadvantage, he was injured when traded from Washington. It is unclear whether the Jets will risk taking him on again if he can begin a season completely healthy and ready to go from day one. However, it may be unlikely as he did have a stretch of healthy games where he did not produce either.

Other shortcomings were overestimating Alex Burmistrov's year, as he progressed into his sophomore season. Believing he would find the goal scorers touch, the young Russian found scoring early in the year (enough for me to pick him up in my fantasy pool for a stretch), but the reverted into playing a more two-way game as the year progressed - possibly because of the emergence of Kyle Wellwood's play - another shortcoming.

Wellwood exceeded expectations of all Jets fans and if the Jets are to resign him it will come at a price. The speedy and versatile forward set career highs in points (47) and tied his career high in goals (18) while pitching in 10 power play points on the secondary unit. It was Wellwood's versatility and hockey sense that gave way to a big boost from predictions in Evander Kane.

Kane's third season proved to be a breakout one - but the best is still yet to come I believe. Kane surpassed career highs in goals (30), assists (27), points (57), power play goals (6), power play points (10), and game winning goals (4). He was also a team high +11 rating at season's end. Despite a rough start and possible off ice happenings that led to a concussion in the early part of 2012, Kane is one of the key cogs in the Jets this season as is Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler rejoined Bryan Little and Andrew Ladd on the Jets top line and had a career year as well playing the role of power forward as best as anyone else in the league. The Minnesotan's career highs came in assists (47), points (64), power play goals (6), power play points (15), shots on goal (208), and hits (113). Add to that Bryan Little resurfaced as a 20 goal scorer and Ladd followed his 29 goal season a year ago in Atlanta with 28 goals and the top line produced the majority of the Jets offense between them.

To complete the evaluation of my 2011-12 point projections for the forwards, the Jets have alot of room to make up for offensive production as their top point producer finished tied for 41st in the league in points - and every other NHL team except Columbus, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, and Colorado had a leading scorer with more points - including non-playoff teams such as Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Carolina, and Montreal.

Jets Trade Deadline Wishlist: Goal Scorers

Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers was the prime exhibit of the problem that plagues the Winnipeg Jets this season: scoring goals.

It's been obvious for a while that the Jets have troubles finding the back of the net.

This same team last year did only have two 20 goal scorers in Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd (and only Ladd may get back to that 20 goal mark) and didn't really have any impressive showings of offensive production in years to come.

Last season, as the Thrashers, the team scored 223 goals while allowing 269, a difference of -46, which ranked fourth worst in goals for/goals against ratios behind Edmonton, Colorado, and Ottawa.

This season, the ratio is much improved, but still lacking.

The Jets are -18 when it comes to their goals for/goals against ratio with 129 goals for and 147 against. They rank sixth worst in their ratio and rank 22nd in the league for goals for.

While they have scored more goals than playoff teams such as St. Louis (125) and Los Angeles (114), the Jets find themselves still needing a perennial 30+ goal scorer to make them a real contender and push the ratio into the positive numbers.

At season's start, Evander Kane was looked upon as that man. But now on the shelf, the Jets have to rely on a semi-consistent Andrew Ladd (16 goals), Bryan Little (12 goals) who went on a 14 game goalless drought until last night, team leader in points Blake Wheeler (10 goals), and an inconsistent Kyle Wellwood (10 goals).

Compared to teams in their division, the Jets do not stack up well.

Washington has seven 10+ goal scorers as of February 4 - including Alex Ovechkin at 20, Troy Brouwer at 15, and Jason Chimera at 14.

Tampa Bay has five 10+ goal scorers, one of whom is Steven Stamkos with 33 along with Vincent Lecavalier at 19, while Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell both have 13.

Florida has four 10+ goal scorers, with Kris Versteeg leading the way with 20, Tomas Fleischmann has 16, while Stephen Weiss and Jason Garrison has 13.

Even Carolina has six 10+ goal scorers in Tuomo Rutuu (16), Jeff Skinner (14), Eric Staal (12), and Brandon Sutter (12) to name a few.

The fact that the Jets had only three players with more than 10 goals before their win in Tampa Bay speaks to the dire and immediate need for offense.

Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason have been the reasons the Jets are still over .500 and hunting for a playoff spot.

For the trade deadline, of course, all Jets fans want the team to make a move for a goal scorer, but at what cost?

Patience is a necessity for the young Jets and though the wishlist is short, it may take an even longer time before Winnipeg gets another Teemu Selanne, who can put the puck in the net night in and night out.

No Third Period Relapses Here

When watching the third period of yesterday's 2-1 Winnipeg Jets overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, I couldn't help but notice that the Jets have been a team that has played some solid hockey in the final frame thus far after the All-Star break.

And on the road to boot.

Sure, Victor Hedman scored the game tying goal midway through the final frame, but the Jets didn't collapse as they have been prone to do, especially on the road.

Tampa outshot the Jets 10-8 in the final frame, but still the Jets managed to get at least one point heading to extra time, where Kyle Wellwood ended it with his first game winning goal in over a year.

It seems the returns of Dustin Byfuglien and Alexander Burmistrov were the spark the Jets needed to cure their third period relapses on the road.

Not only are the Jets now 7-4-2 against Southeast Divisional opponents, they improve their dismal road record with another important win against an Eastern Conference team - this time one that is behind them trying to make up ground.

Having played the most games in the Eastern Conference (52) besides the Ottawa Senators (53) and cellar dwelling Carolina Hurricanes (53), the Jets have started their second half with the urgency that they needed in their game.

With players such as Byfuglien and Burmistrov coming back from injury, the situation turns into a blessing.

Maybe this team will reverse the fortunes of last season and the relapse in winning has already come and gone.

We all remember last season when the Atlanta Thrashers tanked the season in the new year.

Granted, the Jets are only 5-8-1 in 2012 so far and now 24-22-6 good enough for tenth in the East, but the sense of resurgence cannot be lost on the fans or the players.

"We dug ourselves a bit of a hole in January and we came out of it and realized we were still in the race." admitted Kyle Wellwood, the hero Thursday night.

"It's a tight one; there's teams creeping up behind us and we're creeping up on teams, too. We're focussed on if we can get to that long stretch of home games -- I don't know when it is exactly but it's coming up -- if we can get somewhere near that top eight when we go into that stretch, then there’s no reason we can't be in it until the end." (courtesy Winnipeg Free Press, 02/02/2012)

This road trip has a now or never attitude and hopefully the Jets can make the best of it.

Rangers Shutout Jets in Big Apple 3-0

Marian Gaborik singlehandedly beat the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night, with three points, including two goals, en route to a 3-0 win over the Jets.

Martin Biron, who has started both games for the Rangers against the Jets, stopped all 23 shots against him in the win.

Derek Stepan's power play marker at 10:01 of the second period proved to be the game winner.

Gaborik made it 2-0 8:31 into the third and then iced the game with an empty netter with two seconds left.

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 24 of 26 shots for the loss.

Mark Stuart did dress for the game and played only 18:05.

Zach Bogosian led all Jets in ice time with a season high 29:47, while Paul Postma only played three shifts all night.

Ben Maxwell had only three shifts as well while Tim Stapleton only had seven shifts for 6:49 of ice time.

Kyle Wellwood, Alexander Burmistrov, Dustin Byfuglien, and Evander Kane were all minus two on the night.

Jets now focus on the last game of their road trip in Buffalo on Tuesday.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Shutout Islanders on the Island 3-0

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 34 shots and the Winnipeg Jets and their starting goalie captured their first shutout of the season as the Jets blanked the New York Islanders 3-0 Thursday night.

Evander Kane continued his great play, scoring his fifth of the season at 4:21 of the first period on a great second and third effort which resulted in the puck finally eluding Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro.

Kane's goal would hold up as the only goal until Johnny Oduya would score his first goal on a shot from the right side that careened off an Islanders defender and behind DiPietro for a 2-0 Jets lead at 16:04.

Alexander Burmistrov would ice the game with an empty netter at 17:44.

Kane would finish the night with a goal and an assist - which puts him at eight points in eleven games this season, with all of those points coming in the last six games.

It was Kane's third multi-point night of the season.

Johnny Oduya was also figuring into the scoring with a goal and an assist as he was thrust into more action with the absence of Tobias Enstrom.

Oduya had 22:07 of ice time last night. His points in the game were his first since October 13th against Chicago. He finished a season-high +2.

Kyle Wellwood continued his consistent play with his fourth assist of the season. He now has nine points (five goals, four assists) in twelve games.

Nik Antropov, Burmistrov, and Kane all finished with +3 ratings, while Dustin Byfuglien and Oduya finished as +2.

Byfuglien played a team high 23:40 of ice time, while Zach Bogosian played 22:54, Oduya 22:07, and Brett Festerling 19:05.

Randy Jones had played a team high 18:55 before taking a slapshot off the leg early in the third period.

Mark Flood played 13:41.

Bryan Little won 12 of 18 faceoffs, Burmistrov three of three, Antropov two of six, and Jim Slater five of fourteen.

Jets are back in action Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils.


Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Shoot Down Panthers in Shootout 4-3

The Winnipeg Jets squeaked out a thriller of a win Monday night in Florida on Halloween night no less.

Andrew Ladd and Kyle Wellwood would both score in the shootout en route to a 4-3 win for the Jets, their fourth of the season and first in a shootout this year.

With the shootout win, they better their shootout record to 1-1.

Despite the win, the Jets lost defenseman Tobias Enstrom due to a vicious check by Jack Skille on a play in the boards. Dustin Byfuglien tried to settle the score.

Later on in the game, captain Andrew Ladd dropped the flippers with Skille looking to send a message to both Skille and the Panther teams.

Evander Kane came out with his first two goal performance of the season, scoring his third and fourth goals of the season.

The Jets would have a 2-0 lead slip away from them and were able to tie the game late on Kane's second goal with 50 seconds left in the third period.

Wellwood also had a big night, scoring his team leading fifth of the season and added his third assist.

Zach Bogosian also was in on the scoring, collecting two assists while leading the team with 26:42 of ice time, and a +2 rating.

The top line of Ladd-Wellwood-Bryan Little was a combined +2 on the night. Little won eleven of 20 faceoffs on the night.

Ondrej Pavelec was a monster, stopping 39 of 42 shots during the regulation and overtime periods. He stopped both Kris Versteeg and Mike Santorelli in the shootout to help the Jets win in the shootout.


Sources & Photos:
Yahoo! Sports

Jets 9, Flyers 8

A combined 17 goals on Thursday night led to not only a franchise record in goals combined in a game, but the Jets got the last laugh in their first road win of the season.

After Scott Hartnell put the Flyers on top finishing off a pretty passing play by Jaromir Jagr at 4:10 of the first, Blake Wheeler's shot from the high slot bounced off defenseman Randy Jones and fooled Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Three minutes later, the Jets worked the cycle down low and Jim Slater worked himself free in the high slot and he received a pass from the corner and one-timed the puck by Bobrovsky for a 2-1 Jets lead. It would be Slater's fourth goal of the season.

With under two minutes left in the opening frame, with the Jets power play winding down, Tobias Enstrom's point shot was deflected in front by Kyle Wellwood as the puck again fooled Bobrovsky for a 3-1 Jets lead after one period of play.

The goal was Wellwood's fourth of the season.

With the top line being split up for most of the game, the Jets would find more offense from their fourth line as Tanner Glass would deflect another Enstrom point shot to make it a 4-1 Jets lead at 3:39.

Exactly one minute later, Nik Antropov would find himself all alone off a power play faceoff to put home his third of the season.

The Flyers would get back a bit in the second on a 5-on-3 power play advantage as Claude Giroux would score his sixth of the season at 6:25.

On their third power play of the night, the Jets would capitalize as Evander Kane was the recipient on a beautiful play by Nik Antropov in tight for his second of the season. Alexander Burmistrov would pick up the other assist.

As the period went along, the Flyers would find some life as they inched their way back into the game as Danny Briere would score his third of the season at 14:11 on a deflection in front to make it 6-3.

Max Talbot would make it 6-4 at 16:41 on an odd bounce that made it's way off his equipment and behind Pavelec.

Briere would make it 6-5 quickly into the third period as he put home his second over a sprawling Pavelec.

Matt Reid would tie the game 6-6 which would spell the end of the night for Pavelec as he allowed six goals on 36 shots.

James Van Riemsdyk would put the Flyers back on top for the first time since they were up 1-0 to make it 7-6.

Alexander Burmistrov would keep the high scoring game going as he would beat Bryzgalov in tight off another great feed by Antropov to tie the game 7-7 with his third of the season. The Flyers would enjoy the lead for 28 seconds.

Mark Stuart would score his first in a Jets uniform squeaking the puck past Bryzgalov at 4:31 to regain the Jets lead 8-7.

The first five goals of the third period were scored in the first 4:31 of the period.

The Jets would score eight goals on their first 22 shots. Despite replacing Pavelec mid way through the game, Mason would be replaced again by Pavelec due to groin issues.

With under five minute left, James Van Riemsdyk would score his second of the game to tie the game 8-8.

The Jets would take the pressure to the Flyers in their zone late and Blake Wheleer would set up Andrew Ladd in the slot to make it 9-8 Jets with 1:06 left in the third.

The clock would run out as the Jets win their first game on the road in a wild one 9-8.


Photos Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Game #8: Jets vs. Rangers

Winnipeg Jets (2-4-1) vs. New York Rangers (2-2-2)
Monday, October 24, 2011
MTS Centre 7:30 PM CT
TV: TSN-Jets, MSG
Radio: TSN 1290 (Winnipeg)

So far in 2011-12, the Jets have had the upper hand on home ice.

After a 5-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night, the Jets improved their record at the MTS Centre to 2-1-0. In those three games, the Jets have been outscored 8-9, but have seen increases in their offensive output last week.

After scoring only five goals in the first three games, the Jets had 11 goals in their last four games. While giving up 12 at the same time, the Jets have found their go-to offensive players throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Sophomore Alexander Burmistrov leads the team with six points (two goals, four assists) through the first seven games, while Kyle Wellwood (five points), Nik Antropov (five points), and Tobias Enstrom (four points) have all been great surprises chipping in on offense.

Saturday night saw Evander Kane notch his first goal as a Jet as he has had a rough start, with a -3 rating through six games. Also figuring into the scoring was captain Andrew Ladd with his second of the season and Jim Slater, who has also been a surprise offensively, with three goals in six games.

The Jets will need more out of their top line of Blake Wheeler-Bryan Little-Ladd however tonight if they are to beat the Rangers and their quick transition game.

Wheeler has only two assists in seven games, while Little has only one assist in seven games. Both are minus players as well.

According to Jets head coach Claude Noel, he may be giving Chris Mason the benefit of the doubt when it comes to starts coming up after he held the fort as the Jets came back Saturday night.

However, according to Yahoo! Sports, Ondrej Pavelec has an impressive 2-0-1 record against the Rangers with a 1.30 goals against average while Mason is 3-0-0 with a 2.46 goals against average.

May the best goalie win, but as for now, look for Mason to get the nod after his eighteen save performance against Carolina in his first win as a Jet on the weekend.

Monday night will be the first game we will not see Mark Scheifele in the lineup as the Jets sent him back to the Barrie Colts of the OHL. Scheifele had one goal through seven games.

Game is available on TSN-Jets and the MSG Network in New York.


Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Down 'Canes 5-3

It was another slow start for the Jets, but this time, they followed it up with a more than strong finish.

Propelled by five unanswered goals between the second half of the first period and the entire second period, the Jets won their second game in a row on home ice 5-3 over their divisional rivals the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night.

The Jets and starter Ondrej Pavelec found themselves down 2-0 very quickly on a weak first goal by Jussi Jokinen and then another goal by Jeff Skinner prompting head coach Claude Noel to shake things up.

Chris Mason would relieve Pavelec not even seven minutes into the game, as Pavelec allowed two goals on the first five Carolina shots.

Alexander Burmistrov would get the Jets on the board with a highlight reel power play goal that found the roof of the net on Carolina starter Brian Boucher's glove side.

With time running out in the first period, Kyle Wellwood found the puck at the side of the net with under a second remaining to tie the game after one period 2-2.

In the second, the Jets would continue to pressure Carolina. After outshooting them 13-6 in the first period, the Jets would only get six shots at Boucher in the second but half of their shots made their way to the back of the Hurricanes net.

Jim Slater would net his third of the season from Tanner Glass, as Slater would wrist a shot past Boucher's shoulder for a 3-2 Jets lead.

Nearly two minutes later, captain Andrew Ladd would score his second on a weird bounce off the board that he took a swipe at near the blueline. The puck fooled Boucher and found the back of the net to give the Jets a 4-2 lead.

Evander Kane would make it 5-2 at 7:30 of the third when he finally potted his first of the season from in tight, being the recipient of the great work by Nik Antropov behind the net.

The 'Canes would respond with a goal midway through the third period, but the damage was done as the Jets came away with a 5-3 victory giving them a 2-4-1 record, good enough for five points on the season.

Chris Mason stopped 18 of 19 shots after replacing Pavelec and was honoured with the first star selection.

Antropov, Zach Bogosian, and Wellwood would finish the night with two points apiece.

Antropov was seven of 13 in the faceoff circle, while Bryan Little was 12 of 18, Slater was three of six, and Maxwell was seven of eight.

Mark Scheifele played only nine shifts for 7:21 of ice time. It seems he may only be playing nine games this season for sure now.

Tobias Enstrom led the Jets in shots with five and ice time playing 27:12. Dustin Byfuglien played 23:39, Bogosian 20:56, Oduya 20:17, Little 20:05, and Ladd 20:03.

Despite being banged up from the Senators game Thursday, Ladd's goal would stand up as the winner. In addition to his goal and 20:03 of ice time, Ladd had three shots, three hits, and won all three faceoffs he took during his 23 shifts.

Jets now prepare for the New York Rangers Monday night.

Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

The Kid Is Still Alright

Despite watching their 3-1 lead in Toronto evaporate faster than you could blink, the Winnipeg Jets can take away alot of positives from the game against the Leafs Wednesday night.

First of all, they came out of the gate and took the play for the most part to the Leafs for the most of the game until the final 11 minutes of the third.

They also did take it pretty hard to the Leafs at times in overtime, but their first shootout was not a success as both Kyle Wellwood and Bryan Little could not cash in on James Reimer.

Positives include another spectacular game by Ondrej Pavelec, who was on top of his game once again and needs to continue his stellar play in order for the Jets to contend deep into the season.

Positives include the Jets first two power play goals of the season - the first by Tobias Enstrom at 9:49 of the first as the Jets finally capitalized on their size in front of the opposing team's net.

Positives also include Mark Scheifele finally potting his first career NHL goal as close as he could to his hometown of Kitchener with family and friends in attendance.

His power play marker at 7:53 of the second put the Jets up 3-1 at that point and it was a trademark Scheifele goal - waiting with his stick on the ice for a big, juicy rebound.

It was very reminiscent of Scheifele during the pre-season and it may be an indication that he may have finally gotten over being starstruck for his first five games of the season and may make a rally in the next four games to make the case to stay long term this season.

Whatever happens, the kid is still alright. Never have Jets fans lost their zeal for him and his play.

He is this generation's Dale Hawerchuk, despite not having the numbers in junior or the number of years to develop as the former Jets captain "Ducky".

If he sticks, he's still alright.

If he goes back to Barrie for the year, he's still alright.

Jets fans can wait, but let's just make sure everyone knows that the kid is still alright.

Jets Grab First Win Of Season 2-1 Over Penguins

The Winnipeg Jets would race out of the game early in the first period as Kyle Wellwood would cash in on a quick tic-tac-toe passing play eight seconds into the game to make it 1-0 with his second goal of the season.

Throughout the first, the Penguins threatened with all seven of their shots, but the two good chances for the Penguins were a missed open net and the other was denied by Ondrej Pavelec.

Tanner Glass would be the recipient of a beautiful pass from Alexander Burmistrov with 1:33 left in the opening frame for his first of the season to make it 2-0 Jets.

Pavelec was the story of the second period as he made a barrage of robbery saves, including a save on Richard Park on a 2-on-1 with under minutes left.

However, the Penguins would get on the board with 1:38 left in the period on a point shot that made it through despite Arron Asham interfering with Pavelec.

Despite the late goal, Pavelec made 13 saves on 14 Pittsburgh shots in the middle frame.

In the third, the Jets had two powerplay opportunities but could not cash.

With under five remaining, the Penguins got a powerplay after Chris Kunitz was tripped up in the corner. The Jets would kill that penalty off as Alexander Burmistrov was robbed on a penalty kill breakaway.

With the Penguins net empty for the last minute, the Jets killed the clock as they win their first game of the season to improve to 1-3-0 on the season.

First star Pavelec made 28 saves for his first win of the season and first career win over the Penguins.

Enstrom logged the most ice time of all players with 26:33 due to an injury to Ron Hainsey. Byfuglien logged 24:14, Bogosian 22:59, and Burmistrov logged 21:07.

Burmistrov ended the game with two assists and a +2 rating during 27 shifts.

Bryan Little was better in the faceoff circle, winning 11 of 21 faceoffs.

Mark Scheifele only had 7:06 of ice time over 12 shifts, winning three of five faceoffs.

The Jets now take to the road for two straight games in Ottawa and Toronto.

Habs Spoil Jets Return With 5-1 Win

It was the biggest night in recent Winnipeg sports history as well as for Canadian hockey in a long time.

But the most storied franchise in hockey history came out with the win.

Mike Cammalleri opened the scoring for Montreal with his first of the season at 3:05 of the first frame.

Tomas Plekanec made it 2-0 with the lone tally in the second period.

Nikolai Antropov would score the first goal in new Winnipeg Jets history when he knocked home a loose puck in a goal-mouth scramble in front of Carey Price 2:27 into the third period to narrow the score to 2-1.

However, Yannick Weber restored Montreal's two goal lead on a 5-on-3 powerplay goal at 4:51 and Travis Moen and Max Pacioretty added the insurance as the Jets fell 5-1 to the Canadiens to set their record at 0-1 to start the season.

Despite the loss, the 15,004 at the MTS Centre Sunday afternoon gave the home team a standing ovation during the final minute of the game and as they made their way off the ice without a salute.

The Jets outshot the Canadiens by a 31-22 margin; if it were not for Carey Price the game may have been different for the Jets as they were not able to get enough traffic in front of the Habs netminder.

Tobias Enstrom led in ice time for the Jets, playing 25:23, while Zach Bogosian played 22:58, and Dustin Byfuglien 21:26.

Rookie Mark Scheifele logged 13:44 of ice time while centering Kyle Wellwood and Evander Kane on the Jets second line.

The line of Antropov-Alexander Burmistrov-Brett MacLean ended the game with an even rating despite scoring the Jets lone goal.

Byfuglien and Kane led the Jets with four shots a piece.

Johnny Oduya finished the night as a -3, while Bryan Little, Jim Slater, Blake Wheeler, and Byfuglien finished the night with -2 ratings.

Despite outshooting the Canadiens 14-6 in the third period, the Jets were outscored 3-1.

The Jets now go on the road to face the 2010 Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday and then travel to Phoenix to meet the former Jets on Saturday.

Next home game is Monday, October 17th when the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins invade the MTS Centre.

Jets All Out 2011-12 Point Predictions: Forwards

As promised months ago, the 2011-12 Jets All Out point predictions are in!

First, we take a look at the forwards, the most interesting and most vital part of the predictions for the upcoming season. With such a young core of talented players and those who have not yet hit their full stride in the NHL, we believe that this is the best year for these players and the best is also yet to come.


Andrew Ladd led the Jets in scoring last season with 59 points (29 goals, 30 assists) and added 39 penalty minutes and was a -10 rating at season's end. He led the team in power-play goals (nine), and tied for shorthanded goals (two). His rise to becoming the captain of the former Thrashers and now Jets was a testament to how much he meant to the team and the dressing room. His numbers will likely not change drastically.

2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Ladd: 81 GP, 31 G, 29 A, 60 PTS, 44 PIMs, +4


Bryan Little, coming off a 31 goal season two seasons before, had a semi-bounce back year, scoring 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) along with 33 penalty minutes and a decent +11 rating on a dismal Thrashers team. His positive plus/minus speaks to his defensive play with the team last year, a trend the Jets hope continues as he is slated as the team's #1 center. With his potential, Little is destined to hit the 30 goal plateau once again sometime in his career. His point production trend will only continue to increase in his first season in Winnipeg.

2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Little: 80 GP, 27 G, 35 A, 62 PTS, 40 PIMs, +15


Evander Kane is the diamond in the rough of the Jets organization. His output continues to improve over the past two seasons and he looks poised and ready to take his game to the next level - possibly becoming that 20-30 NHL goal scorer he was drafted fourth overall for. With 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) along with 68 penalty minutes and a -12 rating, Kane improved on his rookie season stats, almost doubling them in his sophomore year. From the looks of his pre-season play, he is ready to ramp it up another notch in Winnipeg.



2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Kane: 79 GP, 26 G, 33, 59 PTS, 70 PIMs, +7


Nik Antropov at 30 is the oldest forward on the club. He is also the most experienced, having played in Toronto, New York, and Atlanta now too. His best years came with Toronto and his first season in Atlanta, alongside Ilya Kovalchuk. However, the past two seasons in Atlanta were a hard go for the 6'6 center and he would like nothing better than to get his statistical output back on track this season in Winnipeg. He has the experience to mentor younger players, including Alexander Burmistrov, and his presence is the most important thing in the Jets dressing room, but he can chip in offensively too. Look for his output to go up modestly this season.


2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Antropov: 74 GP, 19 G, 31 A, 50 PTS, 50 PIMs, +2


Alexander Burmistrov is the second youngest Jet in the lineup opening night, next to Mark Scheifele, however, he is going to be examined alongside the young seventh overall pick as well. Though Burmistrov already has a full season under his belt in Atlanta, scoring 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 74 games, he has yet to reach his true potential, like many on this young Jets squad. Burmistrov will hopefully learn with a veteran teammate, such as Nik Antropov, how to improve his skills on and off the ice and possibly improve his defensive game under head coach Claude Noel's system in Winnipeg. Burmistrov's statistical output has nowhere to go but up this season.




2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Burmistrov: 77 GP, 20 G, 21 A, 41 PTS, 28 PIMs, +3


Eric Fehr will miss the first part of the season with a shoulder injury, but his presence and what he can bring to the Jets should never be underestimated. A former 20 goal scorer in Washington, Fehr was dealt to the Jets to provide goal scoring depth on the wing. Not only that, Fehr is a local Manitoban and will be looked upon as a hometown fan favourite once he is in the lineup healthy once again. Though he had a drop in production last year, mainly due to injury, with only 20 points (ten goals, ten assists) in 56 games, Fehr, once healthy will be a key player and leader for the Jets.

2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Fehr: 40 GP, 11 G, 14 A, 25 PTS, 14 PIMs, +10


Blake Wheeler's presence on the Thrashers last season was tremendous as he led the team in scoring after a trade from Boston in the late stages of the season. Wheeler scored 17 points (seven goals, ten assists) in the final 23 games of the season for Atlanta, playing alongside Little and Ladd. He will be looked upon again to provide offense with his large 6'5 frame. A former 20 goal scorer in Boston, the former top five draft pick will once again be untied with Little and Ladd atop the first line and be looked upon to score in bunches.



2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Wheeler: 80 GP, 25 G, 30 A, 55 PTS, 56 PIMs, +11


Chris Thorburn is one of the longest serving players in the Thrashers/Jets organization and is look upon to provide his skills in an enforcer's role. With that in mind, his season should not be looked at judging primarily on offensive output, but on his character and leadership on the ice, providing that energy the Jets may need in a game. Thorburn's consistency to stay in the lineup year after year, game after game, is a true asset to the Jets depth.


2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Thorburn: 82 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS, 85 PIMs, -1










Jim Slater is another long-serving player with the Thrashers, having been an original Thrasher pick back in 2002 with the 30th overall pick. Slater has morphed into a defensive/two-way center who's main priority is back checking and making sure he's causing havoc when in the opponent's zone. Before injuries last season, Slater was on pace for a career year, having scored 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 36 games. His previous career high was 20 points in his rookie season. Normally, Slater's output is in the 15-20 point range, but with a new atmosphere in Winnipeg, the four line center's role, under Claude Noel's coaching system of "no three minute men on my bench", may see his output jump to a career high.

2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Slater: 78 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 PTS, 22 PIMs +1




Tim Stapleton is projected by the Winnipeg Jets official website to be the fifth winger for the Jets to start the season. With Fehr out of the lineup, Stapleton will likely be in the lineup opening night, or opted out for Scheifele. Stapleton has the rare honour of having scored the last goal in Atlanta Thrashers history. He was able to stick most of the 2010-11 campaign in Atlanta, collecting five goals and two assists in 45 games. His role in Winnipeg will likely be that of a third/fourth liner again, mostly due to his undersized frame. His speed, however, makes him a great third/fourth liner because of his ability to play both ends of the ice. Look for his output to increase as he tries to stick in Winnipeg full-time, ahead of Scheifele and Patrice Cormier too.



2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Stapleton: 60 GP, 9 G, 12 A, 21 PTS, 16 PIMs -4





Kyle Wellwood joins the Jets after wandering the leagues in search of a home. His one-year contract added depth and versatility, as Wellwood is able to work both the power-play and penalty kill quite well. Known for his soft hands and deceptive speed, at times, he split last season between Mytishchi Atlant and the San Jose Sharks. Mytishchi Atlant released Wellwood half way through the season, after he produced only eight points (five goals, three assists) in 25 games. San Jose signed him and he had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 35 games, including seven points (one goal, six assists) in 18 playoff games. Wellwood will provide depth and a centerman who can also play the wing, something the Jets may need if injuries occur.

2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Wellwood: 68 GP, 10 G, 20 A, 30 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2




Tanner Glass was also added to the Jets roster via free agency this off-season to provide grit and energy to the Jets lineup. He was also brought in for experience, having just come off a short summer after the Vancouver Canucks went the distance in the Stanley Cup Final. Glass, who has 184 games under his belt with Florida and Vancouver, will be looked upon to help Slater and Thorburn be the energetic and "thorn-in-your-side" fourth line that the team has lacked in its franchise's history.


2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Glass: 78 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS, 92 PIMs, -3







Mark Scheifele has a good chance to stay beyond the nine games if he impresses in his first nine games. It's difficult to make such a prediction for such a player because of so many unknown variables leading up to the season's start. Scheiefele could be another Jeff Skinner and take the NHL by storm and win a Calder Trophy. He could also have another dominant season in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. For this case, firstly, we predict if Scheifele flourishes in the NHL (Scenario A)and secondly, we predict if he does not (Scenario B; though we would rather him flourish right off the bat).



2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Scenario A: 80 GP, 15 G, 25 A, 40 PTS, 20 PIMs, +2
Scenario B: 9 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, 4 PIMs, -2






On The Bubble Players:
Patrice Cormier
Jets All Out Prediction: 50 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 PTS, 35 PIMs, -4

Carl Klingberg
Jets All Out Prediction: 30 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 PTS, 14 PIMs, -6

Spencer Machacek
Jets All Out Prediction: 42 GP, 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS, 26 PIMs, -2

Pre-Season Game #4: Jets @ Hurricanes

Winnipeg Jets @ Carolina Hurricanes
4:00 PM CT Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte, NC)

The Jets will meet their first division rival during a matinee game on the east coast as the other half of the team meets the Carolina Hurricanes at the time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC.

Coming off a close 4-3 loss to a mostly veteran Nashville Predators squad last night at Bridgestone Arena, the Jets will be dressing a completely different team than the one that played last night in music city.

Tonight, the Jets will skate a team led by Dustin Byfuglien, Kyle Wellwood, and Zach Bogosian into Charlotte.

Byfuglien had two assists in his home debut in Winnipeg, not to mention a big hit in the game's first seconds on Columbus Blue Jackets Matt Calvert.

The big defenseman from Minnesota is making himself a fan favourite very quickly.

The Jets win in their first home pre-season game was the first by the Thrashers/Jets franchise since September 23, 2009, when the then-Thrashers beat the Predators 5-4.

So far, the Jets are 1-2 to start the pre-season.

Game time is 4:00 PM CT and is available on TSN-Jets, starting at 3:45 PM CT.

Across the Jets Stream - Vol. 1, Issue 3 - September 16, 2011

Welcome to Across the Jets Stream.

Jets Official Media Day
Thursday, the day before training camp officially starts, was Jets media day.

All Jets players took part in taking pictures, videos, and all the paraphernalia for the upcoming season and its media coverage.

You can take a look at many of the pictures at the Jets official site here.

In the pictures, you can see Jets Ron Hainsey, Andrew Ladd, Ondrej Pavelec, and Chris Mason taking part in on and off-ice photo shoots.


Official Jets Training Camp Schedule & Roster
This week, the Jets released their official training camp roster and pre-season schedule.

You can visit the official site here for all the details, including an additional four players who have been invited to Jets training camp - Troy Bodie, David Koci, Janne Pesonen, and David Aebischer.

Teams at camp can also be found via Illegal Curve here.



Byfuglien Arrives In Winnipeg
Dustin Byfuglien finally arrives in Winnipeg despite all the happenings of early this month/late August in the US on his suspicion of boating intoxicated.

He held a press conference when he arrived and you can view that here.


PK & PP On The Minds of Jets?
Winnipeg Free Press' Gary Lawless with a very good piece on the strengths and weaknesses of last year's Jets in Atlanta - mainly their PK and powerplay.

You can read the article from the Free Press here.


Heisinger - Tough To Let Moose Go
With the season under a month away, Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger still has an affinity for his old team - the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Read his reaction to the NHL and everything about the Jets brass via the Winnipeg Free Press here.


Veteran Likes Jets Movement
Winnipeg Sun's Ted Wyman on the youth movement of the Jets and how there are only a handful of players over 30. He points out certain players, including Alex Burmistrov.

You can read Ted's article via the Sun here.


Versatility An Asset For Wellwood
Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun talks about how newly signed Kyle Wellwood will use his versatility in many different roles to make a lasting impression in Winnipeg.

Read Ted's article here.

Jets Sign Kyle Wellwood

Former Toronto Maple Leaf, Vancouver Canuck, and most recently San Jose Shark center Kyle Wellwood has reportedly signed with the Jets.

Wellwood split the 2010-11 season between Mytischi Atlant of the KHL and the Sharks in the NHL.

In Russia, he collected eight points (five goals, three assists) in 25 games while in San Jose, he collected 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 35 games, including seven points in 18 playoff games.

In 373 career NHL regular season games, Wellwood has 173 points (68 goals, 105 assists) and only 30 penalty minutes. He also has 20 points in 40 career playoff games.

His career best game with the Maple Leafs in 2005-06, when he scored 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) in 81 games.

Wellwood was a high scoring center in junior with the Belleville Bulls and Windsor Spitfires, scoring 344 points in 244 games in junior.

The contract is reportedly a one-year deal worth $700,000 according to both the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun.