Onrdrej Pavelec's Five-Year Deal Cements Jets Core Players Want To Stay

Pavelec signed a 5-year deal worth $3.9 annually.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

As TSN 1290's Hustler & Lawless interviewed Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff Monday afternoon mere hours after signing the Jets undisputed number one goalie in Ondrej Pavelec, there was a sense that maybe the Jets have something really good going on here in Winnipeg.

For the Jets, who were seemingly deep in a hole after Pavelec was offered a one-year contract to play in the Kontinental Hockey League at a price tag north of $5 million, they have seemed to rebounded in good timing and locked up their budding goalie.

But once the deal was reportedly off the table from the KHL, it was apparent that both Pavelec and agent Allen Walsh had lost a bargaining chip to help them get a contract with larger dolllar figures.

However, it is Pavelec's reaction to signing the five-year deal that is interesting and very hopeful for both Jets brass and fans.

"That's all I was looking for, to stay in a city you like."

"They have great fans there and I always said I like Winnipeg.  It's behind me now and I'm just looking forward to success in Winnipeg." (Winnipeg Free Press, 06/25/2012)

Coming off a career season, in which he posted a career high in wins with 29, the Jets not only got a slight pay raise at $3.9 million annually, but is looking to ramp up his play and improve his less than stellar 2.91 goals against average and .906 save percentage.

But Pavelec's decision to stick in Winnipeg as the number one goalie must prove a significant point that the Jets seem to be going about matters and dealings with their players in a professional and caring way.

During the days of True North's ownership of the Manitoba Moose, there were certain core players that seemed to stick around year to year, including Jason Jaffray, Mike Keane, Nolan Baumgartner, and now a member of the Jets player development squad Jimmy Roy.

It's no secret that True North, including Mark Chipman, Craig Heisinger, and Kevin Cheveldayoff, continue to breed a culture that makes their players, whether top or bottom of the barrel, welcome in Winnipeg infused with a want to play here.

Pavelec's signing cements the idea that he wants to play in Winnipeg.

Ondrej Pavelec posted a 29-28-9 record in 2011-12.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

He did not file for arbitration nor outright refuse the contract.

Pavelec wanted to play in Winnipeg and made sure it got done sooner rather than later.

As a core player, his signing is significant because of the other qualifying offers Cheveldayoff has handed out.

As was with Andrew Ladd last summer and now Jim Slater and Ondrej Pavelec this summer, Jets fans and pundits alike will not have to wait long for additional signings to come around, including another core player in Evander Kane.

One thing is for sure, if he signs, see that he will say he wants to stay in Winnipeg.

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.

Baby Jets Showing Bright Future For Jets Franchise

With a seventh game win in the second round over the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Ice Caps are on to their first Eastern Conference Final in St. John's.

Remembering back to the 2006-07 season when, as a Montreal Canadiens fan, I saw Carey Price almost singlehandedly help the Habs AHL affiliate the Hamilton Bulldogs win the Calder Cup, I thought the future would be bright for the Habs.

I was right in one thing - Price is a bright part of the future and present, but besides that not much else has been something of note for the Habs as they traded the biggest stars that were on that team (Grabovski, D'Agostini, Lapierre, and Halak).

But if there is something to be said about how an professional sports organization builds itself, then the Winnipeg Jets are on the right track.

After moving the former Manitoba Moose franchise to Newfoundland, the winning ways have not seemed to stop.

Not only did the St. John's Ice Caps win an Atlantic Division title in their first season on the rock, but they are on their way to the franchise's third conference final and first as the Ice Caps.

The last time the franchise was there was during the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs when the former Moose got by the Houston Aeros in six games and made their only appearance in the Calder Cup Finals.

But for the Moose franchise, the Jets took what was a winning tradition - one conference championship, two division championships, and a regular season title - and transferred it into their own organization.

The Moose's success was primarily based on Canucks prospects and personnel mixed in with whatever GM Craig Heisinger could find to bolster the lineup.

But in St. John's, Heisinger is both the GM of the Ice Caps and assistant GM of the Jets, which helps him to be in a position of strength to make his baby Jets as good as they can be.

With former Moose Jason Jaffray leading the way as captain, the Ice Caps have the same core of players that left Winnipeg for St. John's last year as Moose players, namely Marco Rosa, Travis Ramsey, Kevin Clark, Tom Maxwell, and Garth Murray.

The commitment to winning and to being dedicated to developing relationships with players shows how committed the Jets are to breeding success at the AHL level.

Not only are those Ice Caps players, former Moose players, making a difference in the playoff run, but the young Jet prospects - including Eddie Pasquale, Paul Postma, and other pickups like Brock Trotter, Aaron Gagnon, and Maxime Macenauer are making a difference.

With winning in the minors breeds winning in the big leagues - and as Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff keeps preaching his philosophies on how the Jets are going to properly and slowly develop their top prospects, there is no doubt that players who are Jets draft picks will look forward to playing under head coach Keith McCambridge in St. John's.

Ice Caps Win Inaugural Game; Jaffray Named Captain

It was only fitting that those on the St. John's Ice Caps that were former Manitoba Moose would get the bulk of the work in the Ice Caps first game.

Defenseman Mark Flood scored the first goal in Ice Caps history en route to a 4-1 Ice Caps win over the Providence Bruins Friday night.

Paul Postma, Carl Klingberg, and newly anointed captain Jason Jaffray would add the other three goals to secure the win for the newest AHL affiliate club.

The 1-0 Ice Caps now play the Manchester Monarchs Saturday night before flying home and getting a week off before their home opener weekend with games Friday, October 14th and Saturday, October 15th against the Hamilton Bulldogs, ironically the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.

Jets Trim Roster; Assign 20 To St. John's Ice Caps Training Camp

The Winnipeg Jets announced they have assigned 20 players to training camp of their AHL affiliate St. John's Ice Caps Tuesday afternoon.

Included in those 20 players are ex-Moose players Marco Rosa, Travis Ramsey, Kevin Clark, Mark Flood, Jason Jaffray, and Shawn Weller.

The Jets still have 36 players on their roster, which will need to be trimmed down again by opening night October 9th.

Also going down to the Ice Caps were goalies Chris Carrozzi, Peter Mannino, Edward Pasquale, defensemen Ben Chiarot, Arturs Kulda, Julian Melchiori, Zach Redmond, Cody Sol, and forward Shayne Wiebe, John Albert, Akim Aliu, Mike Forney, Riley Holzapfel, and Eric O'Dell.

Still on the team are both Mark Scheifele and Paul Postma, who have both had impressive pre-seasons so far with Scheifele leading the league in pre-season scoring and Postma chipping in heavily with two goals through three games.

The final 36 man roster of players still in camp includes 20 forwards, 10 defenseman, and three goalies as well as three injured players.

Also still on the roster looking to finally get some full-time NHL work are forwards Kenndal McArdle, Spencer Machacek, Jason Gregoire, Aaron Gagnon (injured), Carl Klingberg, Derek Meech, Randy Jones, Patrice Cormier, and Brett Festerling.

The Jets next play on Wednesday night at the MTS Centre against the Carolina Hurricanes.

That game is available on TSN-Jets and Sports Radio 1290 at 7:30 PM CT.

Jets All Out Top 25: #22 Jason Jaffray

Jason Jaffray, 30, LW, 6’1, 195 lbs
Last Year's Rating: N/A This Year's Rating: #22 Difference: N/A

Jason Jaffray has been defined throughout his professional career as a minor leaguer, never being able to reach the next step to play full time in the NHL. Much of that has to do with the situation he was in with the Vancouver Canucks - a team that had tremendous depth and thus Jaffray was always on the outside looking in.

With the Jets, however, Jaffray has a new lease on his professional career life, as it were. Known in Winnipeg from his days of playing for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose from 2004-05 until this last season, Jaffray has been defined as the prototypical Moose forward during his time in Winnipeg.

He scored perhaps the biggest goal (or goals) in Moose history - the game winning goal in Game 2 of the 2009 Calder Cup Finals against Michael Neuvrith and the Hershey Bears. Jaffray’s hat trick in that game lifted the Moose to a 3-1 win in that game.

Now, Jaffray will have to earn his spot in the Winnipeg locker room. Instead of the MTS Centre being a place to come back to after a trip to the NHL, it has become a place where Jaffray has to work to stay in the big league or else head out to the east coast to play with the AHL affiliate St. John’s Ice Caps.

Before he was known for his clutch play with the Moose, Jaffray spent five seasons in the WHL with the Edmonton/Kootenay Ice and Swift Current Broncos. His best season in junior came in his final season split between Kootenay and Swift Current, where collected 83 in 73 games.

It would be a slow climb to the big leagues for Jaffray out of junior as he opened the 2002-03 season with the Roanoke Express of the East Coast Hockey League, collecting 85 points in 64 games, enough to prompt a two game AHL call-up with the Norfolk Admirals.

In 2003-04, Jaffray again found himself in the ECHL, putting up 74 points in 54 games with the Wheeling Nailers, as well as seeing five games of AHL action with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It was 2004-05 that would be Jaffray’s big break. He began the season once again with the Nailers before being called up to play with the Cleveland Barons. He had 16 points in 30 games with the Barons before being dealt to the Moose. In 14 games to end the season, Jaffray notched 8 points.

He started the 2005-06 season for the first time in the AHL with the Moose and did not disappoint, collecting 47 points in 73 games, along with seven points in 13 playoff games.

Jaffray would score a career high with 81 points the next season, including 13 points in 13 playoff games.

He would get his first taste of NHL action in 2007-08 with the Vancouver Canucks, playing in 19 games and collecting six points, 19 penalty minutes, and a plus four rating.

In 2008-09, Jaffray was a force for the Moose as they went to the Calder Cup Finals, with Jaffray scoring 19 points in 22 playoff games. However, the Moose lost in six games to the Hershey Bears.

In 2009-10, Jaffray signed with the Calgary Flames and played the majority of the season in Abbotsford, scoring 54 points in 72 games.

Last season, dogged by injury, Jaffray was loaned to the Moose from the Flames and posted two points in six regular season games and nine points in 14 playoff games.

Jaffray’s return to Winnipeg, this time with an NHL team, shows his commitment to the city and its fans. His history with the fans and the city will give him an edge that many players coming into camp do not have at all, besides former teammate Rick Rypien. If Jaffray is to make the Jets lineup, he will have to be a third line winger, but his ability to work hard and make plays happen is never lost on the minds of Moose fans.

R.I.P. Rick Rypien (1984-2011)

No one ever expects professional athletes to die when they are still active in their sport. No one ever counts on the unexpected happening. Probably why they call it the unexpected.

When Rick Rypien was reported to have passed away in his home in Coleman, Alberta, the hockey world was shaken for the second time since the snow left the ground in most hockey markets.

Rypien, who spent five seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization with the mother club and the Manitoba Moose, was a tough, gritty customer and would never back down from a fight.

An undrafted signee by then Moose GM Craig Heisinger, Rypien made his mark on the hockey world through his tough and tenacious play.

After signing with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this summer along with long time teammate and friend Jason Jaffray, both commented on the possibility of bringing the Stanley Cup to Winnipeg after Jaffray almost brought the Calder Cup to the Manitoban capital.

It’s not the news of Rypien’s death that hurts the most for hockey fans and the Jets and Canucks organization, it’s his absence on and off the ice.

From the remarks and recollections of many past teammates of Rypien’s, he was the ultimate teammate and competitor. He was always willing to stick up for his teammates and linemates through his fists and his deathly glare.

Rypien was not known for goal scoring but for his gritty play and that is what most Jets fans will miss the most by not being able to see him in action in Winnipeg in the NHL instead of the AHL.

The 2009 Calder Cup Finals' Impact on the Winnipeg Jets Return

I remember sitting in the upper bowl of the MTS Centre in Section 310 with my significant other, about seven rows up from the railing and peering over about 7,500 other Manitoba Moose fans to watch the Moose play in Game 2 of the 2009 Calder Cup Finals.

There was something more special about Game 2 than there was about Game 1, a game which I had been sitting with a good friend over in Section 302 a few nights prior to witness a 5-4 overtime loss.

The score was tied in Game 2 1-1 with under five minutes to play in the third period.

Overtime was looming.

Longtime Moose winger Jason Jaffray got a cross-ice pass across centre coming down the left wing. He drove wide on the defenseman.

Being a left handed shot, Jaffray wound up and buried his head as he took a crack at the puck with a sharp slapshot.

The puck bounced its way towards Hershey Bears goaltender Michael Neuvirth.

And then the puck eluded Neuvirth and 15,005 fans erupted in, what was then, the loudest hockey celebration in the MTS Centre's history.

Though the Moose would go on to lose the 2009 Calder Cup in six games, the three games hosted by the Moose in the MTS Centre showed that Winnipeg was ready for an NHL team.

Three consecutive sellouts and the screaming fans made it a madhouse in the arena. Moose head coach Scott Arniel could not even communicate to his players what they were to do for the final minute of the game after Jaffray's second goal of three.

A great business structure that was provided by True North Sports & Entertainment CEO Mark Chipman through the ownership and successful and fruitful management of the Manitoba Moose for 15 seasons as part of the IHL and AHL formed an unmistakeable sense of trust that Winnipeg could indeed be viable as an NHL market.

Now 15 years after the Jets flew to Phoenix, they are reincarnated as the Jets again, this time flying from Atlanta, where once a team was and then flew to another Canadian city in Alberta.

That team, known as the Flames even after the move from Atlanta, won a Stanley Cup only nine seasons after the move. Could this be an omen for the newest Atlanta moved team?

But more to the point, the success of the Moose culminated in that 2009 Calder Cup Finals.

Never since the 1979 Avco Cup winning Winnipeg Jets has the city of Winnipeg had any type of professional champion hockey team.

The Bombers last won the Grey Cup in 1990. The Goldeyes won the Northern League in 1994. And the Jets had won Avco Cups galor in the 1970s in the WHA, but never the ultimate hockey prize in the NHL.

Passionate fans that were willing to come to see AHL hockey for 15 years also culminated in those three games. You were lucky to even get a seat.

For the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Aeros, the upper deck was opened but sparsely populated. I myself was able to get a seat in the lower bowl only eight or nine rows up from the ice, on the corner, behind the net.

For that 2009 Calder Cup Final, you were lucky to even get anywhere near the lower bowl. In the decisive Game 6, my friends and I were able to grab nosebleeds in section 308 in the very back row.

Granted, my current Jets mini-pack tickets are in the very back row of the upper bowl, but the point is that Winnipeggers were willing to come to watch a championship calibre team play for a professional championship with tradition and pride.

So why couldn't they finally be able to watch the best of the best? They witnessed Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Kevin Bieksa, and Alex Edler rise to become NHL players for the Vancouver Cancucks.

But now they will watch the likes of Evander Kane, Bryan Little, and Ondrej Pavelec rise to NHL stardom in the NHL, not the AHL.

It all comes back to the sunny, beautiful day of June 2, 2009.

2011-12 Predictions: Jets Forwards

With the real dog days of summer upon us in full force, we're going to predict what we think the top four lines of the Jets will be for the upcoming 2011-12 season.

For the sake of being somewhat unpredictable, I think there may be some small surprises and some obvious guesses.

First Line: Ladd - Antropov - Kane
Nik Antropov's 6'6" frame is the largest body up front for the Jets by one inch over winger Blake Wheeler and thus is a no brainer to be the first line centre come opening night. But can he cash in with the team now that they have changed over to Winnipeg? He had career highs in Atlanta in 2009-10 with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists), although he was playing some of the season with Ilya Kovalchuk.

For Evander Kane, he only keeps getting better and his stock should rise high enough to be a first line player on this team, beating out Bryan Little. Kane collected 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in his sophomore season in 2010-11 and is only going to get better.

Andrew Ladd had a career season with 59 points (29 goals, 30 assists) in 2010-11 that eclipsed his previous career year of 49 points two seasons ago in Chicago. Ladd signed a five-year contract with the Jets as an RFA and is the team's captain going into the future. His success and leadership are the cornerstone of this team going forward.

Second Line: Little - Burmistrov - Wheeler
Alexander Burmistrov had a promising rookie season with a few highlight reel goals last season with 20 points in 74 games. Being put into the NHL so quickly after being the 8th overall pick last season, his learning curve could have been somewhat affected but his talent showed through some games and he can only get better.

On his wings are two of the more talented young wingers in the game. It will remain to be seen if Bryan Little takes a centre role within Claude Noel's offensive system or if he stays on the wing to use his speed down the side. Little is coming off two sub-par seasons with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 2009-10 and 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 2010-11 after he posted 31 goals and 51 points two seasons ago.

Blake Wheeler resigned a two-year deal this summer as an RFA with the Jets looking to be a big part of the offense after he had his most productive time in the NHL with the Thrashers scoring 17 points in only 23 games at the end of last season. At 6'5", Wheeler will be a big part of the offense.

Third Line: Fehr - Slater - Cormier
With the addition of Eric Fehr, the Jets third line will have some scoring threat, as Fehr scored 21 goals in 2009-10 and scored 10 or more in the last three seasons. Being the hometown Manitoba boy will make Fehr an instant fan favourite.

Jim Slater, a longtime Thrasher, will be the grit down the middle along with a young, gritty Patrice Cormier. Slater has 100 points in 371 career games over six seasons, all in Atlanta.

Cormier played in 21 games last year with the Thrashers collecting 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist).

Fourth Line: Glass - Maxwell - Thorburn/Rypien/Jaffray
The grit of Tanner Glass, Chris Thorburn, and Rick Rypien will definitely help the Jets be a gritty team and a hard team to match up against if these pests are on.

Thorburn, a Thrasher vet, has played his last four seasons in Atlanta scoring 65 points and collecting 362 PIMs in 313 games.

Rypien, a former Manitoba Moose, has had a long history in Winnipeg and should be a fan favourite after his time with the Vancouver Canucks. Rypien collected 226 PIMs and 16 points in 119 career games with the Canucks over the past six seasons.

Glass, who was a part of the Canucks run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring, has 233 PIMs and 23 points in 184 career games with Vancouver and the Florida Panthers.

Jason Jaffray, another ex-Moose, may be given another look at joining the team, as he became a big piece of the Moose franchise, especially in their run to the Calder Cup Finals in 2009. Jaffray has 10 points in 36 career NHL games with Vancouver and the Calgary Flames.

Rounding out the fourth line is centre Ben Maxwell, a piece of the Brent Sopel trade with Montreal. Maxwell, 23, had 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 12 games with the Thrashers after spending the last few years with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.

Next In Line: Carl Klingberg at 6'3", 205 lbs. could be another big winger the Jets could be very happy with in the near future.

Kendal McCardle could finally have a chance to break into an NHL full-time as a third or fourth line grinder. But he has many grinders to leap frog to get into the lineup full time.

Aaron Gagnon has the potential to be a third or fourth line centre, but with the depth up the middle, his training camp could spell his fortune for the upcoming season.

Jets Sign ex-Moose Jaffray

Jets have signed ex-Moose Jason Jaffray.

Jaffray spent five seasons in a Moose jersey including only 6 last season on loan to the Moose.

He is best known in Winnipeg for his hat trick in Game Two of the 2009 Calder Cup Finals.

http://m.winnipegsun.com/2011/07/17/maxwell-re-signs-with-jets