Jets Final Roster Cuts Coming Soon

With the signing of rookie Mark Scheifele, the Jets official training camp number came to 24, one more than the league requires for the start of the season.

The Jets also signed goalie David Aebischer to an AHL contract, meaning he will start the season in St. John's with the Ice Caps, alongside Edward Pasquale and Peter Mannino.

For the roster to be cut to the needed 23 players, it is likely that one of the 14 forwards still in camp, not including the many injured players such as Eric Fehr, Ben Maxwell, Kenndal McArdle, or Aaron Gagnon, will be cut.

The Jets have to submit their 23 man roster by today to the NHL.

Others still in camp is Troy Bodie, still on a tryout basis.

Jets Number Switch Up

In the biggest news on a slow day in the Jets world, rookie forward Mark Scheifele opted to change up his pre-season number 45 in favour of the number 55.

Also in jersey number switch-ups, Derek Meech will now be sporting 7 instead of the 47 he did throughout the pre-season, while injured forward Kenndal McArdle will wear the number 23, instead of 40, which he wore in the pre-season.

Scheifele will be in the lineup come October 9th against the Montreal Canadiens while Meech has earned a spot as either the eighth defenseman or an extra forward.

Jets All Out Top 25: Honourable Mentions

As the first edition of the Jets All Out Top 25 starts tomorrow, we have decided to show the next of the best. That is (if that made any sense), the players who almost made the cut and we could potentially see cracking the Top 25 next season.

Tomorrow, we will start at the 25th best Jet in the lineup, but here are out Honourable Mentions:

Derek Meech, 27, D, 5’11, 200 lbs
As a native Winnipegger, Derek Meech’s search to make an NHL club full time is beginning anew in Winnipeg after he was not able to crack the Detroit Red Wings lineup full time, playing in a career high 49 games before the Wings let him go. Known more as a two-way defenseman, Meech bows just under the Top 25 Jets because he has not yet found a full-time job in the NHL despite his tenure with the Wings. Though, he could become a sixth or seventh defenseman on a very deep Jets depth chart.

Mark Flood, 26, D, 6’1, 190 lbs
Former Moose defenseman and New York Islanders defenseman as well, Mark Flood has six NHL games under his belt, which he played during the 2009-10 season, collecting an assist and a minus four rating. Flood has tremendous potential as a two-way defenseman who can quarterback a secondary power play unit. He showed that with both the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers and more recently with the Moose, with 40 points in 63 games in 2010-11.

Jason Gregoire, 22, LW, 6’1, 196 lbs
Newly signed and Manitoba native Jason Gregoire is looking to cement himself as an NHL player. A former New York Islander pick (3rd round, 76th overall in 2007), Gregoire was one of the best players for the last three seasons with the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. His point totals increased ever season with UND, as he finished third in Sioux scoring in 2010-11 with 43 points and second in goals with 25. Gregoire makes the honourable mentions because of his potential and he may drop out of it next year if he does not live up to expectations in his development in the AHL, where will probably start the 2011-12 season.

Kenndal McArdle, 24, LW, 5’11, 190 lbs
McArdle almost doesn’t make the honourable mentions because of his lack of coming to his potential as a former first round pick. McArdle has only 33 games under his belt, which is very low for a former 20th overall pick by the Florida Panthers in 2005. McArdle has also seen limited success in the AHL and still is trying to find his way back to possibly changing his game to become a grinder at the NHL level.

Andrey Zubarev, 24, D, 6’1, 210 lbs
At 6’1, 210 pounds, Andrey Zubarev made his North American debut last season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and showed his defensive style, collecting 13 points in 51 games with the Wolves. He was called up at the end of the season and played in four games for Atlanta, registering one assist and four penalty minutes along with a minus four rating. Zubarev is a long shot to make the Jets defense this season, but his continued development in the AHL will help his defensive abilities on both sides of the puck.

Jets Patient; Expect Deal With Bogosian Will Get Done Soon

With 199 NHL games under his belt at only 21 years of age, Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian is a player that the Jets cannot afford to not sign.

"The conversations are continuing with his agent,” was the comment GM Kevin Cheveldayoff gave.

“There’s no time frame set in place to have that one done by. It’s a summer-negotiation type thing. Everyone’s respectful of the fact this is a down time for players and agents and management -- those talks will continue and they’ve been good."

While the Jets have added depth up front with the additions of Rick Rypien, Tanner Glass, as well as acquiring Eric Fehr and Kendal McCardle via trades, the possibility of the Jets adding another scoring forward for the top two lines would not be out of order for Cheveldayoff.

"You’re always looking for that,” Cheveldayoff admitted. “It’s got to be the right fit for the group of guys that you have. You want it to mesh together. For us, if you look at the roster right now there is probably some room if you could add some forwards. We think our defence is pretty deep with respect to the (National Hockey League) side and the depth side of things."

However, the main goal still focuses in on Bogosian and getting the deal done.

Looking at Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd in their negotiations, both players were singularly negotiated with and signed in accordance to being talked with.

It is simply now Bogosian's turn in line and Cheveldayoff sees no problems in the ongoing discussions with his agent.

"It’s playing out exactly how we thought it would. It’s going to take some time."

"Each one of the negotiations — the (Andrew) Ladd, the Wheeler, the regular RFAs (restricted free agents) and Zach all have different nuances to them.”

What's In A Number?

With the additions of many players this off-season, former Thrashers and new Jets alike have decided to change their jersey numbers or pick new ones, as their former number is taken.

Acquired from the Washington Capitals, local Manitoba boy Eric Fehr has decided to don #17. Even on his Twitter account, Fehr expressed the number change, wondering if Twitter would let him change his following name @EricFehr16 to accommodate his number jersey number.

Other newcomers via free agency include ex-Moose Rick Rypien who dons #11, Tanner Glass taking #15, Mark Flood taking #36, Derek Meech taking #47, Randy Jones taking #12, and Kendal McCardle taking #40.

Former Thrashers Jim Slater and Patrice Cormier have decided to switch jersey numbers coming into the new Jets organization. Slater changed his #23 to #19, while Cormier changed his #45 for #28.

Sixteen of jersey numbers #1-#30 are taken while eighteen jersey numbers from #30-#80 are taken.

Jets Lock Up Wheeler and Six Others

The Jets locked up forward Blake Wheeler to a two-year, $5.1 million deal.

The Jets also signed RFAs Riley Holzfapel, Ben Maxwell, Arturs Kulda, Brett Festerling, Spencer Machacek, and newly acquired Kendal McCardle.

Jets Acquire McCardle

Jets have traded prospect Angelo Esposito to Florida for forward Kenndal McArdle.