Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-lose-pre-season-match-to-mcdavid- less-oilers-446289963.html

Jets drop third game of the pre-season 1-0 to Wild

By: Jason Bell

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Kyle Connor not only holds his own fate in his talented hands, the destiny of several other young Winnipeg Jets might turn on his ultimate success or failure to make the team out of training camp.

If he grasps the opportunity to make the club, the chain of falling dominoes impacts bubble forwards like Marko Dano, Brandon Tanev and Nic Petan.

On Thursday night, the 20-year-old left-winger didn't do anything noteworthy to strengthen his case for staying, blending in with the rest of the guys in their road whites who brought their lunch pails to the grinding affair but seemed allergic to offensive creativity until the first 10 minutes of the third period against Minnesota.

Veteran defenceman Jared Spurgeon’s second-period lifted the Wild to a 1-0 victory at Xcel Energy Center. It was Minnesota’s second win in four nights against their Central Division rivals.

The Jets are winless in three pre-seasons games.

On Monday, Connor was afforded just under nine minutes of ice time against the Wild at Bell MTS Place as the Jets went with a dozen regulars in a 3-2 shootout loss, and he was ignored as head coach Paul Maurice went with the big guns in 10 man-advantage situations.

In the rematch against a deeper Wild lineup – Jason Zucker and Nino Niederreiter played up front, while Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin made their pre-season debuts on defence – Connor was given power-play responsibility in addition to a regular turn with the Lowry trio but didn't record a shot on net.

"I thought it was a good game but something to improve (on)," he said. "The bench was right, too, the mindset. Maybe some of the execution in the offensive zone could have been better."

He said the fact lineups are changing each game shouldn’t be an excuse for ragged play.

"You gotta find a way to win in this league. They say it’s a results-oriented league," said Connor. "It doesn’t matter if you’re playing with a guy you’ve played with for 10 years or someone new. You still have to go out and battle and work hard."

Connor said he's slowly starting to get into a groove after nearly a week of camp.

"Yeah, I think I’m starting to get into my game. It is two pre-season games but you gotta bring it here and you gotta start right away in the pre-season and show them what you got," he said. "Going into this one I knew I was going to get more of an opportunity to play and on power play, it felt good to get more touches and kind of harness my game..."

The effort was there from players such as JC Lipon, Brendan Lemieux, Jack Roslovic, Chase De Leo and Buddy Robinson, all projected as Manitoba Moose-bound forwards. Newcomer Tucker Poolman didn’t look out of place in a defensive pairing with veteran Jacob Trouba, while blue-liner Ben Chiarot had a slight edge in effectiveness over 2016-17 bit-part players Julian Melchiori and Nelson Nogier.

But it’s Connor, listed now at 6-1, 188 pounds, who needs to demonstrate some desperation if he’s to duplicate his feat of a year ago and crack the Jets’ opening-night roster out of training camp. Each drill he sweats through and every shift he takes during the NHL pre-season will have a cumulative effect on the impression he makes with Maurice and the rest of the Winnipeg brass.

Maurice said Connor continues to become a more well-rounded player, but that process doesn't occur overnight.

"(The) expectation (by fans) on all our players like Kyle Connor that are with our team, that if they don’t score, we don’t like them. That’s what people want, to see skilled players score," said Maurice. "This was a grinding kind of slogging game. He didn’t score.

"There’s lots of improvement in Kyle’s game. There are lots of really good things. He’s still a young man. He’s going to play for the Winnipeg Jets. He’s going to score a bunch of goals for us. When that starts? We’re not sure. He’s made huge strides in a year... but patience with Kyle is really important. I’ve got lots for him. I’ve got lots of time for him."

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck started for the second time this week against the Wild and was sharp, stopping 21 of 22 shots. Spurgeon’s hard shot beat him cleanly over the right shoulder midway through the second period, but he turned aside a couple of late chances from close range to keep his club within striking distance.

He threw up a concrete wall late in the game with the Wild enjoying a two-man advantage – Lemieux was off for hooking, while Lipon was slapped with a faceoff violation. But having two guys in the box eliminated any chance of the Jets sending the contest to overtime.

Winnipeg was perfect on three -killing situations.

Veteran centre Matt Hendricks, who was signed as a free agent in late August, gave his young squad full marks for its determination and grit.

"That was a veteran (Wild) team, a lot more experience in their lineup than ours. I applaud our group. There was a lot of work ethic out there, a lot of guys playing really hard in the dirty tough areas," said Hendricks. "I give Connor Hellebuyck a ton of credit. He made some real big saves when he had to."

Alex Stalock, 30, who hails from the St. Paul area, posted the 21-save shutout. The former San Jose Sharks netminder is in a dogfight with Steve Michalek and Niklas Svedberg to earn the coveted role as Devan Dubnyk’s backup.

Veteran Jets forward Joel Armia left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury and did not return to the game.

The Jets continue their pre-season schedule on Saturday in Edmonton when they take on the Oilers. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/crackdown-on-slashes-sees-results- 446631333.html

Crackdown on slashes sees results Penalties pile up as 'old habits die hard'

By: Mike Sawatzky

The NHL’s crackdown on slashing isn’t even a week old, but the league’s director of officiating believes the tougher approach is already having the desired effect.

"It’s early, but so far there’s a real buy-in," Stephen Walkom said over the phone Thursday morning. "Even the players on the competition committee were concerned about this area.

"I think (the referees are) applying the standard we want them to apply, relative to the hacking and whacking around the hands. And I’m already seeing player conformance and a lot of players haven’t even played two games yet. The players seem to be adapting and thinking out there, but old habits die hard."

Winnipeg fans got a first-hand look during a pair of pre-season games on Monday and Wednesday.

In Monday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Jets were assessed one of five slashing penalties in a game that featured 17 power plays. Two days later, Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers were handed slashing minors while the Winnipeg Jets and combined for three slashing minors and nine power plays.

The sample size is small, but Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba believes the players are getting the message — the league has a low tolerance for stick fouls.

"A lot of times they’re calling slashing on the hands or the sticks that aren’t super dangerous, they don’t really accomplish anything," Trouba said before the club departed for Thursday’s pre- season rematch with the Wild in St. Paul, Minn. "It’s not something you can’t get out of your game and make or breaks you. Maybe you take an extra step and get more body positioning, which I’d rather (do). At the same time, you’re not slashing a guy but they’re also not slashing you coming around the net. So, it works both ways."

The reason for the hard line is twofold: the league wants to improve safety while also giving skilled players more room to display their offensive ability.

The safety issue is real. Most fans can remember a slash from Minnesota’s Eric Staal breaking Johnny Gaudreau’s finger, sidelining the star for 10 games last season, or Sidney Crosby’s slash in which the Pittsburgh Penguins captain nearly severed the pinky finger of defenceman Marc Methot.

"I would think those two incidents were the tipping point," Walkom said. "It was something that had slowly crept into the game since the restart in ’05-06, when players weren’t allowed to hook anymore. They started to walk that line of tapping and reaching out to touch someone. Playing the same way but not hooking the guy and over time, not that they weren’t calling slashing penalties, but players were getting the benefit of the doubt when it was around the hands.

"It got to the point where players took advantage of that grey area in the game."

Walkom believes the league and its officials will stay the course. He doesn’t expect a regression to the old standard of officiating when the post-season rolls around.

"I think the officials have proven that they can carry out a mandate when supported," Walkom said. "They know that if they work collectively to a NHL standard, not their own standard, that it’s best for the game."

In a move not directly related to the NHL’s new enforcement policy, retired referee Paul Devorski will reportedly attend training camp to help the Jets better avoid penalties.

Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said: "If they’re going to continue with the rule of the slashing, the players will eventually learn you can’t do that. But it doesn’t make the game more exciting when you’ve got 10 power plays to eight every night."

Can the league hold the line on slashing?

"I don’t know," Trouba said. "I don’t think anybody really knows but it’s definitely an area of the game that can be cleaned up. You see a lot of hands and wrists — you want your skill players being able to use their skill and not have injured hands. So, I don’t mind it at all."

Another prime initiative during the NHL pre-season involves a stricter adherence to proper faceoff rules. Players must face their opponent squarly and keep their feet behind the lines. If a player cheats (for example, he uses his feet, goes down on his knee or uses his hand to direct the puck), he is ejected from the circle. If a team does that twice on one faceoff it will be assessed a two-minute minor penalty.

"The standard we had on faceoffs eroded to the point where faceoffs became more of a scrum and not a skilled play," Walkom said. "Some people said, ‘What’s this new rule?’ Actually, it’s not a new rule. It’s really just a shoring up of a rule that we allowed to slip over time."

ON THE MOVE: The Jets reassigned defencemen Leon Gawanke (Cape Breton, QMJHL) and Luke Green (Saint John, QMJHL), and forwards Skyler McKenzie (Portland, WHL) and Jordy Stallard (Prince Albert, WHL) to their junior clubs. Winnipeg has 28 forwards, 16 defencemen and five goaltenders remaining at training camp.

Staal supports NHL’s slashing stance

Eric Staal is one of the poster boys for the NHL’s crackdown on stick fouls but even he believes the league is on the right track.

“I’ve just been watching and reading and hearing what everyone’s saying,” the veteran Minnesota Wild centre said.

“I think it’s a good thing. Guys will adjust, they always do. That’s how it works in this game. It felt like over the last couple of years (slashing) has crept back into our game, guys getting away with a little bit more. And if you can limit it, I think it’s a good thing.”

Staal was embroiled in a controversy last season when his slash broke Johnny Gaudreau’s finger and sidelined the Calgary Flames scoring ace for 10 games.

“I felt bad, to be honest,” Staal said. “It’s one of those things, you’re playing the game and it becomes part of the game. You don’t think about it. I had no idea until (the Flames) came out and said the one that got him was mine. It was tough. I knew (Kris) Versteeg, so I reached out through him just to let (Gaudreau) know that, obviously, I wasn’t doing it on purpose.”

Staal hopes the transition can occur quickly.

“I’ve felt my fair share the other way,” Staal said. “That’s just kind of how it works. That’s the way the game is played. So, I think with it happening to a couple of guys — and injuries coming from it — I think trying to clamp down early in pre-season and, hopefully, going forward, it’ll help guys mentally be a little bit more conscious and it’ll help keep guys like that on the ice because they’re fun guys to watch.”

— Sawatzky https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/small-fixes-should-lead-to-big-results-for-the- winnipeg-jets-446542373.html

Small fixes should lead to big results for the Jets

By: Scott Campbell

In my column last week, I suggested the Winnipeg Jets will make the playoffs this season and today I’m still going to present my case — despite their lacklustre start to the pre-season.

Icing powerful lineups against the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers scrubs, the Jets lost both games — 3-2 in a shootout to Minnesota and 4-1 to Edmonton.

I don’t put much stock into early exhibition games, so I’ll move forward by mostly ignoring those contests, assess this team’s roster and make the argument for it making the post-season party this year.

Goaltending Steve Mason pushes Michael Hutchinson into a minor-league role (if he stays in the organization), which should vastly improve the overall numbers.

Mason started his NHL career by winning the Calder Trophy with the Columbus Blue Jackets, dropped off a cliff for four years and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

After three good years his save percentage dipped to .908 last season (his first three years were .917, .928, .918, which is average to above average).

I asked analytical-oriented Flyers blogger Matt Bernot why he felt Mason fell off so much last year.

"Steve Mason had a solid reign as the Philly starter, however last season he was maligned by injuries and could never get into a rhythm," Bernot explained. "His first couple of seasons allowed him to thrive because he was kept on a schedule. Assuming he can stay healthy and keep a regular, planned workload, he should be able to return to league-average form. On the downside, if his knees can’t hold the workload, he might become an albatross contract."

While Mason has had meniscus removed from both knees, he and the Jets are good with it. I’m expecting he provides at least league-average goaltending.

Also, I’m still a believer in Connor Hellebuyck: he’s had too much success at lower levels (and at times with the Jets) to not believe he can do it here consistently.

Surely at least one of these two will be at their best on any given night, and having a mentor should be a good thing for Hellebuyck.

Defencemen With Tyler Myers coming back after an 11-game season and looking ready, this group should be much improved over last year. I’m also looking for a bit of a comeback year from Toby Enstrom, despite his age and injuries. Newcomer Dmitri Kulikov needs to shake off his injury-riddled year in Buffalo and get back to his best. I think he’ll be fine as a third-pairing D-man.

Jacob Trouba is the team’s best rearguard and his play should gallop forward — he’s closing in fast on elite status. Dustin Byfuglien will be the force we expect, driving the play forward more than not and making sure the opposition has its heads up. Josh Morrissey had an excellent rookie campaign and I’m looking forward to the smart, multi-talented defenceman continuing to grow his game.

Ben Chiarot is trying to hang on to the seventh spot with Tucker Poolman looking strong and ready to challenge.

This group should be able to handle a couple of injuries and still remain at a decent level of play this year.

Forwards Head coach Paul Maurice showcased one of the best lines in the NHL (on paper) during the first two games, with Patrick Laine and Blake Wheeler joining centre Mark Scheifele. Bryan Little between wingers Mathieu Perreault and Nikolaj Ehlers followed.

Their chemistry was noticeably absent, but that could be something that takes a little more time. We know Maurice can fall back to last year’s successful combinations if needed.

There were times last year this six-pack was almost unstoppable — I expect that to happen more frequently. I’m looking for their shot volume to increase as the young guns mature.

Adam Lowry and Joel Armia seem like locks for the third line, with Kyle Connor possibly joining them. That line lacked a scoring touch last year, and if Connor can figure out how to play with them, good things should happen.

The Jets basically have eight players competing for four remaining regular spots (Connor, Marko Dano, Nic Petan, Andrew Copp, Shawn Matthias, Matt Hendricks, Brendan Lemieux and Jack Roslovic: the last two are long shots).

This is where things get a bit dicey as we await the outcomes of player performances and the final decisions by the coaching staff. Having a significant fourth line that can hold its own driving play at even strength is the way to win in today’s game.

Special teams I believe the coaching staff will get the right players out there on the power play to get the Jets into the top half of the league. They have the talent to easily be a Top 10 team.

The penalty-killing unit needs to get there as well, but I don’t have as much confidence in it. It’s highly systems driven, with quick, smart players an asset and the goaltender being your best penalty killer. I need to see Maurice’s plan and player selections before going further here.

Coaches Regular readers know I haven’t liked some of Maurice’s systems and player deployment in the past, but he’s similar to around 20 other coaches in the league — an average NHL coach. They have good and bad traits, but can get a team like this into the playoffs.

Conclusion Many unknowns can throw a season upside down, but when a highly talented team fixes some key holes in its lineup, it’s time to take a stand.

Next week I’ll dig into some numbers, take a look at how high in the standings the Jets should finish, and which teams will drop down.

Winnipeg Sun http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/09/22/jets-bubble-guys-running-out-of-time

Jets' bubble guys running out of time

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

ST. PAUL — Through three games of pre-season action for the Winnipeg Jets, it’s safe to say the competition to nail down a roster spot at forward remains pretty wide open.

After dressing a lineup that was heavy on regulars through the first two outings, Thursday’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild featured a number of players who need to have a strong showing to either earn a job or carve out a larger role for themselves.

The Wild earned a 1-0 victory over the Jets on Jared Spurgeon’s second-period marker at Xcel Energy Center.

There has been plenty of attention paid to 2015 first-rounder Kyle Connor, who started last season with the Jets as a rookie and has been auditioning on the third line with Adam Lowry and Joel Armia.

Offensively, it’s been a quiet start to the pre-season for Connor, who has been held off the score sheet after finishing the season with 17 goals in his final 20 games and 25 markers.

Connor basically doubled his ice time to 16:37 on Thursday, though he was held without a shot on goal and has just one through two games.

“I think I’m starting to get into my game,” Connor said. “It is two pre-season games but you’ve got to bring it here and you’ve got to start right away in the pre-season here and show them what you got.

“They say it’s a results-oriented league. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing with a guy you’ve played with for 10 years or someone new. You still have to go out and battle and work hard.”

Maurice made it clear that his assessment of Connor goes beyond the point totals, though he stressed it was important to keep expectations in check.

“That’s what people want, to see skilled players score. This was a grinding kind of slogging game. He didn’t score,” Maurices said. “There’s lots of improvement in Kyle’s game. There are lots of really good things. He’s still a young man. He’s going to play for the Winnipeg Jets. He’s going to score a bunch of goals for us.

“When that starts, we’re not sure. He’s made huge strides in a year. There’s a lot to learn about the game of hockey and he’s got a really good skill set. But patience with Kyle is really important. I’ve got lots for him. I’ve got lots of time for him.”

Andrew Copp got an opportunity to move back to his natural position of centre for most of the game before being promoted to the top line with Adam Lowry and Connor during the third period after Joel Armia left with an undisclosed injury.

Jets winger Marko Dano is another guy who needs to pick up his play if he wants to secure a spot on the opening-day roster.

Dano had two shots on goal and one hit, but needs to show more to move ahead of the others looking for a job on the fourth line.

For most of training camp, the Jets have been focusing on the defensive zone, which is an area that requires the most attention if the club is to return to the .

With that in mind, it’s not a huge surprise the Jets have been a bit challenged offensively to this point.

It’s too early to sound any alarm bells, but it’s obvious the Jets would prefer to be generating a little more than they have so far.

It was a second consecutive strong outing for goalie Connor Hellebuyck, whose off-season work has provided a solid base from which to work from.

“He’s quite a bit physically stronger,” Maurice said. “He can hold the line, his original positioning is a little better. He’s not trying to do as many things and that just comes with maturity. Exhibition doesn’t matter for some veteran guys possibly, but goaltenders are a little different. He’s had two real nice outings for us and that’s a confidence builder.”

The Jets are back in action on Saturday at Rogers Place against the Edmonton Oilers, who are expected to ice a lineup that could include Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and a lot more regulars than came to Winnipeg on Wednesday.

It might be an exaggeration to say it’s the last chance for the bubble players to leave an impression, but it’s come to the point where most guys won’t want to leave anything to chance.

“We got a good start on it. The second chapter is in Edmonton,” said Maurice. “They’ve had their first opportunity and a lot of these guys will get one more and then we’ll get to a pretty thin group.” http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/09/21/robinson-aims-to-leave-mark

Robinson aims to leave mark Depth forward hoping to make the jump

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

ST. PAUL – Being a depth player is both a badge of honour and a label guys like Buddy Robinson hope to shed.

Robinson wasn’t a high profile signing by the Winnipeg Jets this past summer, nor was he an afterthought.

Every NHL organization is stocked with guys like Robinson, a 6-foot-6, 232-pound forward with impressive skating ability who has been a consistent scorer in the minors but has yet to make the full-time jump to the next level.

“It’s my fifth camp now, so you try to do what you do best,” said Robinson, who made his pre- season debut for the Jets on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. “You’ve got to show off your strengths. I’ve talked to the coaches a good amount and they say you’re here to sell something. For me, it’s my size and my speed. I need to use that. Get up and down the wing. Get pucks deep, chase them down, finish checks when I can and make some plays in the offensive zone. Be real responsible in the defensive zone.

“You don’t want to stray away from what you do best and try to do too much. That’s how you get noticed for the wrong reasons. You want to show the coaches they can trust you in every situation.”

Sounds simple enough in theory.

But when there’s an abundance of forwards ahead of you on the depth chart, striking the balance between being creative and getting noticed while not straying from the system isn’t always easy.

Players like Robinson can’t afford to play tentative, but they can’t really throw caution to the wind either.

Robinson, 26, is a late bloomer.

Born in Belmawr, New Jersey, Robinson always loved hockey but things really took off for him after a growth spurt in high school.

“I went into high school at 5-foot-8 and left at 6-foot-4. It was a big jump,” said Robinson. “I was buying a lot of clothes during that time. And I was kind of awkward on the ice for a year or two (after the growth spurt). But I’m glad it came. It would have been tough to break into the league at 5-foot-8 and size 13 skates.”

Robinson played two seasons of Tier II junior hockey in Canada before accepting a scholarship to Lake Superior State.

Following his sophomore season, Robinson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ottawa Senators.

A double-digit scorer in the AHL with Binghamton in each of his first three full pro seasons, Robinson also found success during a three-game recall to Ottawa, notching a goal and an assist.

“With every game you get, it’s more experience and feeling more and more comfortable,” said Robinson.

But after Guy Boucher took over as Senators head coach last season, Robinson managed to get into only four games and didn’t record a point.

In January, Robinson was shipped to the San Jose Sharks as part of a package that brought the Senators Tommy Wingels.

The news caught Robinson off guard, but he embraced the opportunity to go to a team in the thick of the playoff chase – the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate.

Robinson had 10 goals and 19 points in 33 games before adding four goals and nine points in 15 playoff games.

“It was definitely out of the blue. I was grocery shopping when I got the call and I wasn’t sure how to handle it,” said Robinson. “It was new but it was a welcome change. It helped that we went on a 14-game winning streak when I got there. That helped the transition a little bit. We got to the Western Conference final and I had a great time over there.

“Getting traded was a good learning experience. A good time in my career to move on and get some new eyes on you.”

After becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Robinson weighed his options before deciding on a new home.

“(The Jets) reached out early, which was a big sign for me,” said Robinson. “It’s nice to be wanted and they seemed to be really interested. We like (the Jets) size. They’ve got a big lineup and I fit in well into that category, you might say.

“I’m here to fight for a spot and show them I can play in the NHL. I still think I can make the team here. I’m going to show them I’m ready to compete in the NHL.” http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/09/21/jets-make-first-wave-of-cuts

Jets make first wave of cuts

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

ST. PAUL – The Winnipeg Jets began the process of getting down to manageable numbers on Thursday, reassigning four players to their respective junior clubs.

Those players included defencemen Luke Green (Sherbrooke Phoenix, QMJHL) and Leon Gawanke (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, QMJHL) and forwards Skyler McKenzie (Portland Winterhawks, WHL) and Brandon product Jordy Stallard (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL).

The Jets play their fourth of seven pre-season games on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers and they’re expected to make significant cuts on either Sunday or Monday.

After Thursday’s moves, the Jets still have 28 forwards, 16 defencemen and five goalies on their training camp roster.

Speaking of cuts, former Jets defenceman Mark Stuart was released from his pro tryout offer by the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Stuart, who had the final year of his contract bought out by the Jets in late June, appeared in one pre-season game with the Blackhawks – taking 16:15 of ice time (including 5:23 while shorthanded) in Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

NBC Sports http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/09/21/report-former-nhl-referee-devorski-to-stop-by-jets- camp/amp/

Report: Former NHL referee Devorski to stop by Jets camp

By Cam Tucker

There is heightened focus on penalties right now and the Winnipeg Jets have taken the step of bringing former NHL referee Paul Devorski to training camp for help.

The league is cracking down on slashes and faceoff infractions right now, although according to , Devorski’s influence at Jets camp will go beyond just those two calls.

From Sportsnet:

The retired NHL referee will be at training camp on Friday where he will officiate the team during battle drills to give Jets players a better sense of how to stay within the rules.

NHL teams reaching out to the league to consult on officiating is not new, but having a referee work on-ice with a team is a less common step.

Currently many NHL teams are consulting with the league over more hot-button issues like slashing and faceoff violations, but the Jets focus with Devorski will be on past issues.

Around the league, it will be interesting to see if there is an increase in the number of penalties called, especially early on, and if so, the possible impact that will have on the games once the regular season gets going next month.

Per Michael Traikos of the National Post, there had been 91 slashing penalties called through 19 exhibition games in which real-time statistics were kept prior to Wednesday’s slate of games.

“It definitely changes how you have to defend. Those reactionary slashes of the stick, taps to the hands, are so ingrained in a defenceman,” Eric Gryba told Sportsnet. “If they stay as rigid on the rules as they are right now… the whole makeup, landscape of the D-corps is going to change, from top to bottom. Everyone is going to have to be a better skater to defend.”

The new tweak on faceoffs has also garnered some critics. Like Brad Marchand. He isn’t a fan.

“The slashing [penalties] is one thing, but this face-off rule is an absolute joke. That’s how you ruin the game of hockey by putting that in there. They’re going to have to do something about that because we can’t play all year like that,” Marchand told CSNNE earlier this week.

“Basically you have to be a statue. You can’t move. It takes away from the center iceman. I think there was even a play [in the game I was watching] last night where a penalty was called on a 4-on-4 before play on the first penalty had even started because of a draw.”

While the Jets are seeking the knowledge of a seasoned official to help them stay out of the penalty box beyond slashing and faceoff violations, it seems the entire league is in for quite a learning experience over these next few weeks.

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/retired-referee-devorski-joining-jets-camp-help-penalty- issues/

Retired referee Devorski joining Jets camp to help with penalty issues

By Sean Reynolds

The Winnipeg Jets have reached out to the NHL for help tackling penalty issues that have plagued the team for some time, and they’ll get it in the form of Paul Devorski.

The retired NHL referee will be at training camp on Friday where he will officiate the team during battle drills to give Jets players a better sense of how to stay within the rules.

NHL teams reaching out to the league to consult on officiating is not new, but having a referee work on-ice with a team is a less common step.

Currently many NHL teams are consulting with the league over more hot-button issues like slashing and faceoff violations, but the Jets focus with Devorski will be on past issues.

Winnipeg has consistently been one of the most penalized teams in the league, finishing sixth, sixth and second in PIM’s over the last three seasons, respectively.

The Hockey News http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/five-teams-facing-tricky-waiver-situations-ahead-of- 2017-18-nhl-regular-season

FIVE TEAMS FACING TRICKY WAIVER SITUATIONS AHEAD OF 2017-18 NHL REGULAR SEASON

By: Jared Clinton

One week into training camp, teams have already started to make roster decisions. In some cases, that means returning players to their junior teams, sending AHL-ready skaters back to compete for jobs with the farm team or, in some cases, cutting veterans who were in camp on tryout agreements.

But over the next two weeks, as teams trim their rosters down to the 23-man group needed for opening night, things are going to get much more difficult. Not only will decisions have to be made about who is winning and losing jobs, but choices will have to be made about players who will potentially have to be lost for nothing. And those decisions could start as early as Friday afternoon when the NHL’s waiver wire officially opens.

Waivers have become a concern before the season starts over the past few years, too. Take last season, for instance. Before the NHL campaign was even a day old in 2016-17, six players had been moved along by waiver claims, with P-A Parenteau, Mike Condon and Martin Frk among them. In some cases, like that of Parenteau, it’s simply because there was no room for him on the squad. That’s what resulted in his move from the to the last year. For others, like Condon and Frk, it’s a numbers game. With only 23 roster spots and only so many waiver-exempt players, decisions, sometimes tough ones, have to be made that exposes a player with promise. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost Condon, and Detroit Red Wings, who lost and later got back Frk, didn't want to see either player leave, but roster limits dictated someone had to go. A few teams will be finding themselves in the latter scenario this season, too.

Here are five teams with waiver worries as the 2017-18 NHL season approaches:

WINNIPEG JETS A team as young as the Jets is bound to have a few waiver-exempt players among its ranks, and Winnipeg indeed does. The issue, however, is that there’s really no way Winnipeg should be sending any of those players down if the goal is to ice the best possible roster each and every night.

Let’s run down their list of waiver-exempt skaters. First, there’s Patrik Laine, who is coming off of a brilliant rookie campaign and is absolutely, positively, not getting sent down. Then there’s Nikolaj Ehlers, who, likewise, is all but guaranteed a top-six spot in Winnipeg this season. The third player who could be sent down without going through waivers is Josh Morrissey, but it makes no sense to send down one of the organization’s brightest young rearguards. Kyle Connor could also make the club, adding a fourth waiver-exempt player but resulting in a situation where two non-exempt players have to hit the wire. Thus, Winnipeg has some choices to make.

One possibility would be to send down a forward, of which the Jets have 14 on one-way deals. The most likely scenario up front would see summer signing Michael Sgarbossa sent to the AHL with the hopes he clears waivers without issue. The other course of action, though, would be to trim the goaltending ranks, where Steve Mason, Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson make up a crowded crease. Obviously, neither Mason or Hellebuyck will hit the waiver wire – the former was signed to bring stability to the position, the latter is still considered the future in goal. That leaves Hutchinson, who put up career-worst numbers last season and has slipped to third on the depth chart.

Thinning out the goaltending ranks for a team that struggled at the position isn’t exactly ideal, but neither is losing a forward signed only months ago. One or both may have to happen when Winnipeg makes its final cuts, though.

The Athletic Winnipeg https://theathletic.com//106385/2017/09/21/nhl-season-preview-winnipeg-jets/?redirected=1

NHL Season Preview: Winnipeg Jets

By Dom Luszczyszyn

Last season, I took a bit of flak any time I posted projections, and it almost always centred around one specific team: the Winnipeg Jets. On paper, the Jets were a seriously talented group and my model was a big fan of many Winnipeg players, which led to some lofty predictions during the season they never achieved.

The Jets should be better than how they've played. For a number of reasons, Winnipeg has struggled to put it all together on the ice and this season will be an important one in determining just how good this team actually is. Despite the disappointment of last season, I remain optimistic about the team’s chances this season. This is finally the year they’re going to put it all together. (Feel free to send me that sentence in April.)

GSAR/60 is Game Score Above Replacement Per 60 which measures a player's projected efficiency relative to a replacement level player at their position. GSVA is Game Score Value Added which is their GSAR/60 multiplied by their projected ice-time and then converted to wins.

No one wants to get burned by picking the Jets again after they failed to live up to previous hype, so this feels like a “The Prediction That Cried Jets” scenario. I get why fans are hesitant to pick the Jets, but like Carolina, this model isn't buying the previous hype. Before last season, my model projected an 18th place finish with 91 points, good for sixth in the Central and putting the Jets just outside the playoff picture. A now defunct model that I used the previous season wasn’t convinced either and had a similar projection for the 2015-16 season. As far as my math goes, this season is a first for calling the Jets a likely playoff team.

The basic premise for why The Jets Are Actually Good is that they have too many great players to fail (again). Because of all those past failures, they don’t get credit for how good they are either. Many of the players are young enough that they can still take big steps this season. The team had six forwards playing above a 55-point pace last season, a mark only matched by the Maple Leafs. That's a high level of production that gives them a top-six group few teams can compete with. It’s arguably one of the league’s best, and according to Game Score, it ranks third behind only Pittsburgh and Boston (the Bruins' top line is insanely good).

Blake Wheeler is the player at the top; he may seriously be the league’s most underrated superstar. He is rarely, if ever, mentioned among the league’s best players and is sometimes not even considered the best player on his own team. He ranked 26th on The Hockey News’s Top 50 players list, behind Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. I imagine when TSN’s list gets unveiled later this fall, it’ll be a similar story for him.

He’s been an elite play driver for most of his career and took an even bigger stride last season by notching a relative Corsi of 8.4 per cent. He’s a central catalyst for the Jets up front and that’s evident by their top centres all stumbling to an under 50 per cent shot share whenever they were without him on the ice. Wheeler rarely missed a beat. It’s no coincidence either that Scheifele had his best season once Wheeler became his primary linemate last season.

Over the last two seasons, Wheeler is 12th in points-per-game at 0.93 and fifth in relative Corsi at plus seven per cent. The only other players in the top 25 in both categories are Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand, Nikita Kucherov, John Tavares, Artemi Panarin and Joe Thornton. Not bad company, and Wheeler is nearly top 10 in both. It's why he deserves a heckuva lot more praise than what he’s currently getting.

It seems like that’s the case for a lot of Jets forwards and I suppose that’s what happens when you’re on a team that constantly disappoints. Scheifele had a point-per-game season last year, and it’s probably fair to still call him underrated (in fact our very own Pierre LeBrun did). Bryan Little is the team's second-line centre, and though he’s injured often, he’s usually good for a 60- point pace when healthy. Then there’s Mathieu Perreault who is basically the NHL’s answer to Rodney Dangerfield, a player so underrated it doesn’t even seem his own team is sold on him. He's sixth on that list of best relative possession rates from above, right behind Wheeler, and he’s been a secret star in that regard for his entire career.

Lastly, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers represent the future of this team. They’re not as underrated as the guys above, but I’m not sure many realize the value they already hold. They’re very young so they will only get better, too. They complete what looks to be an electric top six.

Unfortunately for the Jets, they have to ice six more forwards — that’s where some optimism turns into calculated caution. Some of their depth options are very lacklustre and the signing of Matt Hendricks looks largely unnecessary after the team finally got rid of Chris Thorburn. Hendricks is in Winnipeg to help on the penalty kill, but I’m not sure it’s worth it for how anemic he is at even strength.

There’s some decent kids on the roster that can make a difference at the bottom of the lineup though, like Kyle Connor and Marko Dano, but they’re largely unproven and haven’t looked great when they have played. If Connor can take a big step, that would be huge for this team. He was impressive in the AHL and might be the key to unlocking this team’s potential. His presence would allow the team to ice a more balanced top nine instead of stacking their top two lines. He’s got the talent and upside to do it as soon as this season.

The Jets' defence is similar to the forwards — the top is really good and the rest is a bit more questionable. Dustin Byfuglien is a beast on the blue line, though he is a bit overrated by this model in a similar vein to Brent Burns and Dougie Hamilton: big points, big shots, big offence, that make up for some spotty defence. He’s not exactly the most disciplined player either. Overall, he's still likely better than his reputation. Jacob Trouba is one of the game’s best young defencemen and he gives the team first-pair talent on their second pair. With Tyler Myers (who I believe is better than his current reputation thanks largely to an ugly situation in Buffalo) on the third pair, the Jets have a lot of strength on the right side. Myers's lengthy injury last season was an underreported reason for Winnipeg’s struggles in 2016-17.

The left side isn’t so rosy, but it’s at least not as terrible as last season. Josh Morrissey was a revelation in his rookie season and really came into his own near the end. He could make another jump this season with a bigger role in the top four. That should push Tobias Enstrom further down the lineup, and for good reason. He’s not as effective as he once was. I wasn’t a fan of the Dmitry Kulikov signing, but he can’t be as bad as he was last year. He is guaranteed to have a better partner on the right than anyone he played with in Buffalo last season. A more sheltered role could lead to a bounce-back year for him.

The team has a decent starting six and while there are some warts, this lineup is better than the one last year that included names like Mark Stuart, Ben Chiarot or Nelson Nogier.

And the defence will need to be better this year because yet again, the Jets' biggest issue is goaltending. They had the third-worst save percentage last season — an abysmal .900 — and were equally bad no matter the situation, finishing fourth-last at 5-on-5 and fifth-last on the penalty kill. That’s not good enough and if it continues this year, it will kill their hopes of being a potential playoff team. Only two other playoff teams were in the bottom 10 last season. They were both ousted in the first round.

Winnipeg added Steve Mason in free agency, and while he’s probably an upgrade over Connor Hellebuyck or Michael Hutchinson, it's not by much. Mason looked like he was turning a corner in Philadelphia a few years ago, but his save percentage has dropped in consecutive seasons, and he looked much closer to the Columbus version of himself last season. Of course, he can bounce back, though, and while he may not be a saviour, he does bring some healthy competition to the crease, which is something the team lacked last season. No matter the result, Hellebuyck kept getting sent out, which had to have done a number on his confidence. Having another capable goalie in the fold should make both of them better.

The defence also did very few favours for the goalies last year, who were routinely left hung out to dry. With a better group defending them this season, that shouldn’t be as big of a problem this year. Winnipeg was in the league's bottom five for goals-against last year. But with improvements in net and on the backend, it’s hard to see them being that porous again. It won’t be a strength by any means, but it shouldn’t be that bad again either. If it is, then expect them to be closer to the low end of their projection range than the high end – that makes the playoffs less likely.

The other big problem from last season is the team’s woeful special teams. For a team with this much firepower, there’s no reason they should be below average on the power play. They’ve been bad for the entirety of Paul Maurice’s tenure as coach. Same thing goes for their penalty kill, which only had a brief bit of moderate success a few years ago. I’m not an expert tactician, so I can’t determine what’s wrong with either special-teams unit, but for this to be a problem for this long is maddening. The fact that the team is among the least disciplined in the league only exacerbates the issue.

As it turns out, special-teams play has been an issue that has plagued Maurice for most of his coaching career, especially post-lockout. It’s one of the few things that the coach has direct influence on, and for his teams to be this consistently poor at them is a telling sign of his ability (aside from the fact that he’s been to the playoffs five times in a 20-year career). The last time he had a collectively above average special teams was nearly two decades ago.

That is one reason why I thought his recent extension was a highly questionable decision, specifically the timing of it. This is a big year for the Jets to finally prove that they’re ready to win. On paper, it looks like they’ve got a lot of things going for them, but as we saw last year, that doesn't necessarily matter for this team. A lot of the blame falls on the coach for failing to get the most out of this roster, which is why I think this season should’ve started with Maurice on the hot seat rather than with extra job security.

As currently constructed, on paper, this is a good team. But the Jets need to show they can make it work on the ice. Maurice needs to put the right pieces together to make it work. The talent is there, but that’s not enough anymore, especially in the tough Central division where even an optimistic forecast still considers them the fifth-best team with the sixth best not too far behind. They have massive potential, but they need to start turning it into results. I’m betting this is the season they finally do. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-blanked-by-veteran-wild/c-291246452 (INTERVIEWS INCLUDED)

Jets blanked by veteran Wild Connor Hellebuyck stops 22 of 23 in the loss by Ryan Dittrick @ryandittrick / WinnipegJets.com

ST. PAUL, MN - With more than 10 regulars back home in Winnipeg to give the kids and "bubble" guys at least one more look, the baby Jets had something to prove with the ever- watchful eyes of the coaching and scouting staff looking on, pen in hand.

For the most part, the Jets gave their opponents a run for their money, but the offence didn't come easy and the Wild escaped with a slim, 1-0 victory.

"These guys have been here for five or six days. They had a pretty good handle on what we were trying to do, so we were able to take a young group in here and keep it tight, keep it close and play a pretty smart game," said Head Coach Paul Maurice.

Jared Spurgeon scored the game's only goal midway through the second period after the home side pressed in the Winnipeg zone for nearly a minute. Spurgeon took a pass from Charlie Coyle, walked in off the right circle and buried a shot high over the blocker to give his team the only lead they would need.

Connor Hellebuyck finished with 22 saves in a losing cause.

While the Wild iced a veteran lineup more closely resembling their opening-night roster, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Bryan Little, Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom, Tyler Myers, Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Morrissey, Steve Mason and more stayed behind for the Jets.

But it was a hard-fought game from the youngsters and according to Matt Hendricks, they deserved a better fate.

"There was a lot more experience over in their lineup and I applaud our group," he said. "There was a lot of work ethic out there, we worked hard in the dirty, tough areas. I give Hellebuyck a lot of credit - he made the big saves when he had to. I thought we deserved a goal tonight, at least, and force that one into overtime.

"It was a team game tonight. A real detailed game by our group."

With fewer penalties (only six minors), Maurice was able to get everyone into the game, and put individuals into situations where they could succeed.

Kyle Connor, for example, had a better night after and believes his game is starting to round into form after playing only eight minutes in Monday's preseason opener.

"We're only two preseason games in, but you've got to start right away and show (the coaches) what you can do," he said. "Going into this one I knew I was going to get more opportunities to play on the power play, and it felt good to get some more touches and really harness my game."

"You always want to see skilled players score," Maurice added. "It was a slogging, grinding-type game. He didn't score, but there's a lot of improvement in Kyle's game. He's still a young player and he's going to play for the Winnipeg Jets and score a bunch of goals for us. When that starts, I'm not sure."

Defenceman Cameron Schilling was also among the standouts, playing 21:21 alongside Jacob Trouba on the top D pair. Schilling, who signed a free-agent contract with the Jets back on Jul. 1, had two hits, two blocks and good in his own end all game - a fine night for the 28-year-old.

Trailing by one, the Jets' hopes of tying the game were quashed in the final two minutes when back-to-back minor penalties gave the Wild a 5-on-3 for the rest of the game. First, it was Brendan Lemieux called for hooking and then just 23 seconds later, JC Lipon was flagged for a faceoff violation.

While the opening frame was curiously devoid of goals an umpteen power-play chances due to the NHL's crackdown on slashing, it was, in fact, Winnipeg's best period of the preseason. The Jets officially recorded only five shots on Minnesota goalie Alex Stalock, but the pace was good, they were sound in their own end and their breakout passes were decisive and clean, giving their skilled forwards time and space to make a play up ice.

But on this night, they just didn't have the firepower.

"This was pretty close to a lot of the games in the NHL. Different talent level, but there's no easy ice and this type of game is so new to young players," Maurice said. "Every shift, someone's on you and you've got to check someone when they've got the puck. There was a lot I liked about the game in terms of helping me decide what that group is going to look on."

Hendricks closed his post-game interview by offering some advice to some of the younger players fighting for a roster spot:

"It's all about bringing what you bring. Be the type of player a coach can rely on in tough situations and find your niche, your role on a team and in the locker room. You have to make every day count and be consistent at it day and day out."

Only four games remain before we get going for real.

Clock's ticking.