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Home , Brett Lernout, Daniel Audette, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Manitoba Moose, Mason Appleton, Patrice Cormier

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/armias-recent-performance-paved-his- way-back-onto-the-roster-after-rocky-start-to-season-459150203.html

Armia's recent performance paved his way back onto the roster after rocky start to season

By: Jason Bell

LOS ANGELES – didn’t like the view from the proverbial doghouse, and, although his stint was brief, he’s been taking all the necessary steps the last five weeks to avoid another frustrating stay.

The Jets right was relegated to the press box for a pair of games early in the season, not because of a specific injury but because of his sub-par play.

He wasn't the lone struggler in lopsided losses to the and Calgary Flames, but his performance as a bottom-six was, in a word, uninspired. Head coach chalks that up now to the fact Armia was hobbled early in training camp by a nagging groin injury and, when the season began, simply wasn’t in 100 per cent game shape.

Armia has participated in 15 of the last 16 games and has been a valuable contributor on the fourth line and special teams, including registering three assists in his last two games.

Did Maurice’s attempt to send a message to the 24-year-old Finn strike a chord?

"It's always tough to not play. You want to be out there every night," Armia said, earlier this week. "I'm starting to play better and better, I try to work hard every day and play at the best level that I can."

Armia set up Mathieu Perreault's rather sneaky third-period , a purposely played bank shot off the back of goalie Pekka Rinne's leg with less than four minutes left, but the Jets (7-3-0 in the last 10 games) had to settle for a 5-3 loss to the Predators, signalling a quick end to their four-game winning streak.

Winnipeg had an off-day in Los Angeles Tuesday but returns to the ice Wednesday against the Kings (3-6-1 in the last ten matches). Game time is 9:30 p.m. at Staples Center.

Armia, thoughtful and soft-spoken, says he understands why his services weren’t required against the Oilers and during the second week of October.

"I know I didn't play good the first couple of games and I knew I could do a lot better. It was a good thing I didn't play those games, it was a good thing for me," he said. "In practice, I worked my way back into the lineup.

"(The key is) hard work, every time I go on the ice or in the gym I try to do a little extra something to get better. When it's in your head that you know you're working hard, you get more confident, too."

Armia might finally be poised to shed the footnote that accompanies just about any assessment of his play, past or current. The knock on him since he was drafted in the first round (16th overall) in 2011 NHL Draft by the , subsequently traded to the Jets in 2014 as part of the mammoth Evander Kane deal, and a member of the Winnipeg organization? Inconsistency.

A driver on some nights, a passenger on many others.

Newcomer Matt Hendricks says he’s only seen one side of his linemate. The veteran has come to trust the reliability of Armia’s contribution not only to a recently assembled trio that includes Perreault but the club as a whole.

"Night in, night out, and every day at practice, he continues to work hard to get better. I look at him almost as that Swiss army knife of a player," commented Hendricks, on the value of Armia’s versatility. "He's pretty darn good on faceoffs on his strong side, he's playing on the power play but he could easily be thrown out on the kill more and more. He's done a heck of a job five on five.

"What I like about him… you can tell he's a Finnish player. He’s very defensive in terms of always being above the puck, always being above their offensive guys. So, if I get caught in a vulnerable position on the forecheck I know he's always going to be back there backing me up because he seems to keep his head on a swivel and knows where his players are. He's got a very cerebral feeling for the game of hockey."

At 6-3, 205 pounds, Armia is a big body and has demonstrated he can protect the puck while making the occasional shifty move. Just the other night at Bell MTS Place, he orchestrated a pretty goal, threading a saucer pass through Philadelphia Brandon Manning's legs to Perreault's stick blade.

Defensively, he’s taken big strides, and his name is appearing on NHL scoresheets with some regularity. He has a goal and four assists in his last five games and three goals and five helpers in all.

"I just try to get to those places where I can make plays.. when you work hard and you have confidence in what you do, you get more chances," said Armia.

The Hendricks-Perreault-Armia unit has provided five goals in Winnipeg's last three games. Perreault was inserted onto the line as a way of managing his minutes after he returned from a foot injury that shelved him for a dozen games, but chemistry has kicked in.

Maurice says he'll keep the trio intact for the time being. Perreault and Hendricks previously played on a line together in Washington and their familiarity is producing results.

Armia, with only 118 NHL games under his belt, is complementing the wily veterans – for now.

Maurice said the young pro responded well to being scratched and has pushed to keep a forward job in the starting 12. With depth in the organization – Marko Dano and Shawn Matthias are the extra forwards in Winnipeg, while has NHL experience and proved in a recent stint he's nearly ready – Armia can't afford to coast for even a shift.

"If you're out of the lineup, you need to be a little nervous, a little worried. So, when you come back in, make an impact, steal someone's job, fight for the ice time," said Maurice. "Maturity, finding his game... (Armia's) kind of gone from originally when he was drafted and then finding his way to the fourth lines and into the grinding roles and killing penalties because he does have a very good defensive stick. But power play and some skill plays are where he can excel.

"His game has gotten faster. Now he's moving, now he gets the time, so everything snowballs for him, he's feeling confident so he's playing better." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/moose-sock-it-to-rocket- with-3-2-shootout-win-459225383.html

Moose sock it to Rocket with 3-2 shootout win

By: Mike McIntyre

There's an old adage that you don't mess with a winning lineup. But don't hold Moose coach to that – he continues to mix things up despite a recent run of success for his club.

Manitoba's 3-2 shootout win over Laval Tuesday night at Bell MTS Place was their fourth victory in a row and eighth in the past nine games. The team has only lost twice in regulation in their past 14 games (10-2-2) and are among the 's top teams so far this season with an overall record of 12-5-2.

It's an impressive start, especially for a team that was well out of the playoff picture the past two seasons. But Vincent said they can't lose sight of the fact the Moose are a developmental club looking to get players ready to take the next step, namely a promotion to the .

"The organization is trying to find ways to get better. learning your game, learning your team, the combination and the synergy between players. We're still early in the season. It's the right time to do it," Vincent explained of his line juggling.

Nic Petan would be a prime example. Demoted by the Jets earlier this season, Petan has seen time playing different positions with different players. Last week he was on the left wing with as his centre. On Tuesday, he was in the middle of a line with fellow top prospects and Brendan Lemieux.

Roslovic, the team's leading scorer, has played both centre and right wing recently.

Mason Appleton, named the AHL's player of the week on Monday, hasn't been slowed by the fact he's bounced around playing both left and right wing over the past week. His linemates have included Michael Spacek (who has also rotated between different lines playing both centre and right wing), (who has played left wing and centre in recent games), J.C. Lipon, and .

"When things are going well, you're winning some games, you can't be standing still. Once you start doing that, I don't think its the right way to approach success or failure. So it's just trying to find different ways to get better and find synergy between players," said Vincent.

He said the fact there are so many players on his roster who have played centre in their careers gives him more flexibility. And another piece of the puzzle is trying to figure out where a prospect might fit in with the Jets. For example, Roslovic's quickest path to the NHL is likely on the wing rather than at centre, which means it's probably in everyone's best interest to give him as much seasoning at that position as possible.

Vincent has also been trying to balance out the offence, and the result these days is four Moose lines which are all capable of scoring and defending — not unlike the parent club.

Cormier, the veteran of the club, thinks Vincent is also trying to ensure complacency doesn't enter the room.

"We talked about it in the room after our last game. We were winning, but far from our best. So changing the lines a little bit, I think it keeps us on our toes a little bit," said Cormier.

In Tuesday's game, Sgarbossa scored a pair of second period goals 40 seconds apart to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. His first, on the power play, came on a beautiful pass from Spacek. His second was a deflection of a shot by defenceman . Sgarbossa is now up to eight goals on the year, second only to Roslovic's 10.

Laval tied the game on their own power play late in the second period.

After a scoreless third, the teams traded chances in three-on-three overtime. Moose goalie stopped Daniel Audette on a breakaway, then had another Laval shot go off the post seconds later. However, neither team could score, setting the stage for a shootout.

Petan and Lemieux scored in the skills competition, while Comrie shut the door on three of the four Laval shooters to give his team a sweep of the four-game homestand. Coupled with the Jets going three-for-three at home over the past week, the two clubs just won seven times in eight days in their home rink.

Manitoba will look to continue their winning ways as they hit the road for a three-game trip beginning Friday night in Grand Rapids against the defending champions.

**FROM MONDAY** https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/two-goals-two-assists-from- appleton-give-moose-5-2-victory-over-laval-rocket-458683033.html

Appleton shows up big-time in Moose victory over Rocket

By: Mike McIntyre

Mason Appleton knows the odds. There aren’t a lot of sixth-round picks who become regulars in the National Hockey League.

But the 21-year-old right-winger from Green Bay, Wis., seems determined to prove any doubters wrong as he continues to tear up the American Hockey League in his rookie season.

Appleton had a monster game on Sunday afternoon at Bell MTS Place, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists to lead the to a 5-2 victory over the , the farm team of the .

Appleton — chosen by the with the 168th-overall selection in the 2015 draft — is up to five goals and 12 assists in his first 18 professional games after finishing up a fine collegiate career with Michigan State University. That puts him in a tie for 13th in the AHL in scoring, and third in the league among rookies.

"Regardless of the score, I’ve got to play to my strengths and play my game of hockey. It was good to get the win, obviously, and to play a complete game," a modest Appleton said following his best offensive game so far. "There’s just times you get those bounces and you get lucky like that, but it comes from doing the right things — it’s good karma."

The Moose are now 11-5-2 on the season, having won three straight and seven of their past eight games. They’ve also collected points in 11 of their last 13 games (9-2-2).

"I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I just knew I had a good summer of hard work, and then came into the season in as best shape as possible, and from there, just work as hard as I can and do the things I can to get into the lineup and establish myself as the forward I am," Appleton said of his first-year expectations.

Moose captain Patrice Cormier, who had two assists on Sunday, including one on Appleton’s first goal, was quick to dish out praise.

"Confidence is high, obviously. Four points tonight, but the next game, he’s going to play the same way. Maybe he doesn’t get a point, but he’s always good on the walls, neutral zone, always does the right play, if the guy’s open he gives it, if not the puck’s deep, forechecks hard. Been a great teammate also. Nothing but positive from that guy," Cormier said.

Manitoba fell behind early on Sunday, as Laval’s Yannick Veilleux ripped a shot past Michael Hutchinson just 33 seconds into the game.

"We can laugh about it now, but it was like, ‘Uh oh,’" Cormier said of the start. "But you could kind of tell after the shift after, everybody had legs, the bench was good. We just grinded them out, the way we forecheck, the way we break out the pucks, we can be a frustrating team to play against. And that’s what we did."

Appleton tied it with just over five minutes left in the period, redirecting a pass by linemate Francis Beauvillier on a play started by Cormier.

Rookie Michael Spacek put the Moose ahead early in the second period, scoring his first professional goal. After Daniel Carr tied it on a Laval power play, the Moose exploded for three goals before the middle frame was over.

Appleton got his second of the game, this time on the power play. And then Chase De Leo knocked home a rebound for his third of the season. Buddy Robinson capped off a great 20 minutes by scoring on a three-on-one rush with less than a second remaining in the period. Robinson now has seven goals on the year.

Hutchinson finished the day with 27 saves on 29 shots, improving his record to 5-1-1 through seven starts.

"Our team is pretty confident right now," said coach Pascal Vincent, who mixed his lines around to start the game despite the recent run of success. He said it’s part of trying to find the best fit for the many pieces within the organization.

Vincent said he didn’t put any expectations on Appleton coming into the season — but he is certainly impressed by what he’s seen.

Vincent has used him in multiple roles including on the power play and penalty kill.

"He’s playing big, he’s moving his feet, he’s respecting the game, he’s respecting the way he’s playing the game. He’s using his skills really good," Vincent said. "It’s what we do here. We’re giving people opportunities to play their game. And a guy like Mason has taken advantage of the whole thing."

Manitoba will look to sweep its four-game homestand when it hosts Laval again on Tuesday night.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/five-keys-for-jets-vs-kings

Five keys for Jets vs Kings

By Ken Wiebe

Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings

9:30 pm CT, Staples Center, TV: TSN. Radio: TSN 1290

THE BIG MATCHUP Mark Scheifele vs Drew Doughty

The Jets’ top centre continues to be consistent with his production, chipping in eight goals and nine assists during the past 11 games to tie linemate for the lead in team scoring. Doughty does it all for the Kings, averaging a team-high 26:48 of ice time while excelling at both ends of the ice.

KEYS TO THE GAME Bounce-back on horizon? The Jets had seemingly solved their second-period woes during the previous four games, outscoring opponents 10-1, to trim their goal differential to minus-3 in the middle stanza. But on Monday, the Predators took control of the game by scoring three times and allowing none, forcing the Jets to play with desperation during the third period. The Jets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped Monday, haven’t lost consecutive games in regulation since starting the season 0-2.

Tighten up the PK The Jets moved near the middle of the pack on the penalty kill with a stretch that included killing off 15 of 16 penalties, but they allowed two goals on three opportunities during the second period against the Predators. The Kings feature the top penalty-killing unit in the NHL, so special teams could be a factor in this game.

Perreault heating up In three games since returning from a leg injury that had him on the shelf for 12 games, Jets forward Mathieu Perreault has provided an offensive spark, producing four goals and five points. He’s long been known as someone that can help get guys around him going and the Jets currents have a few candidates they’d like to see a bit more offensive production from.

Keep tabs on Kopitar After seeing a sharp decline in his play after signing a massive contract extension, Kings centre Anze Kopitar is on top of his game. With nine goals and 23 points in 21 games, Kopitar leads his team in scoring and he’s also leading his team in ice time (22:18).

As Quick as they come Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has quickly shown that when healthy, he’s back among the top puck-stoppers in the NHL. Quick, who missed a big chunk of last season with a knee injury, is 9- 7-1 this season, with two shutouts, a 2.47 goals-against average and .926 save %. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/high-grades-for-jets-in-first-quarter-yet- room-for-improvement

High grades for Jets in first quarter: yet room for improvement

By Ken Wiebe

LOS ANGELES – The Winnipeg Jets find themselves in rare air these days.

Tied for third in the NHL in points % (.675), tied for fourth in the NHL in points (27), second in the Central Division standings and second in the Western Conference.

Although expectations for this group were higher going into the season after missing the playoffs the past two springs, it’s tough to imagine many predicted this is where the Jets would be sitting after the first quarter of the campaign.

Especially after the gruesome 0-2 start that the Jets have worked hard to put in their rear view mirror.

Those early days of far-to-frequent backdoor tap-ins, odd-man rushes and defensive dysfunction seem like a distant memory, though the Jets would like to continue to tighten things up a bit more as they continue a busy month.

As is the case with each and every team, the Jets have ample things to work on.

But to this stage, the Jets deserve some credit for putting themselves in a strong position.

There have been plenty of strong individual showings in the first quarter, starting with goalie , who began the season as the backup but has been between the pipes in 15 of the past 18 games.

“(Hellebuyck) is playing great,” said Jets forward Mathieu Perreault. “That solves a lot of problems, when the goalie makes the key saves at key times. He’s done that for us all year.”

Hellebuyck’s resurgence after enduring some ups-and-downs during his first full season as an NHL starter has been impressive.

It’s obvious Hellebuyck put in the physical work in the summer, but the more impressive part has been his mental toughness.

It would have been easy for Hellebuyck to feel a bit hard done by.

Instead of sulking about his situation, Hellebuyck stayed ready and made his opportunity count when the door opened for him.

With a record of 11-2-2, a goals-against average of 2.45 and .925 save %, Hellebuyck finds himself among the league leaders in most goalie categories.

Another thing he’s been able to do is limit the of soft goals he’s allowed.

Far too many times last year, Hellebuyck gave up a weak one that seemed to let the air out of the Jets collective balloon.

Those have been few and far between so far this season and it’s a big reason Hellebuyck has only been pulled from a start once.

Hellebuyck’s excellent netminding has masked a few defensive shortcomings, but for the most part, the Jets are cleaning up things in their own zone – working to limit the high-danger opportunities against, keeping shots to the outside and trying to keep the second and third rebound chances to a minimum.

Discipline was a major concern coming into the season as the Jets had made a habit of being near the top of the NHL in minors and were looking to cut down on the unnecessary stick fouls that have plagued them.

For the most part, that goal has been realized, as the Jets sit 15th in penalty minutes taken per game (10), even though there has been a league-wide crackdown on slashing.

As for special teams, the Jets have shown some improvement on the penalty kill but gave up two goals in three opportunities on Monday against the Nashville Predators and slipped to 21st in the efficiency rankings.

But the Jets power play is vastly improved, holding down the sixth spot in the league.

Secondary scoring – or a lack thereof – was an issue early in the season, but the Jets have been getting more contributions throughout the lineup during the past 10 games and appear to be trending in a positive direction on that front.

Playoff tickets aren’t punched in November, but instead of chasing the teams above the playoff line after 20 games, the Jets are a club most others are looking up at right now.

There’s a long way to go, with 62 games remaining, but by tying the 2006-07 for the best start in franchise history, the Jets have put themselves in an enviable position.

American Thanksgiving has been a pretty good predictor for future success, since 80% of teams above the line at that point during the past four seasons remaining in a playoff spot at the end of the 82-game schedule.

“We’ve been playing pretty good hockey. But at the same time, there’s a lot of hockey left,” said Jets defenceman . “Every team, when you go into training camp, if you’d said you’d be on the positive things at that 20-game mark, you would take it, of course – because those points are important and hard to make up later on. It’s a grind every day in this league. It’s one of those things where you have to be ready to play every night. It’s a battle on Day 1 and then it gets harder every game of the season. And then it goes up another level for the playoffs.

“But we’re happy with our start, for sure.”

With that in mind, here are the grades for the positions through 20 games:

Goalies (A) Hellebuyck has been exceptional, even though there have been a few hiccups of late as he’s given up five goals in three of his past seven starts. However, in 11 of 15 starts, he’s given up two goals or fewer, which is an impressive standard to reach. After giving up 16 goals in his first three starts, has settled into a groove, giving up only three goals in his past three appearances (two starts and a third period of relief against the . The Jets were looking for stability at the goalie position this season and to this point, this tandem has done just that – especially after an 0-2 start that had more to do with defensive breakdowns than shoddy goaltending.

Defence (B) After having the top-six blue-liners together for all of one full period last season, the Jets have been mostly healthy on the back end – until Toby Enstrom suffered a longer-term lower-body issue in Game 19 against the . Although there have been some tough outings individually and collectively, the Jets defence corps is vastly improved from last season and seem to be trending upward. The depth is being tested right now with Enstrom out for eight weeks, but having Ben Chiarot and as the seventh and eighth guys is paying dividends. Dustin Byfuglien’s ice time has been scaled back a few minutes, but he’s remained productive and has been engaged physically during the past several games. Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey have embraced the shutdown role, while the return of Tyler Myers from a series of injuries and the addition of Dmitry Kulikov via free agency give the Jets three steady pairings.

Forwards (B+) Wheeler and Scheifele have been a dynamic duo and continue to push each other to be better players, leading the way both on and off the ice. has done a nice job meshing with them on the top line since being recalled from the minors. Although the secondary scoring has improved, the Jets need to get production throughout the lineup as the season wears on to avoid being a team that relies on its top line to score each and every night. It’s been a slow offensive start for veteran pivot Bryan Little, but he’s shown signs of life of late. Finnish sniper Patrik Laine is slightly behind the impressive pace he set last season, but still projects to eclipse the 36 goals he scored as a rookie. Nikolaj Ehlers was flying out of the gate and already has eight goals, but he’s been limited to one assist during the past seven games.

Coaching/management (B) Jets head coach Paul Maurice has done a nice job during the first quarter of the season. Elite- level goaltending will help any coach do a better job. And being mostly healthy this season has allowed Maurice to have more depth on the roster than at any point since the Jets relocated in 2011. Sure, the penalty kill remains a work in progress but the power play is improved. The same goes for discipline, as the Jets took steps to eliminating the parades to the penalty box. So give credit where credit is due, as Maurice has provided a glimpse of why he received a multi-year contract extension during the off-season. Jets probably envisioned bigger roles (which still may come) for his two significant unrestricted free- agent signings, but Mason and Kulikov have added depth at two important positions. Cheveldayoff also gets a strong grade for locking up Ehlers and Little to extensions going into the regular season, though value of those deals won’t be fully known until a few years down the road.

Winnipeg Jets: by the numbers through 20 games (league rank as of Nov. 21, 2017) Record: 12-5-3 (T4) Home record: 7-2-1 Road record: 5-3-2 ROW (Regulation and overtime wins): 11 (T5) Goals for: 66 (T6) Goals for per game: 3.30 (6) Goals against: 56 (T11) Goals against per game: 2.80 (12) Goal differential: plus-10 (6) Power play %: 22.7 (T6) Penalty killing %: 78.4 (21) Shots on goal/game: 28.4 (31st) Shots against/game: 33.5 (27) Team save %: .917 (8) Penalty minutes/game: 10 (15) Minor penalties: 82 (T10) Major penalties: 3 (24)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Points: Mark Scheifele/Blake Wheeler 25 Goals: Mark Scheifele 11 Assists: Blake Wheeler 20 Game-winning goals: Nikolaj Ehlers 3 Power-play points: Mark Schefiele/Blake Wheeler 9 Power play goals: Patrik Laine 5 Power play assists: Blake Wheeler 8 Shots on goal: Blake Wheeler 62 Shooting %: Mathieu Perreault 29.4% Faceoff % (among regular centres): Bryan Little 57.0% Time On Ice: Dustin Byfuglien 24:15 Plus-minus: Mark Scheifele/Dustin Byfuglien plus-8 Wins: Connor Hellebuyck 11 Losses: Steve Mason 3 GAA: Connor Hellebuyck 2.45 Save %: Connor Hellebuyck 925 Shots faced: Connor Hellebuyck 495 Saves made: Connor Hellebuyck 458 Goals allowed: Connor Hellebuyck 37 Minutes played: Connor Hellebuyck 906

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/3874084/mike-sgarbossa-nets-a-pair-as-manitoba-moose-win-4th- straight/

Mike Sgarbossa nets a pair as Manitoba Moose win 4th straight

By Russ Hobson Sports Anchor/Reporter

WINNIPEG – It was a flawless homestand for the Manitoba Moose.

The Moose put the finishing touches on a perfect four game homestand with a 3-2 shootout victory over the visiting Laval Rocket on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place. The win stretched Manitoba’s win streak to four straight games and they now have victories in eight of their last nine games overall.

“We moved the puck well.” Moose head coach Pascal Vincent said. “Was it perfect ? No, but it was pretty good I thought.”

After the Rocket opened the scoring Mike Sgarbossa scored two goals in the span of just 40 seconds in the middle frame. He just missed the hat trick after hitting the goal post in the third period.

“Giving up that first goal is not ideal but I think we responded well and stuck to the system.” Sgarbossa said. “We knew it was going to be a hard game. I liked our compete level.”

Eric Comrie made 26 stops including a huge save on a breakaway in the overtime period. He also stopped three of the four attempts in the shootout. Nic Petan and Brendan Lemieux scored in the shootout for the Moose.

It was their second straight victory over Laval after a 5-2 triumph on Sunday.

“We knew that team was going to come out with some jam.” Moose defenceman said. “Coming off a loss last game, so we knew we kinda had to weather the storm if you will.”

The Moose have 26 points in 19 games this year to tie the for the most points in the AHL this season.

Antoine Waked and Chris Terry replied with goals for the Montreal Canadiens top affiliate in the loss.

The Moose played the bulk of the contest with five defenceman after Jake Kulevich left the game with an undisclosed injury.

Winnipeg native and former member of the MJHL’s Brett Lernout was held without a point for Laval.

The Moose will now hit the road for three straight games in three different cities. The trip opens on Friday against the defending Calder Cup champion . They’ll face the Admirals on Saturday before wrapping up the trip on Tuesday against the Rockford IceHogs.

The Athletic NHL https://theathletic.com/162374/2017/11/21/lebrun-notebook-canadiens-still-in-wait-and-see- mode-more-oilers-tinkering-to-come/

LeBrun Notebook: Canadiens still in wait-and-see mode, more Oilers tinkering to come?

By Pierre LeBrun

To suggest the Montreal hockey market is a powder keg these days, well, that might be putting it mildly.

There is anger beyond anger and a lot of it is directed at Canadiens GM .

It is always interesting to hear what other teams think when things like this are happening.

For starters, Bergevin is still held in good esteem by his colleagues, and they empathize with how things are for him in his market right now. “I feel bad for Marc,’’ is a comment I’ve gotten from a dozen or so hockey execs over the past week.

The only thing that truly matters, though, is how Habs owner Geoff Molson feels. And I’m told that has remained constant including through the tough losses to Arizona and Toronto of late, Molson very much still believes in his GM, the GM’s staff and a roster which I’m told he believes is better than it has shown even if like the rest of us, obviously also sees its shortcomings.

Which is to say, don’t expect any drastic, panicky moves from the Habs owner anytime soon.

Now, if the Canadiens miss the playoffs, no question it’s a natural time if you’re the owner to look at everything. But for the time being, my sense is that Molson still believes in the man running his hockey team.

In chatting with team execs around the league over the past few days, one popular answer I got about what they would do if they were Bergevin is not do anything until you see what franchise goalie Carey Price does when he finally returns and how it impacts the team.

Which, of course, makes sense although they’re not the ones sitting in a frying pan in Montreal with a fan base losing its mind.

One thing I was wondering about: the Habs will have three second-round picks in June once Mikhail Sergachev appears in 40 games with Tampa Bay, which appears like a foregone conclusion now, and the Canadiens get that second-round pick back (Montreal will have their own second-rounder, plus Washington’s and Chicago’s).

Could those picks be in play? One source told The Athletic on Tuesday that Bergevin does not intend to trade away draft picks at this point. And if that’s the case, it tells you the GM certainly has a firm grasp of his team’s big picture given the start to the season.

OILERS TRADE MARKET So what do you do if you’re the Edmonton Oilers now?

There's no easy fix, that is for sure.

But if I’m GM Peter Chiarelli, I continue to tinker. Even smaller moves, one at a time, can change the mix. He acquired winger Mike Cammalleri last week in a move I don’t mind at all.

Judging from sources I’ve talked to over the last few days, I think tinkering on the blueline is something he’s looking at. Veteran blueliner Andrej Sekera will be back at some point over the next few weeks and that’s going to be huge, but surely it’s going to take him some time to find his game. But if there’s anything on the market for a serviceable defenceman — I highly doubt there’s a top-two guy out there, but if there’s any way even to snatch up a 4/5 type, someone with decent pace and first-pass ability — I think it’s something the Oilers would look at.

Columbus seems to have solid depth at the position and it just so happens Chiarelli was at the Jackets-Sabres game Monday night, although it’s always dangerous too read too much into that. That trip could very well have been booked a long time ago, as is often the case.

The reality in the salary cap NHL is that it is mighty hard to fix all your problems mid-season; the off-season, particularly June, is the most important window of the year the way this system works now.

But I think even some tinkering, however small the move might be, would at least send a message in that Oilers’ dressing room that the brass isn’t happy and isn’t sitting still.

It’s interesting talking to different people around the league about their observations on the Oilers. There are many different areas you can look at — their general team speed and several underperforming players. But one Western Conference GM on Monday said it starts in net for him.

“(Cam) Talbot was outstanding for them last season and simply hasn’t been this year, I know they’ve got other issues, but that’s where I look first,’’ he said.

JETS A TEAM OF INTEREST Sources around the league suggest teams have begun to check in with Winnipeg and inquire about the Jets’ obvious depth at forward. I don’t sense any front-burner type discussions yet but clubs are checking in to know if they should keep in touch as the weeks and months get to the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

Veteran blueliner Toby Enstrom is on the shelf now for two months but I don’t sense GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is going to use that as a reason to go out right away and make a deal for a defenceman. The Jets are high on Tucker Poolman, 24, and will want to see what he can do.

Having said that, because of that depth up front, I think it allows the Jets to sit back on their own terms and see what comes at them. If a team makes an appealing pitch, they will certainly listen. It’s a good spot to be in if you’re Winnipeg's front office; the team is playing well and there's no desperate need to make a trade. You can have teams come at you.

RODIN CUT LOOSE Anton Rodin cleared unconditional waivers Tuesday and is now free to reignite his career overseas.

You feel for the Swedish winger, whose two knee surgeries over the past two years have really halted his career.

Never mind that he was passed over by several players at Vancouver Canucks camp, but he was buried in a bottom-six role even in AHL Utica this year.

So his camp asked for his release and to the Canucks’ credit, they gave it to him. It’s not like GM didn’t try to move him to get an asset back, he absolutely called around, but not surprisingly teams were reluctant to give up even a low pick for a player who has barely played the last two years.

The 2009 second-round pick is a former Swedish League MVP and still only 26. Perhaps a good season in Europe will put him back on the NHL radar this summer. https://theathletic.com/160167/2017/11/21/pronman-around-the-farms-all-the-latest-on- prospects-from-every-nhl-team/

Pronman: Around the farms — All the latest on prospects from every NHL team

By Corey Pronman

After being on the road for a few weeks and catching up on how some prospects fared during the many international tournaments in November, I’m going to share some notes on players in every NHL farm system.

Winnipeg Jets: Scouts have been noticeably flocking to Minnesota State games to watch top college free agent . Quietly, they are also watching C.J. Seuss, drafted by the Jets in 2014 (his name was then C.J. Franklin, which he since has changed) who also could become a free agent in August. Suess leads Minnesota State in scoring and is an intriguing hard-working two-way center.

The Hockey News http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/cleared-for-takeoff-jets-scheifele-knows-exactly- what-he-s-doing

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF: JETS' SCHEIFELE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE'S DOING

By: Jared Clinton

A dogged work ethic, attention to detail and an undying fascination with trying new things are key components in Mark Scheifele’s rise to the upper atmosphere.

Given his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame and that he registered more than 500 goals and 1,400 points across a 16-year professional career, it’s safe to say Dale Hawerchuk knows a thing or two about how to make it in the NHL. But when you boil it down, the “Hawerchuk Guide to NHL Success” is really based one on principle: do your homework.

“If you want to be a doctor, you go to university, and you learn from a doctor, right?” said Hawerchuk, who now coaches the OHL’s Barrie Colts. “So, you pay your tuition, go to university and the doctor’s teaching you. Our guys, they want to be NHL players, and you can get your university degree by watching on TV, learning your lessons as you’re watching the NHL, because that’s where you want to go.”

If studying the game’s greats away from the rink is what Hawerchuk considers the stick-and- puck equivalent of a top-flight post-secondary education, consider Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele his star pupil. His studies began almost the moment he met Hawerchuk. Scheifele was 17 and about to start his rookie campaign with the Colts. The coach gave him one of many early teaching sessions. All these years later, Scheifele remains spongelike, soaking up any bit of knowledge he can.

“I’ll watch the centermen, their tendencies, things they’re trying,” Scheifele said. “And then you watch the game and you see a nice play being made, a move on a faceoff or in the offensive or defensive zone that you could add to your game. I think about it for the next day or so, then I might try to make my own drill or think about certain things that I can do to incorporate it into my game.”

And it’s the rare occasion that Scheifele, a self-professed hockey nerd, comes to the rink without something new to try. During Scheifele’s time with the Colts, Hawerchuk said it was a daily occurrence, and the Jets center comes by his undying dedication to his craft honestly. It’s his parents, Brad and Mary Lou, whom Scheifele cites as the source of his hardworking nature. He smirks when suggesting they had very little influence on his on-ice career other than giving him “good genes,” but he’s nothing but sincere when explaining the traits they’ve instilled in him.

“My parents were great at raising me, my brother and my sister,” Scheifele said. “They taught us the right way to live, the right way to go about things. The biggest thing in anything we’re doing, whether it’s school, basketball, hockey, is to have fun, and if you’re going to do something you have to work hard at it.”

That goes for more than the mental aspects of the game, mind you. Scheifele brings the same determination to improving his foundational skills. Case in point? After first seeing Scheifele play Jr. B for the Kitchener Dutchmen, Hawerchuk recalls questions being asked of the then-16-year- old’s skating. Some believed it would hold him back at the next level. Scheifele’s personality convinced Hawerchuk otherwise.

“When you met him and talked to him, you realized that’s not going to be an issue, because he’s got a great work ethic on and off the ice,” Hawerchuk said. “Sometimes it takes people a little while to grow into their body or whatever. He was a lanky kid at the time, pretty skinny, but he worked at it. By the time he was in his last couple years of junior, he was really pushing the pace every day.”

The concerns about any facet of Scheifele’s game have all but disappeared five seasons into his big-league career. Thought by some to be a reach when the Jets took him seventh overall in 2011, Scheifele, 24, is now considered among the league’s top pivots, and his 61 goals and 143 points over his past two seasons are more than enough evidence there’s very little holding him back. But Scheifele’s not one to rest on his laurels.

In his quest to improve further, Scheifele added Hall of Famer and skills coach Adam Oates and former NHLer and workout guru Gary Roberts to his off-season training team. Scheifele is no stranger to putting in extra work post-practice, and he’s often the last to leave the ice during warmups.

However, to say Scheifele’s lone driving force is his work ethic would be to leave out one of the traits that has been paramount in his development: he hates to lose. Of course, professional athletes, almost to a person, will say the same, but Scheifele’s disdain for defeat doesn’t end on the ice.

His competitive fire followed him through volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, badminton, track and field, you name it. It’s also been known to get the best of him in run-of-the-mill activities, too. “If I lost to my brother in Mouse Trap or whatever, the board would be flipped or we’d get in a fight playing mini sticks in the basement,” Scheifele said. “Whatever it was, I always hated losing. I had a pretty bad temper as a kid, but it’s what drives me now to be the best.”

And if it isn’t obvious yet, Scheifele doesn’t mean anything less than the best, either. He made headlines prior to this season when he said he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. In fact, Scheifele said he wants to be better than either of his MVP-caliber contemporaries.

That ambition, paired with Scheifele’s keen eye and studiousness, is the very reason some believe his time in the NHL won’t end when his playing days are over, that, even though he’s still young, he has all the makings of a future coach or GM. For what it’s worth, Scheifele’s not exactly shooting down either idea, even though he says he’s got far too many years left in him to really consider it right now.

“That’s something that’s way down the road,” he said. “But I definitely do like watching and scouting players…It’s (great) if you’re right about someone. ‘Hey, I like this guy, he’s a good player. And five years later, he ends up being a stud.”

FanRagSports.com https://www.fanragsports.com/10-potential-nhl-trade-deadline-targets/

10 potential NHL trade deadline targetsLuke Lapinski

By Luke Lapinski

The 2017-18 NHL season is barely a quarter of the way done and we’ve already seen a number of trades. Most have been small, but we’ve also had a blockbuster three-team deal in the mix.

Generally, the moves tend to ramp up as we draw closer to the trade deadline. While there might not be anything as big as that Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris deal when February 26 rolls around, a number of valuable pieces could switch clubs as this season unfolds.

Here are 10 of the main candidates …

Jacob Trouba, Jets Winnipeg is looking more and more like a legitimate threat in the West, and Trouba logs more ice time along the back end than anyone on the roster not named Dustin Byfuglien. This move looks a lot less likely now than it normally would, but it’s at least worth mentioning, because Trouba has been linked to trade rumors for a couple years, and he is a free agent this summer.

That doesn’t mean the Jets need to move him by any means. 23-year old, top-pairing, right- handed defensemen don’t grow on trees. But if there were to be another blockbuster deal this season, Trouba could certainly be at the center of it.

Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nhl/news/winnipeg-jets-report-card-connor-hellebuyck-blake- wheeler-mark-scheifele-head-class-quarter-mark-nhl-season-grades-statistics- analysis/yuybxdw9u8819frdyw28tzhd

Jets Report Card: Hellebuyck, Wheeler, Scheifele head of class at quarter mark of season

By Scott Billeck

It’s amazing what solid goaltending can do for the hockey team. The Winnipeg Jets are living proof of that this season, compiling a 12-5-3 record through their first 20 games, riding the strong play of Connor Hellebuyck.

Performing above expectations, the Jets find themselves in second place in the Central Division and the Western Conference and tied for fourth in the NHL with 27 points.

Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele formed quite the formidable partnership on the top line, and welcomed Kyle Connor with open arms to turn into one of the league’s top threesomes.

There’s still work to be done before the Jets can call themselves a playoff team in April, though. Winnipeg's penalty kill is ranked 21st, they're last in shots on goal per game and 27th in shots against.

But you’re all here for the grades. Let the debates begin.

Overall Team Grade – A

Coach Grade – B It’s hard to knock a 12-5-3 record and Paul Maurice has done well with the troops he’s assembled. Goaltending has helped, of course. Jets need some work on the penalty kill and need to sort out the second line’s woes on the scoresheet lately.

GM Grade – B Kevin Cheveldayoff went out and secured a much-needed defenseman, a serviceable and a veteran presence for the dressing room in the offseason. Having Kyle Connor turn into a top-line forward has helped and he signed Nikolaj Ehlers to a long-term deal.

Forwards Blake Wheeler – A Wheeler has fed off Mark Scheifele and vice-versa. What they’ve done points-wise together is remarkable and has Wheeler trending for a career year at age 31.

Mark Scheiefele – A The second half of the dynamic first-line duo, Scheifele continues to be one of the top-five centres in the NHL. He’s on pace for 100-plus points

Mathieu Perreault – B+ Missed 12 games because of injury, is now on a three-game goal scoring streak and injected life into the Jets fourth line.

Kyle Connor – B Got sent down at the end of the training camp only to emerge on the top line after injuries to and Mathieu Perreault. He’s not leaving that line any time soon, let alone getting sent back to the minors.

Patrik Laine – B Great on the power play, just had an eight-game point streak come to an end. Laine, like linemates Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers, struggles in five-on-five point production.

Nikolaj Ehlers – B Ehlers had a hot, hot start to the season with eight goals in the first 13 games. But he hasn’t scored now in seven. As with the two above, the second line has struggled early.

Brandon Tanev – B- The analytics crowd won’t like his numbers, but he’s played well on the penalty kill, made some timely blocks and scored some goals. More than expected.

Andrew Copp – C+ Three goals in 20 games playing on a line built to grind the other team’s top lines.

Matt Hendricks – C He’s brought some character to the dressing room and chipped in a pair of goals. He’s 52 percent on faceoffs. Right about at average.

Bryan Little – C- It’s been a tough 20 games for Little, who has just two goals after ending an 11-game drought last week. Chemistry with Laine and Ehlers is lacking with Little trying to pick up the slack defensively on the Jets second line.

Adam Lowry – C- Injured for nine games has limited him. He has just three points in 11 games.

Joel Armia – C- He had a tough start to the season, but has since found some chemistry with Perreault.

Defensemen Josh Morrissey – B+ One more goal than Jacob Trouba and he’s just been a bit more steady on the blue line than his partner.

Jacob Trouba – B His points production is off the career-high pace he set last season. That said, he’s playing big minutes shutting down the top lines in the NHL.

Tyler Myers – C+ Tough to grade given he missed nearly the whole season last year with injury. He’s had his ups and downs as he tries to get settled back in to playing every night.

Toby Enstrom – C Playing fewer minutes than he has in recent years. Nothing really notable here. He’s gone for two months as well with a lower-body injury.

Dustin Byfuglien – C- No goals in 20 games, some bad penalties and poor defensive play. He’s stepped it up physically in the past week, but it’s not enough to escape a poor grade thus far.

Dmitry Kulikov – C- He’s relieved the two pairings ahead of him of having to play big minutes, but hasn’t lived up to his price tag as of yet.

Goalies Connor Hellebuyck – A+ Hellebuyck has been nothing short of spectacular for the Jets with his 11-2-2 record, 2.45 goals- against average and .925 save percentage. He’s been a revelation in the early going. He’s allowed two goals or fewer in 11 of 15 starts.

Steve Mason – C- If graded after his first two starts, he would have gotten an F. But Mason posted a .946 and .967 in his past two starts, nabbing his first win on Nov. 11.

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/3871443/manitoba-moose-francis-beauvillier-stickhandling- homework-and-hockey/

Manitoba Moose Francis Beauvillier stickhandling homework and hockey

By Mitch Rosset Reporter/Anchor

WINNIPEG – For Francis Beauvillier, hockey is as tough mentally as it is physically. Not only does he spend hours studying plays and opponents but also business.

The Manitoba Moose forward is taking online classes to complete his university degree. He was five credits short when he signed with the team this summer.

“I wanted to have a (degree) in case something happens,” Beauvillier said. “An injury or maybe it’s just not going to work.”

Strategy a lot of players don’t think about including Beauvillier when he was drafted by the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

“My dad always said you’ve got to go to school,” Beauvillier said. “There’s not many Sidney Crosbys or Connor McDavids in the world.”

Juggling a job and homework can be tough. Assisting Beauvillier is the same determination that got him to the AHL.

“My goal was to play pro hockey,” Beauvillier said. “I’m fortunate and take advantage everyday. What I want now is to get my degree.”

A well-rounded game plan combining smarts with skill.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/campbell-blake-wheeler-is-elite-1.922211

Campbell: Blake Wheeler is elite

Tim Campbell of NHL.com discusses the Jets record after twenty games and how Blake Wheeler has matured into one of the NHL's elite players. http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/dellow-jets-have-a-problem-with-the-number-of-shots- they-give-up-1.922142

Dellow: Jets have a problem with the number of shots they give up

Tyler Dellow of the Athletic joins Drew Mindell and Brandon Rewucki on the Afternoon Ride. They discuss the Jets record after twenty games and if there are any concerns about the number of shot attempts allowed by Winnipeg.