Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/plenty-of-room-on-the-jets-bandwagon- 478836643.html?k=lNnLrB

Plenty of room on the Jets bandwagon

By: Carl DeGurse

Have you heard the one about the guy who went to a Jets game and tried to move to a better seat?

He had paid for a seat in the upper deck, but he noticed a prime seat, at ice level near the centre line, was unused throughout the first period. During the first intermission, he moved down and said to the guy sitting beside the empty seat: "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"

The man said: "You’re welcome to sit. It was my wife’s seat. We bought season tickets when the Jets first returned and we didn’t miss a single game. But the lovely woman has passed away."

"Oh, I’m sorry for your loss. But why didn’t you invite a friend or relative to use such a great seat?"

"They’re all at her funeral."

It might be an exaggeration to suggest Jets fans are obsessed to the point they would put a home game ahead of a spouse’s funeral, but it’s certain fan fever is running hot since the Jets secured a playoff spot.

Perhaps the level of excitement hasn’t been this high since May 30, 2011, when fans celebrated the return of the Jets by gathering at The Forks and at Portage and Main to cheer, pop champagne and sing the Stompin’ Tom Connors anthem The Hockey Song.

Back then, fans bought out 13,000 season tickets in 17 minutes, and fan support has remained strong since, despite some unexceptional seasons.

With this year’s team looking like it could go deep into the playoffs, there will likely be many new fans attracted by the possibility this will be a season to remember.

That’s fine. Lots of room on the bandwagon.

But newcomers don’t automatically become fans. Just because you finally know which one is , doesn’t immediately qualify.

Jets fans have achieved their designation by paying their dues with large investments of their time, money and emotional attachment that alternates between elation and heartbreak.

How do you know whether you’re a fan?

Your wardrobe dilemma in the morning is which Jets jersey to wear, home or away, classic or modern. You still wear your jersey sometimes, but you now wear it ironically.

Although you use coupons to save six cents a litre on gasoline, you don’t think twice about paying up to $200 to rent a chair at Bell MTS Place for three hours.

You’ve never personally met any Jets players, but you refer to them by best-buddy nicknames such as Wheels, Scheif, Buff, Troobs, Litts, Matty and Patty.

You feel entitled to second-guess the coach’s line combinations, even though you know Paul Maurice has more than 20 years of experience as an NHL coach and he’s in the dressing room, so it’s possible he knows the players better than you.

When guests are invited to your rec room to watch games on television, conversation is only allowed between periods and between plays. It’s your house rule. When the puck drops, stop talking. Even in mid-sentence.

You accept invitations to watch games at the homes of fellow fans under two conditions: they have a flat-panel TV with a minimum 60-inch screen and they have trained their kids and pets to stop making noise once the puck drops.

Although you personally get winded shovelling your sidewalk, you wish all the Jets would backcheck at full speed, like Wheels.

When television cameras show front-row fans at the game texting on their phones instead of paying attention to the action, it irks you that the prime seats are being wasted.

You know you’re a fan when your water-cooler analysis of last night’s game includes expressions such as "The Jets had their chances," "There was a lot of physicality" and "That didn’t miss by much," expressions which we all recognize are common pronouncements of TV play-by-play announcer Dennis Beyak.

You have your white apparel ready for home playoff games and you will wave your towel, even when watching on television.

As the playoffs near, you compose a text message that says: "Thinking of you! Hope you have a great day! Let’s hang out soon!" You then send this text to everyone you know who has season tickets.

And, finally, you know you’re a fan when you awake in a cold sweat. You had a nightmare in which you heard two words: "Hellebuyck’s hurt." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-return-after-rollicking-roller-coaster- road-trip-478809573.html

Jets return after rollicking roller-coaster road trip

By: Jason Bell

The returned home in the wee hours Wednesday after an exceptionally eventful — and big-picture successful — road swing that included matchups with a three-pack of non- playoff teams.

The quality of opponents speaks volumes about the kind of trip it was to Chicago and Eastern Canada.

It started out ugly against the Blackhawks last Thursday but produced three straight exhilarating victories, although the last two demonstrated a marked departure from the team's foundation of defensive soundness and quality goaltending.

Prior to leaving, the Jets nailed down a spot in the post-season, and then locked down home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs following a tidy 3-1 win over the explosive Toronto Maple Leafs. The triumph, before a nationally televised audience, was one of Winnipeg's most impressive performances of the season.

There was a stinker two nights before as the Blackhawks, going absolutely nowhere, managed to post a 6-2 victory against a disinterested Jets squad.

But after bouncing back in Toronto, they went on to win their 49th and 50th victories in Ottawa and Montreal, respectively, in a couple of "last-shot-wins" affairs that wouldn't have exactly tickled head coach Paul Maurice's fancy.

Winnipeg (50-20-10) owns second spot in the Central Division and can't be caught. Minnesota is all but assured third place, setting up a likely first-round series between the Wild and Jets, who have developed a rather robust dislike for one another. However, the Jets could win their two remaining games and overtake Nashville (51-18-11) for first place in the division, should the Predators drop their two remaining games against the Washington Capitals and .

The Jets surrendering five goals to the Senators in a 6-5 track meet and another four to the Canadiens in a 5-4 OT win — with six important pieces out of the lineup — shouldn't be cause for concern.

Veteran forward is having some major struggles lighting the lamp right now, although he finally snapped a 19-game scoring drought in the nation's capital. But he's a straight-shooter when it comes to answering questions.

How difficult has it been for Perreault to stay motivated since a playoff spot was secured?

"It's a totally different feeling. There's not a whole lot of meaning to these game, so sometimes it's hard to really get up for them," he said, after the Jets narrowly slipped past the Sens Monday. "It's not how you want to win games, but for us at this time of year it's about keeping that good feeling in the room, keeping that confidence."

Teams no longer in the mix use the little time they have left to insert new players into the lineup and evaluate talent, creating an unstructured brand of hockey.

There should be no great angst after a couple of loose games, Perreault said.

"When you play a team like Ottawa, it's hard to know what to expect. They might be cheating offensively because they don't have much to play for," he said, noting it's easy to fall into the trap of following suit.

The Jets went with an altered lineup in Montreal Tuesday, as goalie Connor Hellebuyck, defencemen Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey and forwards Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry all got a night off.

In their place, young blue-liner Sami Niku — making his NHL debut count with a third-period on his first-ever shot — and rookie winger , who added a goal and set up 's overtime winner after sitting out the previous eight games as a healthy scratch, had super outings at Bell Centre.

Maurice wouldn't bite when asked if Roslovic's heady play — five goals and nine assists in 30 games — will force him to make some tough playoff roster decisions.

"Yeah, we’ve got a pretty good team," he said with a smirk. "Jack played really well. I’m really happy with his game after being off. He’s going to be a really good player for us.".

The six key pieces to the team's fortunes are expected to return to the lineup Thursday against the visiting . Winnipeg wraps up the regular season when the Blackhawks visit Saturday.

Expect the team to focus on eliminating the mistakes that crept into their game during the trip.

"We want to continue to prepare and come out the way we have been all year. We want to keep good habits going, whether we're locked into a spot or not," said defenceman . "It's important to keep that mindset and preparation right going into the playoffs."

There are some small-picture goals out there for certain players.

Hellebuyck is just one victory from tying Tom Barrasso for the most wins (43) by an American goalie in an NHL season, Patrik Laine has 44 goals and is still chasing Washington all-star Alex Ovechkin for the Maurice Richard Trophy, which goes to the NHL's top goal scorer and captain Blake Wheeler has 67 assists and is tied with Philadelphia Flyers centre Claude Giroux for the league lead in that category.

The Jets will host Game 1 of a first-round series either Wednesday or Thursday next week at the downtown rink, presumably with a "Winnipeg Whiteout" in full force.

"My opinion is we have the best fans in the league. We don't have the biggest rink in the league but the atmosphere is just the best in the league," Laine told reporters in Montreal. "I have no idea what it's going to be like in the playoffs... I've seen some pictures and some videos (of past Winnipeg playoff games) and it looks pretty unreal." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/tanev-looking-forward-to-post-season- crash-filled-bash-478819633.html

Tanev looking forward to post-season crash-filled bash

By: Jason Bell

Brandon Tanev has been a reliable handyman for the Jets and he keeps adding to his toolbox.

So, there must have been some initial fret within the organization when the fast, physical winger went down in a heap after sliding to block a Jeff Petry shot while killing a during Tuesday's first period in Montreal.

It was difficult to tell whether Tanev was struck in the arm or ribs. Regardless, he was back on the bench to begin the second period. Winnipeg went on to a 5-4 overtime win against the Canadiens.

Not that long ago, the 26-year-old Toronto product was a spare-part player for the Central Division squad but he's quickly become a key contributor. And the playoffs have a history of providing a platform for the unlikeliest of heroes to emerge.

He averages almost 13 minutes of ice time a night on the club's hard-checking fourth line with Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp, yet the trio has been chipping in with some offensive production of its own lately.

Tanev even supplied a hat trick March 27 at home against the Boston Bruins, blowing the roof off Bell MTS Place with his third of the night, a wrap-around, short-handed tally. He added his eighth goal and club-leading third short-handed effort of the season in Monday's 6-5 win in Ottawa.

But playing a grinding, shut-down role remains the unit's prime objective with the post-season approaching.

"Playoff hockey is fast and physical. You know the games are going to be harder and that's something our line cherishes, that style of play," said Tanev. "We're getting into the dirty areas of the rink, making it hard on the other teams' top guys, being physical on pucks, getting traffic in front of the net.

"The coach has a lot of trust in us and that gives us a lot of confidence to do our job every shift. We've definitely got some chemistry going."

______

Talk about making an entrance.

Not only was it Sami Niku's first NHL game, the 21-year-old Finnish-born defenceman scored on his first shot — against a slam-dunk future hall-of-fame goalie in Carey Price.

Getting the call-up from the was a nice reward for a fantastic AHL rookie season, but expect him to to be reassigned soon as the farm club begins its own playoff push.

Demonstrating skill and confidence, Niku continues to impress all the right people.

"We were talking about anti-freeze in the veins. That’s the way it looked, pretty cool out there," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said after the Monreal game. "I didn’t think there was an awful lot of risk in his game. Smart plays with the puck and flat passes, but in traffic he didn’t panic with the puck. He moved it pretty efficiently. All the things that a young defenceman has to learn are all teachable. But the skill set that he has is impressive."

______

In each NHL city he visits, Patrik Laine is a wanted man by the local press corps.

Microphones and smartphones are constantly shoved in his face and the cameras are stacked up in front of the Jets' leading goal scorer. But if the ritual is beginning to grate on the young Finn, he doesn't show it when the questions start flying.

He remains open, engaging and genuinely witty.

In Toronto, he was asked if Tanev's improbable three-goal performance against the Bruins was one of the highlights of the season.

"For a guy like Tanev, he's not getting rewarded too many times on the ice, so when that kind of guy gets a hat trick, it's something unreal. That was (laughing)... I can't get over that. It was pretty unreal. Everybody was so happy and excited and he earned it."

In Montreal, a curious scribe wondered if the second-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft had any doubts he could be this good, this soon in his career.

"Yeah, I thought so. I knew that I was a pretty good player," answered Laine. "You don't really think about those kinds of things when you come into the league. You just want to take your spot on the roster and try to play well every night and prove to your teammates and your team that you're an NHL player and you can play here."

Laine ripped his 44th goal to start the scoring against Montreal, snapping a seven-game goal drought. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/moose-rookies-add-to- award-chests-478836603.html

Moose rookies add to award chests

By: Mike McIntyre

Mason Appleton and Sami Niku keep racking up the awards to go along with all the records they’re breaking.

The first-year Manitoba Moose players were named Wednesday to the all-rookie team for their impressive pro debuts this season.

Appleton, 22, leads the Moose with 61 points (21G, 40A) in 71 games. He already has set franchise records for assists and points by a rookie and is the first Moose skater since 2008-09 to break the 60-point mark. Appleton leads all AHL rookies in points and is fourth overall in league scoring. He represented Manitoba at the 2018 AHL all-star game.

Niku, 21, is tied for second on the Moose with 52 points (15G, 37A) in 71 games. He has set a franchise record for most points by a rookie defenceman, and sits fifth-overall in Moose history for single-season points by a defenceman. Niku leads all rookie blue-liners in scoring and is tied for the AHL lead in points by a defenceman.

Niku made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night in Montreal, scoring a goal. Appleton has yet to see NHL action.

Appleton was selected in the sixth round, 168th overall, of the 2015 NHL Draft. Niku went one round later, 198th overall.

Manitoba (39-24-8) wraps up its regular-season home schedule with games Friday night and Sunday afternoon against the Bakersfield Condors. The Moose then hit the road for their final three games.

Manitoba, losers of five straight and seven of its past eight, sit tied for second in the Central Division and has a magic number of three to clinch a playoff spot, which would be the first for the franchise since returning to Winnipeg in the fall of 2015.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/hellebuyck-goes-for-nhl-record

Hellebuyck goes for NHL record

By Paul Friesen

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck will get a chance to set an NHL record in the last two games of the regular season.

Hellebuyck needs two more wins to break the record of 43 victories by an American-born goalie, held by Tom Barrasso.

Jets coach Paul Maurice says he plans to start his No. 1 netminder against Calgary, tonight, and Chicago on Saturday.

“So Connor gets what he needs in his mind,” Maurice said, Thursday morning. “And he’s learning this, too. This is the first year for him as a No. 1 in the NHL.

“He wanted to play tonight, day off, play – like a routine. Start running his playoff routine.”

Hellebuyck has 42 wins, the same number as American Mike Richter recorded in the 1993-94 season, with the New York Rangers.

Barrasso set his record with Pittsburgh in 1992-93.

Maurice grinned at the mention of Barrasso, his former goalie coach in Carolina.

“He’s a good friend,” Maurice said. “I haven’t called him yet.”

Another individual race to watch is the one for the Rocket Richard Trophy for the leading goal scorer.

Patrik Laine, two behind Alex Ovechkin’s 46, declared the race over going into the Montreal game, but ended his seven-game scoring drought against the Habs.

So is the race back on?

“I don’t think so,” Laine said. “I mean, there’s only two games left. A lot of things can happen. But I don’t want to think about that. Because then it’s just going to be hard to play if you’re thinking about those kinds of things.”

The Jets (50-20-10) still have an outside shot at catching Nashville for first place in the Central Division, but they’d need to win both games and have Nashville pick up just a single point in their last two.

The Jets will ice a playoff-type lineup against the Flames tonight, inserting all five skaters who were scratched in Montreal, Tuesday.

Coming out will be defencemen Sami Niku and Tucker Poolman, plus forwards Shawn Matthias, Marko Dano and Brandon Tanev, who took a shot off his arm in Montreal.

Maurice says it’s remains unclear whether or not Toby Enstrom will return to the blue line for the opening of the playoffs, while Dmitry Kulikov definitely won’t be ready. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-expect-playoff-ticket-rush-issue- warning

Jets expect playoff ticket rush, issue warning

By Paul Friesen

Tickets for individual Winnipeg Jets playoff games will go on sale to the general public next Tuesday.

While the demand is likely to out-strip the supply, the Jets are warning fans to beware of buying tickets on secondary sites such as StubHub.

The popular online re-seller is already listing tickets for playoff games in Winnipeg, and judging by the prices, a seat at a Jets game might be the hottest in the NHL.

To the surprise of True North vice-president Kevin Donnelly, prices listed on the site Wednesday started at $300 US for a single ticket in the upper bowl for the first playoff game, higher than similar seats in any other city, including Toronto.

Seats between the blue lines in the lower bowl were priced at $844 U.S., each — also the highest of any team.

“It tells you that they expect, based on the history of our team and the attendance, that demand will be high in this market,” Donnelly told the Winnipeg Sun. “Greater than in other markets, even other larger markets. It does (surprise), to the extent it appears we are double or even more than double (face value)… but at the end of the day these brokers are in it for the money. “They’ve identified a product that they can flip and turn a buck. And these people are pros.”

That doesn’t mean they’re legit.

Donnelly says none of the sellers on the secondary market even have the tickets, yet. The Jets have weeded out professional brokers from their season-ticket base, and season-ticket holders can’t print them until 24 hours before the game, anyway. “You could go onto StubHub and post a ticket for sale — you could say you have one,” he said. “That is all that is on there – people that are not in possession of the seat they’re offering for sale.”

The sellers are banking on the idea they’ll be able to get their hands on tickets and sell them at a huge mark-up.

The tickets they’re advertising come with a caveat: if those specific seats aren’t available, they’ll supply one of equal or better value.

Since most Jets fans use their tickets and don’t re-sell them, Donnelly is certain some buyers on StubHub will be disappointed.

“That’s the initial concern,” he said. “With so many postings, there could be a very short supply of tickets to those brokers. There is the likelihood that a Jets fan could buy a ticket, and then high-five his buddies and go, ‘Alright, I’ve got tickets to the game’ – but you don’t have a ticket.”

The site offers a money-back guarantee, but that doesn’t get a fan into the game.

Donnelly says there are also fans who show up with false tickets for many Jets games – at least 75% of games, he estimates.

“In most cases that we hear about, they do get a refund,” he said. “It doesn’t help you the night of the event, when you’re not getting in.”

Donnelly says he has no interest in forming a partnership with StubHub or any secondary seller, as some teams have.

The Jets take steps to minimize how many tickets are re-sold outside of their own re-selling site, like limiting the advance printing time and eliminating brokers from their season-ticket base.

The concern is the brokers will get in on the individual game sale next week by using “bots” for computer-generated dialing. Those tickets won’t be printable at all, though.

“Individual walkup tickets will be mobile only,” Donnelly said. “On your phone only. It’s the way of the future. The future being next week.”

Supply and Demand

NHL’s highest playoff prices on StubHub

Jets $300, lowest price $844.20, between blue lines

Leafs $250, lowest price $679, between blue lines

Golden Knights $195, lowest price $499, between blue lines

Predators $185, lowest price $579, between blue lines

Bruins $127, lowest price $299, between blue lines

Wild $117, lowest price $226, between blue lines

— all prices in $USD, as of Wednesday, Apr. 4 http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/first-place-no-thanks-jets-better-off- without-league-or-division-crown

First place? No thanks: Jets better off without league or division crown

By Paul Friesen

It was supposed to be a season-ending road trip with just one goal in mind for the Winnipeg Jets: staying healthy.

Sure, wins are always nice, if only to keep that happy feeling in the dressing room going into the playoffs.

But atop the priority list as the Jets left town last week had to be to pack the rabbit’s feet and lucky charms, keep bubble wrap around key players and knock on wood every time somebody mentioned injuries.

The last thing coach Paul Maurice wanted to do was over-tax anybody in order to chase meaningless points in the standings, especially playing back-to-back games, Monday and Tuesday.

Maurice wanted to rest key players, like Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes, Blake Wheeler up front and Dustin Byfuglien on the blue line.

The only challenge would be to convince them to sacrifice an iron-man streak or a shot at a couple more goals or assists for the greater good.

Mission accomplished, as Maurice coerced the above, and a few more, to sit out a game.

But a funny thing happened along the way.

The Jets won a couple of crazy-loose, high-scoring games, including Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime thriller in Montreal — which they played without two-thirds of their top line, their top defensive pair and their top goalie — to finish the trip with a 3-1 mark.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference and Central Division-leading Nashville Predators lost two of three in regulation (including one to Buffalo!?), something they do maybe once every full moon.

Suddenly the Jets, a sizzling 9-1 in their last 10, are within striking distance of not only top spot in the division and conference, but top spot in the entire NHL.

Tied with Boston and Tampa Bay at 110 points, the Jets trail the No. 1 Predators by three.

Both Winnipeg and Nashville have two games left, but the similarities end there: the Jets face also-rans Calgary and Chicago, while the Preds have to deal with playoff-bound Washington and hard-charging Columbus.

So everything changes, right?

Maurice has to crank the ice time back up for Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, run Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey against the other teams’ best lines and squeeze two more high-end games from Hellebuyck, just in case the Preds lose another game?

No. For a couple of reasons.

The end goal hasn’t changed.

Having key players refreshed for Game 1 of the playoffs is far more important than a last-minute grab at the carrot dangling from the President’s Trophy.

Most players don’t want to touch the thing, anyway. Anybody even remember who won it last season?

But, you might argue, what about the home-ice advantage the Jets would get through the playoffs by finishing first?

It’s not worth the paper the standings are printed on. Look it up. Home ice means little in post- season hockey.

There’s another reason the Jets would be better off not overtaking Nashville, and it’s all psychological.

The underdog role fits this team much better than the front-runner tag.

As Wheeler said not long ago, everything in Winnipeg goes under the radar, and I get the feeling the Jets kind of like it that way.

A “nobody notices us, so we’ll show them,” kind of attitude.

Sure, people around the NHL have begun to take the Jets dead-seriously. It’s impossible not to, with their combination of young talent and high-end vets.

They’ll be favoured in Round 1, presumably against the Minnesota Wild, and can probably handle that.

But to be the top dog in the West, or even overall?

That would change the conversation, crank up the expectations and the pressure.

The young players on this team are already going to have a tough enough time dealing with those. They don’t need the weight of being the No. 1 seed.

It’d be like forcing a designer suit on a blue-collar worker. Or on a sportswriter, for that matter.

It just wouldn’t feel right. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/moose-limping-toward-post-season

Roslovic doing what he can: Jets rookie trying to force his way back in lineup

By Ken Wiebe

In some ways, Jack Roslovic finds himself in the equivalent of hockey purgatory.

The skilled forward has done enough during the course of the season to graduate from prospect status and avoid being sent back down to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, but when most of the Winnipeg Jets forwards are healthy, he’s recently been a healthy scratch.

That’s unfamiliar ground for Roslovic, who was chosen by the Jets with the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

But there have been no signs of pouting from Roslovic, who did what he could to stay ready for the next time his name was called.

After missing the previous eight games as a healthy scratch, Roslovic chipped in a goal and set up the overtime winner from Kyle Connor as the Jets earned a 5-4 victory on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

“I knew I was probably going to get one more (game) at least before the regular season ended and in the playoffs, you don’t know how that thing goes. It’s a whole different animal,” said Roslovic, who is up to five goals and 14 points in 30 NHL games this season. “It was different, obviously. I haven’t been scratched too often in my career. I guess it’s a good learning curve for me, to be able to stay sharp and stay in shape. That’s something some guys struggle with but I seem to kind of find it a little bit easier.”

Following a 3-1 road trip that helped them improve to 50-20-10 on the season, the Jets return home to close out the regular season with games against the Calgary Flames on Thursday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

Roslovic isn’t sure when he’s going to be back in the lineup or if there might be a spot available for him in Game 1 of the .

Only Jets head coach Paul Maurice has the answer to that question and he still has a few more days to mull it over.

On Tuesday night, Maurice wasn’t tipping his hand about whether Roslovic had made the decision to keep him out of the lineup more difficult.

“Yeah, we’ve got a pretty good team,” Maurice said. “Jack played really well. I’m really happy with his game after being off. He’s going to be a really good player for us.”

Roslovic has already shown he can be a really good player and is making an impact when called upon.

During the course of the season when the Jets dealt with injuries, Roslovic showed he can be effective playing more minutes with skilled players but there wasn’t a significant drop off when he skated on the fourth line and had a reduced role either.

Roslovic is a high-end skater with hockey sense and good offensive instincts. He’s also worked hard to round out his defensive game during his first two seasons as a pro.

Right now, he’s caught in a numbers game.

“There’s a lot of competition in the lineup now that everyone is healthy,” said Roslovic, who had 15 goals and 35 points in 32 games with the Moose before he was recalled on Dec. 30. “I’m just trying to make it a difficult decision for the coaches. I just go out there and play as hard as I can.”

The Jets top two lines are basically set in stone, with Mark Scheifele between Blake Wheeler and Connor and Paul Stastny with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers.

The checking line of Adam Lowry between Andrew Copp and Brandon Tanev has been incredibly effective, making a contribution at both ends of the ice.

Veterans Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little aren’t going to be removed either, which leaves right-winger .

Although Armia hasn’t been operating at peak efficiency of late, he’s improved his consistency and enjoyed a career season, both in goals (12) and points (28).

Outside of an injury, this is about the only place where Maurice could consider inserting Roslovic – but Armia has been used on both the power play and the penalty kill this season.

So Roslovic is left to bide his time.

If the Jets are able to go on a lengthy run, chances are pretty good that Roslovic’s services will be required.

It’s up to him to ensure he stays ready for whenever that moment arrives. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-prospects-among-ahls-best

Jets prospects among AHL's best

By Paul Friesen

Two more Jets prospects, both late-round draft picks, are among the best new pros in the American Hockey League.

Defenceman Sami Niku and forward Mason Appleton were named to the AHL all-rookie team, Wednesday.

Niku, who scored his first NHL goal in his Jets debut in Montreal, Tuesday, is tied for the AHL lead in scoring by defencemen, with 52 points (15 goals 37 assists) in 71 games.

The 21-year-old Finn, a seventh-round draft pick in 2015, is second on the team in scoring, and has scored more points than any rookie defenceman in franchise history.

Leading the Moose in scoring is Appleton, with a franchise-record (for rookies) 61 points, on 21 goals, 40 assists. Six of Appleton’s goals have been game-winners.

The Michigan State University product, drafted one round before Niku in 2015, leads all AHL rookies in scoring and sits fourth, overall.

“I don’t even know if I really had expectations for myself, coming in,” Appleton told the Sun. “But as the season went on, I kind of liked to keep that pace going that I was working at. I’m happy with my season so far, but there’s still more to prove.”

The 22-year-old has a good shot at the AHL’s rookie-of-the-year award.

“It’d be great,” he said. “It would probably mean I was playing with great players all year and they were making my job easy. But a Calder Cup would be better.”

The Hockey News https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-montreal-canadiens-game-recap/c-297630990

JETS’ CONNOR HAS FLOWN UNDER THE RADAR EN ROUTE TO MILESTONE ROOKIE CAMPAIGN

By: Jared Clinton

Kyle Connor isn't the first rookie that jumps to mind in the Calder Trophy conversation, but it's clear the Winnipeg Jets freshman is worthy of more praise after reaching a rare rookie milestone.

What does Kyle Connor have in common with Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin? Or how about with Bobby Ryan, Jeff Skinner and Logan Couture? Or even with Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Artemi Panarin?

If you’re struggling to find the answer, there’s no judgment here, especially given there was nothing that linked Connor with those notable names entering Tuesday night. But as we sit here on Wednesday and stare down the end of the NHL schedule, there’s one statistic that helps draw a connection between Connor and a dozen players who have made their mark in the post- lockout era: 30 goals.

Tuesday evening in Montreal, Connor fired home his 30th goal of the campaign, a tally that not only sunk the Canadiens in overtime and gave him his third extra-time goal in eight games, but it won the Jets their 50th contest of the season, moved the Winnipeg winger into first place in goal-scoring among rookie skaters and saw him hit a milestone that only a dozen other freshmen have hit since the 2005-06 season. The list of rookie 30-goal scorers includes all the aforementioned talent, from Crosby down to Ryan, as well as Petr Prucha, Marek Svatos and Michael Grabner. That only a dozen players, and only three in the past six seasons, had previously reached the milestone is a testament to how hard it has become for freshmen to fire home 30 in a campaign, and that Connor has done so speaks volumes about his incredible ability.

It’s not as though Connor has come out of obscurity to make this kind of impact, of course. Last season, Connor got his first taste of the big league when he spent 20 games with the Jets. He registered just two goals and five points over that span, mind you, but his 25-goal, 44-point performance in 52 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose made it awfully clear the talent was there. As did the praise Connor received from a panel of scouts in THN’s 2017 Future Watch. In a Winnipeg system chock-full of talent and one that finished first in overall prospect strength, Connor was ranked as the Jets’ most promising youngster and finished 26th in a ranking of the NHL's top 100 prospects.

Connor didn’t get an automatic green light to the NHL, however. Instead, he found himself in the AHL when the 2017-18 campaign began, which was something of a shock to those who believed he would start the season with the big club. It took all of four games in the minors for Connor to send a message so loud and clear it could have been heard across the country, though. His three-goal, five-point dominance earned him a call-up, and it appears his days of riding the bus in the minors ended the same day he found his stall in the Jets' dressing room.

There are a few things that have helped Connor both earn and keep his spot in the lineup, the most obvious of which is his skating ability. If not the fastest Jet — and he likely isn’t given Nikolaj Ehlers is lightning personified — Connor is almost undoubtedly second and he’s plenty shifty with the puck on his stick, too. But what has helped him fit into the lineup as much as anything is the trust and faith the coaching staff, led by Paul Maurice, has shown in Connor from the early going. Placed on a line with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele early in the season, the trio found instant chemistry and quickly became one of the league’s most lethal combinations. As the end of the campaign nears, their 28 goals at 5-on-5 ranks 13th among the 77 three-man units to skate at least 200 minutes together, and the line, at all strengths, has produced nearly four goals per 60 minutes, according to Corsica.

If it feels as though Connor has flown under the radar, though, that’s because he largely has. On a national stage, he’s not spoken of in the same breath as his linemates Scheifele and Wheeler. Laine’s 44-goal season and pursuit of the Rocket Richard Trophy has grabbed headlines. Ehlers’ continued development as he puts together a near-60-point season has made his spotlight shine brighter. Throw Connor Hellebuyck, Jacob Trouba and a presence as big — literally and figuartively — as Dustin Byfuglien into the mix and you can see why Connor maybe hasn’t gotten the recognition he’s deserved.

It’s not just on a team level that he hasn’t received the praise of which he’s been worthy, however, and the reality of this campaign could be that Connor’s 30-goal performance doesn’t even earn him a spot among the top three in Calder Trophy voting. That speaks not only to how exceptional the rookie class has been, but how much hype there is surrounding a several other rookie standouts. It’s a no-brainer at this point that rookie Mathew Barzal, who is on pace to become the third-highest scoring rookie in the post-lockout era, will win the award, and Clayton Keller’s late run that has boosted him into second in rookie scoring likely lands the freshman in a top-three spot. From there, votes could go to Vancouver Canucks sniper Brock Boeser, who would have flirted with 40 goals if not for an injury that cost him the final quarter of his campaign, or Tampa Bay Lightning late-bloomer Yanni Gourde, who’s third in points by a rookie. Nods could also go to the ’ Nico Hischier, Columbus Blue Jackets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois and Boston Bruins’ standout rearguard Charlie McAvoy.

Not winning the Calder might not be the worst thing for Connor, though, because there are bigger fish to fry with the way the Jets are playing as they head towards the post-season. Winnipeg is thought to be one of the few true Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference, a club some believe is capable of winning it all if they can get out of the incredibly difficult Central Division, and Connor’s performance in recent weeks is no small part of the Jets’ success. And if everything goes right for Winnipeg in April, May and June, Connor would most certainly be willing to trade in all things Calder for his chance to hoist a Cup.

Sportsnet.ca https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks-daniel-henrik-sedin-retirement/

31 Thoughts: Expect Canucks to be aggressive in post-Sedins era

By Elliotte Friedman

10. Interesting conversation last week with Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor. In the 2015 draft, he thought he was going to Florida. The Panthers were picking 11th, “and I had a lot of good conversations with them,” he said. “But I remember that Lawson Crouse was supposed to be a high pick and he dropped down to them. So I understood why it didn’t happen.” From there, Connor wasn’t sure. Neither were the Jets, although every team knew the Boston, which picked 13, 14, and 15 had a different list than almost everyone else. Most teams agree that Vancouver had Brock Boeser ranked higher than almost everyone else, but when I said that on-air a few weeks ago, someone reached out to say there were two teams the Canucks privately admitted they were afraid of. One was Minnesota, which was common knowledge. It took me a while, but I finally figured out the other. It was the Jets. If Connor was gone, Boeser was going to be the pick. Worked out for Winnipeg — and Vancouver.

11. Remember that the Jets’ season began with ugly losses to Toronto and Calgary by a combined 13-5. Asked what prevented things from going off the rails, Paul Maurice answered, “Nik Ehlers’s 3-2 goal the next game against Edmonton.”

The Jets blew a 2-0 lead in that one, only to have Ehlers score a natural hat trick to win it. Connor Hellebuyck is probably the biggest reason, but it’s interesting to hear the Jets players talk about Maurice.

“He uses the same words almost every time. Same message,” one said. “When we’re practising, it’s all about fast-and-simple, fast-and-simple,” Brian Little explained. “Do this drill fast-and-simple.”

After their 3-1 win in Toronto, Patrik Laine said his team was “on the puck” and “above the puck.”

Those phrases are also constants from the Maurice playbook. He doesn’t cram their heads with much. , by the way, said he was impressed at how many Jets can make plays in small spaces. That seems good for the playoffs, no?

12. I think that if the Jets have any concerns, it’s about having enough healthy defencemen. They always seem to be battling injuries back there. https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jets-prospect-report-youngsters-will-push-nhl-spots-2018- 19/

Jets Prospect Report: More youngsters will push for NHL spots in 2018-19

By Rory Boylen

Over the past two seasons, the Winnipeg Jets have graduated four players from the AHL’s Moose to the NHL roster and four of their top five scorers are under the age of 25. Given the Jets roster is so young already, there isn’t a great need to rush anyone else from the farm.

The salary cap, however, could lead to another promotion or two.

Winnipeg currently has $55 million committed towards next year’s salary cap which is expected to rise as high as $80 million. But at the same time, there are 14 players on the pro roster who are either RFA or UFA and in need of a new contract. Some of those, such as Paul Stastny, are probably long shots to stick around, but others – Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, Connor Hellebuyck – are key pieces due significant raises. In another year, Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine are on track to break the bank.

The ensuing crunch may force the Jets to fill up the bottom forward units and defence pairs with cheap NHLers, and they could continue to find those players in their own farm system. With that in mind, here are a few players who could potentially make the jump if the Jets have a lineup need next October.

Sami Niku, D: The 14th-last pick of the 2015 draft earned a call-up this week and scored his first NHL goal against Carey Price. Not a bad start. Niku, a six-foot, 176-pound defenceman has 52 points in 71 AHL games to tie for the league lead in scoring among all blueliners — and it’s his first season in North America. He has grown leaps and bounds since his draft year and definitely has NHL-ready hair.

It may be better for Niku to spend another season in the AHL, though if that happens he’d likely be the first call-up at a time of need. Even if pending UFA Tobias Enstrom doesn’t return to Winnipeg, there is no obvious way for Niku to get into the opening night lineup without another trade. Tucker Poolman, who was the first AHL blue line call-up this year and has spent 23 games with the Jets, may actually have the inside track for a permanent job.

Still, Niku isn’t far off. He’s a great skater, puck mover and his production in the AHL is undeniable. The last similar player in age and production to Niku in the AHL is Anaheim’s Brandon Montour, who scored 57 points in 68 games as a 21-year-old in 2015-16. Today, at 23, he’s the second-highest scoring blueliner on the Ducks. The Jets won’t rush him, but Niku isn’t far from being ready for a permanent NHL position.

Tucker Poolman, D: As mentioned above, the 24-year-old Poolman was given the most opportunity of all the AHL blueliners, though he’s had limited exposure in the NHL with an average ice time under 13 minutes. With two points in 23 NHL games, Poolman doesn’t have numbers that jump out at you, but he also didn’t receive any power play time. In terms of advanced stats, Poolman’s 53.92 per cent Corsi was the highest on the Jets and he had the second-highest CF% relative to his teammates at 2.18 at 5-on-5. With Poolman on the ice the Jets control play more often than not, which is a positive indicator of his future contributions with more minutes.

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW: The big six-foot-three, 209-pound winger is playing in the Finnish League playoffs right now, but once those are over all indications are Vesalainen will sign his entry-level deal to play for either the Jets or Moose next season. Vesalainen had 43 points in 49 regular season games, which was good enough for 18th in scoring and 10 points more than the next highest-scoring under-20 player. Vesalainen turns 19 in June and though the Jets likely won’t lose any top-six wingers this summer, he’ll be given a long look in camp and could potentially find a home on the third line if Jack Roslovic slides to his natural centre position.

Brendan Lemieux, LW: For a more traditional checking-style winger on one of the bottom-two forward lines, the Jets could also turn to , son of Claude. Lemieux scored at better than a point-per-game rate in each of his last two junior seasons, then, after struggling to produce as a first-year pro, broke out with 40 points in 46 AHL games this season, earning nine games in the NHL. He’s more of an agitator than some other prospects mentioned here and he still needs to become a more disciplined player. In two AHL seasons, Lemieux has amassed 277 penalty minutes.

Nic Petan, C: Similar to Lemieux, if Petan makes next year’s Jets, it’d be more as a bottom-six checker than top-six offence driver. The 23-year-old took his own big step forward in production this season, accumulating 52 points in 51 AHL games. The knock here is that Petan actually went backwards in his development, spending 54 games with the Jets in 2016-17, but getting just 15 this season. He’s also a negative player in terms of possession so it’s possible his chance with the Jets at least has passed him by as others build their own cases for promotion.

Mason Appleton, F: Another great story from the collection of 2015 draft picks, Appleton’s 61 points in 71 AHL games is good for fourth in league scoring and the rookie lead. This being his first pro season outside of college, and with the NHL roster so stacked with youth and top-six players already, Appleton may still get another season on the farm. At the very least he’ll be a popular call-up in 2018-19 and has a chance to build his case even further with a strong playoff for the Moose.

“Every round you play in the playoffs, when you evaluate your players at the end of the year, is like a full year evaluation,” Moose coach Pascal Vincent told the Winnipeg Sun. “Seeing how they will react. Because everybody’s tired, everybody’s excited, everybody’s playing for something bigger than just two points … it’s a huge evaluation, not only on the character, but where the player is at this time in his career.”

TSN.ca https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/race-for-the-rocket-unlike-anything-we-ve-seen-in-years~1362979 (VIDEO LINK)

Race for 'The Rocket' unlike anything we've seen in years

With seven 40-goal scorers and two on the verge of 40, this year's race for the Rocket Richard Trophy is unlike anything we've seen in years. That's Hockey takes a closer look.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/vigier-jets-have-options-for-playoffs-1.1048038

Vigier: Jets have options for playoffs

TSN 1290 Jets analyst JP Vigier joined host Kevin Olszewski to preview a Thursday night match up with the Calgary Flames and what a Jets playoff roster could look like.