JETS SNAPSHOTS: Lucius sidelined for rest of season; trade deadline fast approaching
If you’ve taken some time away from the Winnipeg Jets lately, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Don't have an account? Create Account
Nikolaj Ehlers was back home in Denmark, according to his Instagram, Pierre-Luc Dubois spent time in the Big Apple, and Adam Lowry appeared to be somewhere warm south of Florida. The Sunshine State hosted Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck this past weekend as Winnipeg’s reps at the NHL All-Star Game.
To catch you up on that, Morrissey finished third in the hardest shot competition with a howitzer that clocked in at 95.7 mph. Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson took home first-place honours, wiring a bomb that registered at 103.2 mph.
Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, who Morrissey will have alongside him in the Norris conversation at the end of the season, finished second after his second shot clocked in at 102.3 mph.
Hellebuyck joined forces with Central Division rival netminder Juuse Saros to take home the Tendy Tandem crown.
Saros attempted the shots from behind his own goal line while Hellebuyck did what he does best: stop bullets.
In the end, the duo combined for 13 points, based on shots on goal and saves made, besting the Pacific Division tandem of Vegas’ Logan Thompson and Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner, who finished second with 11.
Hellebuyck and Morrissey reached the final of the All-Star Game proper on Saturday, losing 7-5 at the end to the Atlantic Division.
Other than that, it’s been mostly quiet on the Jets’ front, as the team continues to enjoy its player break. Winnipeg is expected to be back on the ice on Thursday, ahead of Saturday night’s matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks at Canada Life Centre.
Lucius done for season
There was one piece of news, however.
Chaz Lucius, Winnipeg’s 2021 first-round selection (18th overall), went under the knife to fix a shoulder issue on Monday and will be shut down for the rest of the season.
Lucius, 19, had played six games with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, tallying 15 points, after being reassigned there following the World Junior Hockey Championships last month, where the forward scored the overtime winner to secure Team USA a bronze medal.
It’s a tough blow to what should have been a good developmental stretch for Lucius, who played 12 games for the Manitoba Moose before getting sidelined with an injury in late November.
The latest ailment will be concerning for the Jets, not because of its nature, but because of the trend.
Lucius missed significant time in his one and only season in college last year, battling a hand injury and then being shut down for the remainder of the season due to ankle surgery.
In 2020, he also required knee surgery and a recovery process that began in a wheelchair and ended with him learning how to skate again.
It’s clear that Lucius’s skill hasn’t been hampered because of the injuries, but staying healthy has been a constant challenge over the past several years. He’s viewed by some as Winnipeg’s top prospect.
How that pans out, ultimately, will be dependent on his ability to stay healthy.
Trade deadline
We will delve into this much deeper in the coming weeks, but the March 3 NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff could be a big spender in the coming weeks.
His team has a 96.9% chance of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck’s playoff odds heading into Tuesday. In terms of winning the Stanley Cup, MoneyPuck places Winnipeg’s chances at 8.8% — the fifth-best odds behind Carolina, Edmonton, Boston and Toronto.
Given how wide-open the Western Conference appears to be, the chances have never looked better for the Jets, especially considering they will have just north of $9 million in cap space to work with at the deadline.
So who may they target?
Timo Meier – LW – San Jose Sharks
The biggest name on the board after Vancouver shipped captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders last week. Meier, 26, offers Winnipeg the chance to get a big-name forward and the possibility of even signing him long-term along with it. He has 28 goals and 48 points through 51 games on a bad Sharks team this season. His analytics throughout his career is very impressive. A pending restricted free agent, he currently has a $6 million AAV (and a $10 million qualifying offer set for next season). That last bit, the QO, could be solved through a sign-and-trade with the Sharks. He played with Nikolaj Ehlers in junior and both Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon in San Jose.
Ryan O’Reilly – C – St. Louis Blues
A rental as a pending unrestricted free agent, the 31-year-old would give Jets two things they’d love — a proven Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner and, for head coach Rick Bowness, an elite face-off man. O’Reilly is currently injured but will be rested heading into the playoffs. Cheveldayoff and Blues GM Doug Armstrong have also done business in the past, adding Paul Stastny at the trade deadline in 2018.
Vladislav Gavrikov – LD – Columbus Blue Jackets
The Jets could solve their sixth defenceman issue with Gavrikov, a strong defender, that would solidify the team’s defence corps. He’s a 27-year-old UFA on a team that is only playing for Connor Bedard at this point. Speaking of past trade partners, Cheveldayoff and Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalanen are well-acquainted.
Others: RD Luke Schenn, Vancouver; C Jonathan Toews, Chicago; LW/RW Ivan Barbashev, St. Louis
And the-total-shot-in-the-dark-centre-with-term-left-on-his-deal pick: C Jean-Gabriel Pageau, New York Islanders
Again, plenty more to come on this in the coming days and weeks.
