Latest / Jablam Sports Hockey / “Winnipeg Jets 2026-2027 Season Preview: Scheifele up, Perfetti stays, Hellebuyck out?”

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“Winnipeg Jets 2026-2027 Season Preview: Scheifele up, Perfetti stays, Hellebuyck out?” · Jablam Sports Hockey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Jablam Sports Hockey, your home for everything happening around the NHL.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Peter Bojarinov, and every episode we break down the biggest topic every hockey fans are talking about with writers, TV, and radio experts from all 32 teams.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're continuing the season previews with the Winnipeg Jets back on the show.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Mitchell Clinton.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: He's the color analyst for the Jets.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back, Mitchell.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: And again, later on the show, we're uh trending now.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: We could talk about possibly what a trade of Connor Hallibuck to Carolina for Nichishkin, maybe look like.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Let's drop the puck.
• 0:47
  unknown: Shh.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Alright.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Jets last season missed the playoffs, finished second last in the central.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: They missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: What's one thing this Jets team truly needs for that to happen this year for them to rake the ship and get back into the playoffs?
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think a lot of it starts with defending.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: That's kind of, you know, this is a team that, you know, prior to the last couple of seasons, had back-to-back Jennings trophies, right?
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like this is a team that you know built their success on being able to defend.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: And um of course, does your goaltender have to make some saves in there?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: But on top of that, you know, you need to be able to defend and play kind of a predictable game in front.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I think because it seemed like, and I've been, you know, around this team since 2013 and in various roles, and really last year was the first time that I remember them as a team that struggled to score.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like it just wasn't uh it didn't come as easy for them as it used to.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: So obviously, when things aren't going your way offensively, it puts a little bit more pressure on you defensively.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: And Winnipeg just allowed far more high danger chances than they're used to uh allowing last year.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: And that was kind of the main thing.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: You can look at a number of aspects like their power play going from first to the bottom third in the National Hockey League.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: The penalty kill was also a little bit of a struggle as well at times.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but at the same time, so much of it and so much of Winnipeg's identity is based on being able to defend and really taken away, as they like to call it, the guts of the ice, which is basically that that middle area.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: But it's not even just in the defensive zone, it's the neutral zone.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's taking care of the puck in the offensive zone.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like their record in one goal games last year was part of the reason that they missed the postseason.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: But part of the reason that their record was that way in those one goal games was because they just simply weren't defending the same way uh as they were previously.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: So that's probably going to be priority number one for Winnipeg going into this year.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: Get back to that kind of identity of being able to defend in a way that uh has really made them a tough team to play against.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: And part of the reason why they were able to make the playoffs in seven of the last nine years.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, if you're lit, unless you're living under a rock, we've all heard about MVP Connor Hellebuck requesting a trade.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: What's the update there?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Is he attending camp?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, at this point, uh, I don't, I mean, I can't speak for Connor Hellibuck, obviously, but I will say that you know, we're recording this on the Monday, uh, is the team golf tournament, and that's you know, he was, I did not see him around there.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Now, that being said, I didn't see everybody, but you know, you usually there's a pretty steady stream of players coming in.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Josh Morris was kind of asked about it a little bit today, and you know, he flat out said, like, you know, like trying to separate the personal from the professional.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: He said, like, from a professional standpoint, like obviously it sucks, right?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you you would prefer that this wasn't a thing going into uh into camp, or preferring that you know, Connor Hellibuck would want to stay here and everything.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: So, but it's such a weird kind of line for the players to walk, I feel, because you know, these guys have grown up in this league together, right?
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like Connor Hellibuck was drafted, you know, way back in that era where you know Mark Scheipler's taken in 2011, Josh Morrissey 2013, you know, like all these guys have kind of come up together along with Adam Lowry.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: They've been part of this core of this group for so long.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, to have one kind of part of that core seemingly uh you know on the way out, obviously no deal done at this point.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, it can obviously be frustrating, but at the same time, you know, Josh said if it's a something for his family, it's kind of hard to, you know, say that you know you it's kind of hard to blame the guy.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's just kind of a different a difficult spot for for the players to be in to comment because I think, you know, obviously, would they love to have one of the best goaltenders in the world behind them as they try to bounce back from last year?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: That doesn't mean that they don't have faith in in Stuart Skinner and his ability to go to the Stanley Cup final uh, you know, back-to-back years.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Josh Morrissey has skated with him uh a number of times.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: They've been to a number of charity events together in previous years.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like these are guys that they know Stuart Skinner quite well and they're confident in him.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, you know, this is definitely the predominant storyline leading into camp.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, every day it's just kind of like check your phone and and see what happens.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and uh so far, nothing has happened.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Hold on, I'm checking my phone.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: No, nothing right now.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: At the age of 33, uh, Mark Scheifley had a career year, 103 points, top five in the league.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Could he be even better?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you ask him, yes.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like, and I have I would have no reason to doubt him.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: This is a guy that's kind of just continued to find ways to to change his game and and be better.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: And the other thing that I think you really like if you're Winnipeg, on top of you know, the point production and everything, is the fact that this is a guy that's you know really embracing trying to bring along some of these young guys.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you know, the big storyline for Winnipeg outside of maybe Connor Hellibach going into training camp is Vigo Bjork.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: He had a great weekend at the prospect tournament, um, had a had a great goal.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: It set up a couple as well, it looked really smart and really defensively sound there.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: And Braden Yeager also played in that.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: He came over in the Wrecker McGordy trade from Pittsburgh um a few years ago.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, like it's very common to see Mark Scheifley working with Braden Yeager at training camp, you know, like putting in those extra sessions after the official kind of on-ice portion has ended.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: They're working away at drills.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: So not only is he trying to make himself better, he's working to make sure that the guys coming up, you know, also uh have the ability to either work with him or he, you know, has a chance to talk with them, make them feel comfortable.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: So he's doing absolutely everything that that he can.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I've always felt that you know he's he's hit the 40 goal mark before in his career.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like that's that's something that he can he can hit again.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: He's gonna hit, you know, obviously, you know, knock on wood.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's gonna he's kind of getting close to that 1,000 game mark.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And everything that he's always said, whether it's you know career points uh with the Winnipeg Jets and everything, he doesn't really look too too much at the the thrasher side of things.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: He always says, like, you know, as much as you know, it's an honor to overtake some of those names, he always is thinking, you know, Dale Howerchuk's the guy that I have to pass, you know.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a few of those uh statistical categories coming up for him this year as well.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, he you know only expects the best out of himself because I mean, as the top line center on this team, um, he's the guy that that really stirs the drink, whether it's at five on five or on the power play.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Don't pass Dale Howardchuk.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: We love Dale Howard.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: I know that's the thing.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: We we all love Dale Howardchuk out here too.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I just remember, you know, when he passed Blake Wheeler for points uh you know in a Winnipeg jersey, he just kind of said, you know, it's uh I love wheels and everything, but there's there's another guy I've got my eye on because it was, I mean, it was Dale Howerchuk that kind of went to bat for for Mark Scheifley uh with the Winnipeg Jets back in his draft year and said, like, you know, you're gonna get a great kid uh out of this.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: And Scheifley was one of those kind of disciples that worked under uh Dale Howerchuk during his time as head coach in Barry.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think it was uh uh such a strong relationship between the two that it would mean a lot for him to be able to uh get up to those types of milestones as well.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just me or Halibuck wanting out, losing Nick Ealers for nothing last year, and being in a juggernaut of a top-end division this year, show some Jets fans the kind of like the tea leaves of maybe it's a perfect time to rebuild.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's I mean, it's a question that I've certainly seen bounced around in and around the kind of the community, the hockey community here, whether it's online or otherwise.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: I just think you have a you have a hard time looking guys like the guy we just talked about, Mark Shifley or Josh Morsi, who's got a couple years left on his deal, uh, looking them in the eye and saying, like, you know, we're gonna we're gonna tear this thing down.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think, you know, as much as you know, yes, Nick Ealers leaves, but at the same time, like I've always found the challenge at that time was Nick Ealers was on the president's trophy winning team.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know what I mean?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you're just not taking pieces off your roster at that point.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: And and I think, you know, that that that's the part that and I understand, like, oh, you know, maybe you do it earlier in the season, what like whatever it may be, but I just think you're you're trying to win the Stanley Cup here.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Nick Ealers was a big part of that team that year, right?
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I always think that that you know, keeping him what was kind of like the way to push Winnipeg forward.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: He played a big role in the playoffs that year.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I think yeah, you know, Connor Hellebach will, you know, that that situation will play itself out, but I think a lot of people are kind of leaning into how challenging last year was for Winnipeg and almost forgetting about what it was two years ago.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I like what a lot of times I find holds true is that, and guys tend to say this over the course of the regular season, whether you're on a winning streak or losing streak, you're never as good as you think you are, and you're never as bad as you think you are.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like, there's always so I I think this team is probably somewhere, you know, are they as good as the president's trophy team that you know seem to find every bounce and every comeback, especially in the regular season?
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: This this group this year seems to be a little bit on the younger side than than the group that was their last year, where maybe on some nights some some foot speed was maybe a little bit of an issue.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't quite getting to those checks as quickly as they did the previous year, so teams were able to generate a little bit more against them.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's the thing.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's it's for me, it's hard to say rebuild when it's been really one year.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: Now, that being said, I have a lot of time for the argument that, well, you also haven't gotten past you know the first second round of the postseason.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: That being said, the the division is is like you said, it's it's very difficult, it's hard to get through.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: But that being said, Winnipeg has to find a way, and I think they have all the belief in the world that the guys that they have on their roster can be the group that does find that way.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: We mentioned how good Shifley's been, and of course, we all know how good Kyle Connor is at scoring goals.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: That the other uh problem is it being like a bottom 10 offensive team last year, still with those two guys.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: Where are they gonna generate more offense from in outside of that top line?
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of it is bounce back, in my opinion.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: So part of it is you had a guy like Cole Perfetti, but we'll take him for example, just signed uh you know a new contract in the off-season Winnipeg and him are very happy about that.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Training camps going along, everything's going good.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: He looks looks great, and you know, he's coming off of a season where he kind of had health for the first time throughout all 82 games.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: It was important for him to be able to do that.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: Gets into the preseason, and I think it was one of the last preseason games, goes to throw a check uh on the four check, lands a little bit awkwardly, boom, high ankle sprain.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: And he said uh a number of times since the end of the season that he you know rushed it back a little bit to try to you know hop in and help out because Winnipeg got off to a decent start last year.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they were nine and three through 12 games, and then it was the month of November that kind of started to see them slide.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: So it was kind of in the middle of that month where he would tried to get himself back in there and said he wasn't himself, just wasn't himself until arguably uh after the Olympic break when Winnipeg really put that that push together.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um Adam Lowry is another one, guy that was coming off of uh a hip procedure uh last offseason, you know, didn't really get into much of training camp.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, players will tell you if you're not in camp or not playing games, you just kind of feel a little bit behind it.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the big things too, when you're when a player is coming off of an injury like that, it's not so much like, hey, is this injury healthy enough or is has this you know healed to the point that you can play?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: The challenge is all those muscles that you would usually have been able to strengthen during your offseason or whatever, they're not quite there.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I would imagine for someone like Adam Lowry coming back in, having a full camp, that's gonna be important for him too.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: And then you had guys, you know, like like Vladimeskov and Nino Niederreiter that just had down years, they absolutely did.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's a it's a it's a an aberration when you look at their their entire resume.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like I felt bad for Nino, honestly, because there was a while where I was you know throwing around the question to everybody at practice, like, is Nino gonna get to a thousand games or 500 points first?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: And then he got to a thousand games and he is to this date still sitting on 499.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like he just had did not have anything go his way in the second half of the season, especially you know, coming out of the uh out of the Olympics.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: It was a tough, tough sled for him.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I would imagine all of that uh combined with the fact that this is a group that's kind of got a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: And then we'll see about you know where Vigo slots in, and because it's it sure seems like they're gonna give him every opportunity to try to try to make this group.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: But then you've got guys, you know, whether it's Brad Lambert or someone like Parker Ford.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you got a lot of guys that are kind of banging on the door.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Nikita Chiberkov is another one to try to find their way into the lineup.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Brady Yeager got into his first few NHL games last year, so there it's gonna be interesting at camp to see how Winnipeg's roster shakes out.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned the 24-year-old Cole Perfetti having a tough last year, but they did go out and give him that five-year,$60 million contract.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: Does he deserve that money?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: And is it still possible for his gameplay to live up to being a top 10 draft pick from 2020?
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think so.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like you know, when he's on his game, like I mean, he's one of the people that basically manufactured one of Winnipeg's best playoff performances in game seven against St.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: Louis, right?
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_01: He scored twice.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, like, and what sometimes gets forgotten in that game is Winnipeg had no Mark Schefley, you know what I mean?
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like, he wasn't able to play in that game, and all of a sudden a lot more responsibility fell on to Cole Perfetti to kind of try to generate some offense.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what you're gonna see from from Cole this year, obviously a little bit of you know, you're you're settled certainly because of the fact that the the contract is done.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, his previous contract to this one took a little bit into camp before he was able to sign that and you know get with the team and everything.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: So the fact that that's done is one.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: Two, I think you will see him on the power play with that top unit.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: It was kind of the the look they had the most last year.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think just another opportunity for assistant coach Davis Payne to work with that group and kind of find some some new wrinkles to throw at some teams.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's smart enough to play pretty much any position uh on that power play.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, at the same time, let's say hypothetically he ends up with with Vigo.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, there are maybe two smaller bodies, but that's a whole lot of hockey IQ out there.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: You pair that with maybe, and I'm just throwing things at the wall here because the coaches won't let me see any line combos, but you pair that with something like Gabriel Vellardi or something that's some sides that can go and get get some pucks, and Vigo Bjork's not afraid to go into the corners either.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: I I just think that you know there's there's a lot to like about Cole Perfetti's game and the fact that his game is still growing.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, you see the the number that that he signed for at versus what some of the numbers that are out there now, and I think that contract's only gonna look better and better as it goes.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: If we're throwing things at the wall here, we're trying to contend, we're gonna sign resign Josh Morrissey in two years.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: He's making 6.25 right now.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: The cap's gone.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Bunkers right now.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: What number could we be looking at as we used to call him Josh Norrissey?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think he would really like to get himself kind of back into that conversation.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: He had been getting Norris votes for the previous, I believe it was two or three years leading up to last year, didn't uh didn't find himself with the kind of the same number in that category last year.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I mean, he's one of those guys.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: He was kind of asked about Kale McCarr today in that contract, and he said, Hey, I mean, the main thing is like good good for Kale, he's earned it and everything.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like they've ended up be like getting to know each other a little bit over the last few years, especially with uh the Team Canada events and everything.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: And he just said it's a good indicator of where the league is at in terms of health.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's a really good thing that you know players are able to get that type of money.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: As far as what that looks like, I just think that just continues to evolve, right?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I always tend to uh I always tend to lean into I think it's Elliot Freeman that used to say, if you can sign somebody, sign them for as long as you can, as early as you can, I think is kind of the the slogan.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: So um I just the other thing too is he's got two years left, and we're really starting to see a lot of these conversations start about these defensemen start to happen so much earlier now.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, have you noticed that?
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah, whether you know, whether it was Quinn Hughes last year, like they like he had they had the conversations with Vancouver and ends up getting traded to Minnesota.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: And now those conversations are ongoing as he as he kind of enters the last year.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, there's there's so much going on that now it used to be when you're entering the last year of your deals when these things kind of started, now it's getting into two, just because I think of the significant investment that's attached to it.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: So what his number is, I don't know, but I think it would be a good thing for both Winnipeg and for Josh Morrissey if he uh puts in uh the the type of season that he hopes to have, gets himself back into that that Norris race, and then everything will just kind of take care of itself.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's crazy with the Z Boeim contract.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: The difference with everything climbing, what are you gonna pay an offensive defenseman versus a defensive defenseman?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of a big question, Mark, there, with the re-signing them maybe a little too early now.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: All right, let's go for some trending now.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: Buffalo Sabres signed 22-year-old Ford Noel Austlin to an eight-year deal, 6.6.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking about long-term contracts, young guys.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the deal, of course, starts next year.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: He had 27 points in 60 games, rookie season.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: So he's already signed for long-term now.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: With the cap increasing, of course, like we're talking about here, these young players are getting paid big bucks.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Is that the norm now?
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Come coming right out of their entry-level contracts.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think so.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: If I mean, kind of falls into what we were talking about, right?
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like, if you can get that financial security and you know, you know what your books are gonna look like for a number of years.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: And plus, like, look, if you really like the player, which obviously Buffalo does, why not get that business done?
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he's a 22-year-old, and you're gonna get a few uh UFA years out of that as well.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: No wonder that you know that's obviously part of the reason why the the cap hit is what it is.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I mean, this is he's a guy that has kind of come in and got into 60 games last year, built on the eight that he had in 2024-25.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, he's had success at the American Hockey League level.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: This is the guy that's ready to take the next step.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's uh no different than I bringing it back to like the Jets side of things when Mark Shifley signed his first deal.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it was something I I'm gonna get the numbers wrong because it's so long ago, but I feel like it was like eight years at like 6.125.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember at that point he was just coming out of his ELC and it was like, whoa, like this is crazy.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then all of a sudden it was like, well, no, it's not like this is just how things are done, uh, especially for players that you want to have in your organization for a long time.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: And clearly that's the that's the case for Oslin.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like, good for him.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: You're always happy to see hard work like that rewarded.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: And let's not forget, he only played three games in the postseason, but he had a couple of points.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: So, this is a guy that can find the back of the net when things are tough.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: According to it, the athletics, Pierre LeBrun, the restricted free agent defenseman Alexander Nichishkin from the Carolina Hurricanes, requested a trade earlier this offseason.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: 33 points, 81 games as a rookie as well last season.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: And he finished seventh in Calder voting.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: What could a possibility, and of course, we already people have been discussing it earlier this summer, but what could a possibility of a trade proposal from the Carolina would be, including Shishkin, look to try to acquire the Jets, Connor Halibuck?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean you'd you'd imagine, and again, just throwing things at the wall here, but you would imagine if you're Winnipeg doing that deal, you'd want some assurances that there's gonna be a deal there, right?
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's kind of the main thing, because otherwise, then you're gonna have to start to look at other aspects of Carolina's roster.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: And let's not forget, obviously, Carolina just won the Stanley Cup, so they're gonna be uh awfully selective in terms of how that's all gonna go.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, we'll we'll see kind of how that goes, but I mean the other thing that we're we're seeing a lot of too now is just the fact that players have a little bit more say in where they want to be and opportunities to play and everything like that.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you're starting to see more, you know, players that are kind of in Nikisha's position, um, you know, put a little bit of pressure on the organization to find him a place that you know maybe he can play a little bit more or be a little bit more involved or um play higher in the lineup, whatever it may be.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, like I just I just think if if that's in any way involved with with Winnipeg, it would have to include the the the assurance that you know a player like that would sign just because Connor Hellebuck is a guy that's got five years left on his deal.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's gonna completely depend on the entire package.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: And all I would say is when it comes to a player like Nikishan played his first you know full season in the National Hockey League last year, you know, after coming over from the Continental Hockey League, got into the playoffs a little bit last like 2024 and 25, but now he's kind of fully adjusted, I would say, or close to it.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it'd be a little bit more predictable in terms of how he's going to feel.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I mean, 11 goals from the from a defenseman is nothing to nothing to shake a stick at.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_01: So that's uh that's pretty good offensive production.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: Just a matter of if he fits with how you want to play.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that's it for this episode.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: Mitchell, thanks for coming back.