Oh, What Could Have Been...
The Winnipeg Jets made multiple noteworthy moves before the 2024 NHL trade deadline in March, but what could the team have done differently to prepare for a deep playoff run?
The Jets prioritized their offence at the deadline, acquiring veteran centreman Sean Monahan from Montreal. Additionally, the Jets traded for forward Tyler Toffoli of New Jersey, later trading for Devils’ defenceman Colin Miller.
After Toffoli and Monahan combined for just two goals and three points in five postseason games, with Miller dressing in only Game 5, it’s easy to look back upon the Jets’ deadline decisions critically.
So, could general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets have looked elsewhere, or added to their three springtime gets?
Winnipeg was regarded by many as the league’s best defensive team this season. The Jets allowed the fewest goals throughout the regular season behind another fantastic year from netminder Connor Hellebuyck, whose efforts earned him his fourth Vezina Trophy nomination.
In their first-round series against Colorado, the title of “best defensive team” could not have been further from the truth. The Jets averaged 5.6 goals against per game, as well as an average of 37 shots against per game – both ranked worst among the 16 postseason teams.
With that in mind, Winnipeg finished 15th in goals per game this season in the NHL, averaging 3.16 goals per game. The Jets’ powerplay struggled as well, operating at 18.8% for the season, placing them 22nd in the NHL.
It’s clear there was room to improve on both sides of the ice for Winnipeg. These are four affordable names that may have been worth considering as well at the NHL’s trade deadline.
1. Joel Edmundson (LD)
Age: 30
Cap hit: $1.75M (UFA in 2024)
Cost: Third and seventh-round pick in 2024 (Toronto)
Brandon, MB. product Joel Edmundson is a 6-foot-4 defenceman who would have added some depth to the Jets’ blue line. He is a physical d-man who gives his team an extra edge in the defensive zone. He is a left-handed defenceman, who could have filled the role of either Dylan Samberg (-7 in five postseason appearances) or Nate Schmidt (-5 in just three postseason appearances). With a contract worth $1.75M – which expired at the end of the 2024 season – Edmundson would have been a low-risk loan who the Jets could release or extend at the end of the season.
2. Alexandre Carrier (RD)
Age: 27
Cap hit: $2.5M (UFA in 2024)
Projected cost: High second-round pick or low first-round pick
Nashville Predators defenceman Alexandre Carrier was rumoured to be on the block ahead of the trade deadline in March. At 5-foot-11, Carrier makes up for his size with a high hockey IQ and great mobility. He has a weapon of a shot, which makes him a great option on the powerplay. He logged over 21 minutes of ice time per game in the postseason for Nashville. Carrier’s versatility made him an attractive piece at the deadline and may have been available for Winnipeg’s second-round pick from Montreal. However, giving away their second-round pick means the Jets would have had no picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft.
3. David Savard (RD)
Age: 33
Cap hit: $3.5M (UFA in 2025)
Projected cost: First-round pick
Montreal’s David Savard is another reliable defensive defenceman who would be placed in the Jets’ top two pairings. He is a fearless shot blocker who tallied 163 blocked shots this season (third on the team) and plays a shutdown role that may have been useful against Colorado. He averaged over 20 minutes per game this year with Montreal. The Canadiens were not desperate to move him at the deadline, allegedly seeking a first-round pick for the 33-year-old defenceman. At his age, Savard is not worth a first-round pick. However, after the Jets sent a first and a third-round pick to Montreal for Monahan in February, one wonders how much extra it would have cost the Jets to add Savard to a package deal.
4. Jason Zucker (LW)
Age: 32
Cap hit: $5.3M (UFA in 2024)
Cost: Sixth-round pick (Nashville)
Jason Zucker has averaged 40 points over his last two seasons and could have provided the Jets some scoring down the depth chart. His $5.3 million cap hit seems alarming at first, but the Jets $13 million-plus in cap space indicates that he was indeed affordable as a loan player for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Zucker has fan favourite appeal as a talented forward who has struggled with injury but is capable of a career resurgence with the right fit. Perhaps the most attractive element to Jason Zucker was the cost. The Arizona Coyotes, now Utah, dealt Zucker at the buzzer to Nashville for the low cost of a sixth-round pick. There may have been some risk in acquiring Zucker given his injury history, but for a sixth-round pick, he may have been worth pursuing.
Hindsight is always 20/20, and it’s easy to look back and wonder what the Jets could have done differently to extend their five-game visit to the 2024 postseason.
Tyler Toffoli had 44 points in 61 games with New Jersey before coming to Winnipeg, where he totaled 11 points in 18 games with the Jets.
Sean Monahan found his rhythm as a Jet, posting 24 points in 34 appearances with Winnipeg.
Colin Miller didn’t get enough ice time in Polar Night Blue, but looked solid in his sole postseason appearance in Game 5. With just five appearances for the Jets, it’s hard to determine Miller’s value going forward.
With their contracts set to expire this summer, will we see any of Winnipeg’s deadline additions back in blue next season? NHL Free agency begins July 1.
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