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Buyers or sellers?
After qualifying for the playoffs just last season, and the addition of high-end prospect Nikolaj Ehlers, the Winnipeg Jets had high expectations for themselves this season. But the team just hasn't been able to gel this year, and in the tough Central Division, you can't afford to go through a stretch of losses the way the Jets have.
At this point in the season, Winnipeg is closer to a lottery pick than a playoff spot. And with the hottest trade deadline option in the NHL currently residing in Winnipeg, the Jets are quite clearly trade deadline sellers.
Team needs
The Jets have one of the strongest, if not the strongest, prospect pools in the NHL. And with the 2015-16 completely lost, they would certainly love to add more prospects and picks to make their prospect class even stronger.
With the February signing of Dustin Byfuglien, the Jets simply don't have the room for Andrew Ladd. With so many teams looking to add a top-six forward as they battle for playoff contention, Ladd is the best winger available at the trade deadline. And with the recent report of a team offering the Jets a first-round pick and a prospect for Ladd, the sky is the limit as far as his return value goes.
But outside of Ladd, the Jets don't really have any players that can be considered "rentals" on their roster. Ladd and defenseman Adam Pardy are the only players set to become unrestricted free agents after this season. But with just 12 games in the 2015-16 season, few teams are going to want to add Pardy.
Could the Jets look to trade a cap-friendly player to a team looking for some bottom six help? It's certainly a possibility, but it's practically impossible to forecast.
Key players
Andrew Ladd
It's not a matter of if Ladd will be traded, it's when and for how much. With Byfuglien's five-year, $36 million contract extension, the team simply doesn't have the room to give Ladd the pay raise he rightfully deserves.
Several teams would love to add Ladd, and with so many potential buyers, the Jets would be smart to wait until the last moment to move on from Ladd. As more and more teams begin to wait longer and longer, the price should continue to drive upward. Regardless of the final return, the Jets should ultimately be pretty satisfied with their haul from the Ladd deal.
Michael Hutchinson or Ondrej Pavelec
It makes sense for the Jets to trade a goaltender, given how well Connor Hellebuyck played in his first 26 NHL games, but is the timing right?
The other difficult question Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff needs to ask himself is whether he should part with Michael Hutchinson or Ondrej Pavelec.
If he'd rather part with Pavelec, it might make sense to put him out there during the trade deadline. The San Jose Sharks are looking for a goaltender to back up Martin Jones, as backup Alex Stalock has struggled all season, recording a .884 save percentage. But the Sharks are pressed right up against the salary cap, and it seems unlikely that they would trade a rostered NHL player for someone they'd likely use as a duel starter (at best) in Pavelec, who carries a $3.9 million cap hit. Could the Jets sweeten the deal by retaining some of Pavelec's salary in the trade?
But if the Jets were to part with Pavelec, they'd be left with a 26-year-old Hutchinson and a 23-year-old Hellebuyck between the pipes next season.
That seems a little risky, and for that reason, moving Hutchinson, who becomes a restricted free agent this offseason, may end up making more sense. A team who would love to get their hands on a young goaltender with starting experience? The Calgary Flames, who are in desperate need for a franchise goaltender.
If Cheveldayoff does decide to trade Hutchinson, that seems like a draft day/offseason move, not a trade deadline move.
Travis Hamonic
If the Jets end up turning the tables and become a buyer, Travis Hamonic might be their guy.
It has become public knowledge that the New York Islanders defenseman wants to be traded away from New York so he can be closer to his hometown for personal reasons.
Hamonic happens to be from St. Malo, Manitoba, which is like an hour drive from Winnipeg. Winnipeg is likely Hamonic's ideal location.
But, Hamonic has stated that he was willing to finish out the year with the Islanders. And with the Islanders right in the mix of a playoff race, why would they want to part with one of their top defensemen at this point in the season?
Much like a hypothetical Hutchinson trade, a Hamonic deal for Winnipeg may end up making more sense during the offseason. That is, if Winnipeg even wants Hamonic. The Islanders have already stated they would like another defenseman for Hamonic. The seemingly most likely proposal would be Hamonic for Jacob Trouba. Is that actually worth it?
Jonathan Drouin
Okay, okay, I know I just said that if the Jets end up turning the tables and become buyers at the deadline, it might be for Travis Hamonic.
I lied. It also might be for Jonathan Drouin.
The disgruntled 2013 third-overall pick had his agent make a public announcement stating in December that he wants to be traded out of Tampa Bay. Drouin, at the time, was a member of the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning's AHL affiliate. After a few games with Syracuse, Drouin went nuclear and walked away from the team.
Here's the thing: Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman doesn't have to trade Drouin. Drouin still has another year remaining on his entry-level contract, and even still he becomes a restricted free agent once that contract runs up. He has virtually no say in whether or not a move can be made, and if a move even is made, where the destination may be.
But if Yzerman believes there is no way he can mend the relationship between his franchise and Drouin, Drouin is on the market. And one of the teams Yzerman should reach out to is the Winnipeg Jets.
Remember how I mentioned how great Winnipeg's prospect pool is? Yzerman will likely look for young players with potential to replace his young player with potential. And when you consider the fact that the Jets have young forwards like Kyle Connor, Nicolas Petan, Brendan Lemieux, Jack Roslovic and Chase de Leo, and defenseman Josh Morrissey in their arsenal, plus Winnipeg's high-draft pick this year and whatever prospect they land in the Ladd trade, there has to be some sort of fit between the Jets and Lightning for Drouin.
Tommy Chalk writes about the NHL for FOX Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @Tommy_Chalk
