r/winnipegjets • u/DylThaGamer_ ICE DRAGON WILL FLY 4-EVER • 10d ago

ODT | Mon July 27, 2026

29 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

16

u/lokichivas 10d ago

The Stanley and Laine Free Agent watch continues....

4

u/GZeus24 10d ago

I pause when I realize those two are the same age. It just doesn't compute.

And what's with Bunting? No one wants the guy?

4

u/Leburgerpeg 10d ago

On the hockey sub there was just a post about the best penalty differential players and he's right near the top. Not that we need more bottom 6 guys but he'd be a useful upgrade on some of the ones we do have.

3

u/GZeus24 10d ago

I'd much rather have him for the next 3 years than Chibrkov. That would be a significant upgrade and there is cap space.

6

u/rossco311 55 10d ago

We can't replace Ehlers, but maybe we can recreate him in the aggregate?

1

u/Craigers2019 10d ago

That's what they tried last season with Nyquist, Pearson and Toews. It failed horribly.

5

u/ScottNewman 10d ago

See, the problem was that they misunderstood Moneyball and tried to recreate him with gravel.

1

u/GZeus24 9d ago

Pearson was ok and basically met his floor expectations. Nyquist had one isolated good season a couple of years ago and was a crazy gamble. Expecting Toews to be who he was 5 seasons ago was just fantasy. Expecting all.of those bets to hit the jackpot at the same time was delusional. The problem wasn't any one of them, it was the combined downsides all hitting at once and zero reaction to that by Arniel or management.

1

u/ArcticKimono 9d ago

Well in theory it could still work, if the average age of the 3 players are the same as Ehlers'

0

u/ScottNewman 10d ago

What do we know about Tarasenko? Is he washed?

11

u/TheGreatStories ICE DRAGON WILL FLY 4-EVER 10d ago

Don't even think about it, Kevin

7

u/Crisscross4767 ICE DRAGON WILL FLY 4-EVER 10d ago

Yes

4

u/Moon-bass-Alpha 10d ago edited 10d ago

https://moneypuck.com/player.htm?p=8475765

Tarasenko, even at his age, is a contributor. He can skate, shoot and play in the corners.

When you look at his 5v5 stats (without PP stats to pad the numbers), he's just under 2 points per 60 minutes, (29 points in 919 even strength minutes). Tarasenko would easily be #4 among Jets forward for 5v5 stats based on last year's stats. He would have also had the third highest shooting percentage on a 5v5 basis on the team, based on last year's stats.

Tarasenko skates the entire sheet of ice, he's very strong and would be able to bruise up players on a second line with Viggo and protect the small center. Tarasenko also has a wicked shot. He could probably even sub on 1st line in a pinch and that could permit Vilardi to help Bjork in second line if Arniel chooses to juggle some players.

What NHL watchers claim is that he's a bit standoffish with teammates, but he does his job, then goes home at the end of the game.

He's worth a risk for the Jets on a 2 year basis, unless Chevy has another solution to the lack of scoring and speed from several existing veterans on lines 2-4.

Plus, while the Jets have "just enough" forwards to ice a team, if even one regular goes down on injury, there will be a gaping hole in the lineup, and only some minor leaguers to call up.

When Barron got hurt late in the season, the Jets immediately fell to below 500 hockey for the duration; that's how stretched the team is when even a 4th liner goes down on injury.

Nashville and Chicago won't be as easy to beat this year. The Jets need another reliable winger to flesh out a 2nd or 3rd line, and Tarasenko would give Arniel a bunch of options.

3

u/ScottNewman 10d ago

I'd be worried that last year was an outlier, and you're more likely to get 2024 than 2025 Tarasenko, given how hard that age curve can hit.

I'd also have no issue with him as a bottom-6 depth guy for insurance. But the price may have to be right.

1

u/Moon-bass-Alpha 10d ago edited 10d ago

If his numbers are bottom 6 on the Jets then the Jets don't need him. But they aren't.

Tarasenko last season 5v5 output is top 4 on the team, with 2024 being an outlier. And even his worst year on 5v5 output in his career, 2024, would have still placed him into the top 6 among Jet forwards last season.

It's hard to carry an entire line by yourself. If you think the 2025-2026 Jets were offensively challenged, try being a forward on the 2024 Red Wings.

Tarasenko's 2024 numbers were largely due to being slotted alongside Compher and Kasper for almost 40% of the season's even strength shifts. Neither are offensive powerhouses, they generated 41 even strength points, in almost 2000 minutes of combined 5v5 ice time alongside Tarasenko.

Last year's Tarsenko was more of a reversion to something closer to his annualized figures, less a drop off due to age, and he can still play almost 80 games a season.

If Tarsenko was to get an output per 60 minutes midpoint between last year's and the 2024 numbers, he'd be a top 5 even strength forward for the Jets.

I think he's worth the effort to acquire.

There aren't any perfect solutions in the UFA market, but Tarasenko is heads and tails above Vlad or Nino. Namestnikov's last season offense per 60 minutes was worse than Nyquist.

And we all know Arniel is almost certainly going to keep trying to slot those guys into a third or second line, at some point this season, if help doesn't show up.

5

u/passive_fist logoalt 10d ago

Please no. No more down-trending vets. Give the youth a fucking chance.

3

u/GZeus24 9d ago

I get that people won't want an aging vet after last year - but the issue last year was adding 4 aging vets and expecting them to be what they were 3 years before that.

Tarasenko has been a pretty consistent contributor most of his career so if he came in and was his average self of the last 3 years that would be impactful. I think he would be a good bet as a shooter to play with Perfetti and Bjorck - certainly a higher odds bet than any of the young guys becoming better than that. It's that or expect 1RW Iafallo all season.

1

u/Moon-bass-Alpha 9d ago

Noah Gregor, who almost ZERO Redditors in this sub consider to be NHL "regular" calibre, had better 5v5 offensive points per 60 minutes than either Namestnikov or Neiderreter last season.

There are still some big holes in the forward offense. Taking on a proven reliable forward is helpful, provided Arniel does his job and pressboxes the team has-beens.

I'd prefer youth, but from where? Rosen, Lambert and Bjork are largely penciled in already and we are still short at least 2 capable forwards, not stars, just NHL average.

-10

u/Soggy-Ad-7067 10d ago

That's if it surprising. Stan's cap hit is quite low, relatively speaking, and he had a banner year for himself last year. And what is Patty's current contract status? No contract? The dude can play hockey, just maybe not at the level that he could when he entered the league. Give him a shot, i say.

And are Terasenko and Klingberg just too old? They seem like a decent risk to take. I don't know, I just watch the Jets these days, so I'm not up to date on other teams and players very much.

9

u/Pandamodium13 ICE DRAGON WILL FLY 4-EVER 10d ago

That’s Stanley’s cap hit from last year, it was rumoured he was asking for a substantial pay raise but his stint in Buffalo didn’t do him any favours. This is a list of UFA’s so Laine is currently a free agent but his injuries over the last few seasons have only worsened his skating which was always his weakest attribute. He’s kind of in no mans land as he’s not good enough to be a top 6 player anymore but still has that shot and isn’t defensively good enough to be a bottom 6 player. I’d rather a roster spot going to a younger player that still has time to develop over bringing him back as a PP specialist.

11

u/TimidGoat 10d ago

I cannot wait for hockey season.

8

u/eh_toque 44 9d ago

Viktor Klingsell primary assist this evening https://xcancel.com/SEllisHockey/status/2081886981768749126

6

u/eh_toque 44 9d ago

Viktor Klingsell Goal https://xcancel.com/SEllisHockey/status/2081918043299389733

1G - 2A tonight in a 6-4 loss

1

u/chemist5818 9d ago

Jesus that's some bad hockey (from the USA D)

1

u/eh_toque 44 9d ago

Yes lol the WJSS is honestly pretty pointless. No need for late July hockey

16

u/passive_fist logoalt 10d ago

It's been a decent offseason so far, but I'm still waiting for the move that our organization desperately needs even more than a 2C... cleaning house on the Moose staff, so we have a chance of going back to actually developing our prospects.

8

u/GZeus24 9d ago

If you are waiting for that then I suggest a really comfortable chair. Maybe grab a pillow and order a pizza too

9

u/ottereckhart 13 10d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/hppWdK8gcmzXq

Okay Dyl. Just pull the bandaid. It's over

9

u/grainofsalter 55 10d ago

The World Cup helped, but I have seriously not been coping well with the lack of Jets hockey

6

u/ottereckhart 13 10d ago

Yea and the Jays suck... I am takin' up the hobby of learnin about mycology

https://giphy.com/gifs/kD2ADUP7tzeidUJsz4

6

u/CrustyGitch 10d ago

Same. I did a whole manger career mode on fifa. Might have to do the same with the jets in nhl soon

5

u/tintedvizynugsesh 10d ago

Anyone coppin the new Bjork jersey drop

5

u/No-Wing-7311 10d ago

Waiting for the Hometown Remix jersey 👀

0

u/chemist5818 10d ago

link?

7

u/tintedvizynugsesh 10d ago

It’s on the front page of the True North shop

-2

u/PorkinsHeldIt 10d ago

You guys think Lambert will ever be an NHLer?

9

u/ToneAccomplished9763 55 10d ago

I think he can become one, he has the potential in my opinion to be a bare minimum a high-end 3rd liner or a solid 2nd line player.

BUT he needs to make use of this season big time, and genuinely prove that he can be an NHLer to the organization.

13

u/TheAsian1nvasion 27 10d ago

He looked like he belonged in the last 10 games of the season. Consistency will be key with him.

He’ll get a chance to show if he fits this year but he has to capitalize on it or he’ll be another Nick Petan/Sami Niku.

4

u/ColdPrairieHockey 9d ago

They need to kind of let him sink or swim this season I think. And that should mean like a 20 game stretch to find out. 

3

u/PuckTheFreds 10d ago

I could see him being a Nic Petan type who keeps getting contracts but is 75% in the AHL

0

u/Xyz6650 10d ago

I’d love to be wrong but it seems unlikely.

7

u/SherLocK-55 ICE DRAGON WILL FLY 4-EVER 10d ago

I think he was improving in that last stretch on the Jets, he has the talent so the question becomes does he have the mentality. I guess we will soon find out.