What a disappointing finish. After a year of ups and downs and battling the injury bug, the Jets were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in six games by the St Louis Blues.
It was a hard-fought series that saw the Jets climb back from trailing 2–0 early on, then winning two games in St. Louis, only to then blow a 2–0 lead in game five, allowing a goal by Jayden Schwartz in the dying seconds of the game.
But while many different factors played into the demise of the Winnipeg Jets, including their late-season struggles and inability to seize the division crown (or close out a game in the final minutes), the Jets just couldn’t find that next gear that led them all the way to the conference finals last season.
For the second offseason in a row, Kevin Chevaldayoff will find himself one of the busier men in the league. The Jets have seven pending unrestricted free agents, and eight restricted free agents due for contracts, including the likes of Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Jacob Trouba.
Trouba set a career high with 50 points this season, but as expected he failed to meet defensive expectations when Josh Morrissey succumbed to injury.
The two logged 909 minutes together at even strength and were by far Coach Paul Maurice’s most used pairing. They were on the ice for 43 goals for, and 40 against. The two had a Corsi percentage (shot attempts for/total shot attempts) of 51.12 percent, and goalies had a save percentage of .917 when they were together.
Without Morrissey, Trouba’s underlying numbers took a hit, but perhaps what’s most concerning is the drop in save percentage, which fell from .917 to .906.
What the future holds for Trouba is unclear. After heading to arbitration last summer for the first time, after coming off a two-year bridge deal, there’s a sense that Trouba would like to avoid returning to arbitration.
And the Jets organization should, too. It was reported that last season the two sides were more than $3 million dollars apart on a new deal, with Trouba seeking somewhere in the range of $7 million. And after a career season, it’s hard to imagine him not getting more than the $5.5 million he was awarded last offseason.
Another worry I would have about going to arbitration is the risk of getting a short-term deal, severing the team’s relationship with the player. Trouba is no stranger to requesting a trade. In 2016–17, it was reported that he asked to be traded, only to rescind that request later in the season. He has since stated that he would like to be a part of the organization in the long term.
Trouba isn’t the only member of the Jets’ backend due for a new deal. Joining him are Tyler Myers, Ben Chariot, Nathan Beaulieu, and Joe Morrow.
While it may be a little early to begin speculating about who stays and who goes, it’s believed that Myers will get more money elsewhere, and with only so much money to go around in Winnipeg he may be the odd man out.
Ben Chariot, on the other hand, played a key role this season, and his chemistry with Byfuglien is something no other defenseman on the current roster really has. The 27-year-old set career highs in goals, points, and games played this season, and he will likely be in line for a deal worth more than $3 million.
Kevin Hayes, Brandon Tanev, Matt Hendricks, and Par Lindholm are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.
It appears unlikely that Hayes will return, as the numbers he put up in New York may have earned him the type of deal the Jets can’t afford. Tanev led the Jets in hits this season with 278, and he plays a huge role in the bottom six, as well as on the penalty kill.
It’s safe to say that Chevaldayoff once again has his work cut out for him, with Laine and Connor being top priorities. But there are a lot more moving parts than that.