With less than three weeks to go before the NHL’s trade deadline on February 25, action has already begun to pick up in front offices around the league. 

Following the all-star weekend, we’ve seen two deals involving quality players. Derrick Brassard, who I originally thought the Jets should target, was moved from the Penguins to the Panthers, and Jake Muzzin moved from the Kings to the Maple Leafs. 

Meanwhile in Ottawa, tension abounds when it comes to unrestricted free agents Mark Stone and Matt Duchene, who continue to garner trade talks. The Jets have been mentioned as potential contenders to land at least one of them. 

Of course, we all remember last year’s trade deadline, when out of the blue—no pun intended—Kevin Chevaldayoff snagged Paul Stastny from a floundering divisional rival in exchange for Erik Foley, and first- and fourth-round draft picks. 

Only to have Stastny walk away for nothing in the offseason. 

There may still be a little salt in the wound, and some fans may be hesitant for the team to trade for another “rental” option. However, I would argue that the Jets are in an even better position to add a marquee forward this year than they were last season, for three key reasons. 

1. This year’s market is flooded with talent, and many people believe this will drive down the value of star talent. 

2. With Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine in the final year of their entry-level contracts, this may Chevaldayoff’s last chance to build the best team possible. 

3. With such a young core, the Jets can afford to give up a couple of future assets for some help right now. 

The Jets, as currently constructed, sit fifth in the league in goals for, behind the likes of the Lightning, Flames, Sharks, and Leafs. A playoff series against any of these teams could come down to whoever scores the last goal. 

What do these four teams have in common? They each have depth at the centre position. 

That isn’t to say the Jets don’t, but if you were to put Bryan Little on any of these teams, he would be their third line centre, not their second. 

Now, I’m not a Bryan Little hater. Many might remember that I defended him last season when the Jets signed him to a deal set to pay him nearly $5.3 million per year through 2024–25. 

But getting an upgrade at the centre position to play alongside Laine would completely change the season for this Jets team. 

We’ve seen coach Paul Maurice try a series of different players in this position, with Jack Roslovic, Matthieu Perrault, Kyle Connor, and Nikolaj Ehlers each taking turns throughout the season. Historically Ehlers and Laine have proven to have lots of chemistry, but the two struggled at the beginning of the season, leading to Connor being shifted to the second line.  

One interesting aside: since losing Ehlers to injury, the Jets rank first in the league in goals for, but that number is slightly inflated thanks to the 9–3 obliteration of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. 

So just who is the best option, and what will the Jets have to give up? It remains to be seen—and I’m sure we’ll be discussing it further in this space in the coming weeks and months. 

The ideal fit right now, in my opinion, is Matt Duchene, currently with the Senators. The Sens are already without their first-round pick this year, and with contract talks reportedly not really moving the needle, they may want to move the 28-year-old before he leaves them for nothing.  

With 48 points on the season, Duchene—along with Winnipeg native Mark Stone, who I would also like to see moved to the Jets—has been one of the few reasons to tune into Senators broadcasts this season. And he seems to have gotten better as the league has gotten faster. 

Combining his speed up the middle and playmaking ability with Patrik Laine’s ability to shoot the puck and create space just by standing somewhere would be very fun to watch.