Trade Winds: Jeff Carter

No Trade Clause No More...

Jeff Carter has been the hottest topic of conversation in the NHL the last few weeks.  The speculation surrounding Columbus is that General Manager Scott Howson is very much open to making enormous and sweeping changes in the organization.  It sounds like he would like to retain his long time captain, Rick Nash, but he did not sugar coat the reality that Jeff Carter is available for a trade.

I don’t think it’s really necessary to talk about the reasons that Carter may be available.  They are pretty obvious at this point.  The Jackets are dead last by a country mile and their organization is veering dangerously close to being an embarassment.  With a massive payroll not living up to expectations, changes must be made.

A New Jet: Winnipeg Claims Miettinen

The Winnipeg Jets have stolen away Antti Miettinen from the Tampa Bay Lightning this morning.  Miettinen was playing hockey in Europe this season before signing a two year deal with the Bolts yesterday.  However, because he was playing overseas, he had to clear waivers to join the club.  Many thought that signing him for two years instead of one would scare teams away from claiming him, but the Jets have jumped right back into the waiver wire fold.

This move serves a few purposes.  First and foremost, the Jets have been a very banged up team this year.  With Antropov constantly on the mend and the blueline always in a state of disrepair, the team has looked to add reinforcements on a few occassions.  Miettinen is a guy who can step into multiple roles, and will be able to help the team with any number of injury related deficiencies

Jets Claim Brett MacLean

The Winnipeg Jets have made their first waiver claim just hours before the opening ceremonies kick off at the Forks.  This should add a little more excitement to what is already sure to be an intense weekend in the Peg.

While Brett MacLean is hardly a star caliber acquisition, he does have a lengthy track record of success and a fairly high ceiling at the NHL level.  Selected 32nd overall in the 2007 Entry Draft, MacLean is yet another prospect who has little to no interest in playing with the Coyotes.  The Coyotes’ other top pick, Kyle Turris, is currently holding out for more money as well, and many believe it is because he simply wants out of the desert.

Prediction Time: Pacific Division, Pt. 1

He's Back For One More Year...

Teemu Selanne was not about to miss his chance at reliving his glory days.  After all, it was in Winnipeg where Selanne set one of the must remarkable NHL records in history.  Sure, Gretzky has pretty much everything else locked down, but it is highly unlikely that another player will ever score 76 goals in his rookie campaign.  Selanne shattered the previous record of 52, held by Mike Bossy, and forever became a part of the fabric of hockey in Winnipeg.  He is universally beloved in the Peg, and I would expect his ovation on December 16th inside the MTS Center, will be rivaled only by the home-opener.  The Finnish Flash is back, and that should have an enormous impact on the Pacific Division.

Prediction Time: South East Division, pt. 2

Ovechkin For the Win (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

3.) Washington Capitals

Just as the Penguins are the class of their division, Ovechkin and his Capitals are far and away the best team in the South East.  Somewhat scarily, the Capitals improved considerably this off-season.  They added Joel Ward, who was a playoff hero for the Nashville Predators this year.  They added Troy Brouwer, who has a Cup ring and has provided consistent physical and scoring support for all three top lines in Chicago the past few seasons.  They added former 1st overall pick and savy veteran Roman Hamrlik to their back-end.  And perhaps most importantly, they added Tomas Vokoun to their stable of netminders.  All this, and manager George McPhee may have also pulled off the trade of the summer by cashing in a 1st and 2nd round pick for youngster Semyeon Varlamov.  Time will tell, but those picks could be in the lottery area if last year was any indication of the direction the Avs are headed in.   

Prediction Time: South East Division, pt. 1

For at least one season this division will have some insane travel and perhaps more media attention than they are used to.  The Winnipeg Jets have returned at last.  While it is generally acknowledged that there will be a shift in division organization next year, for the time being the Jets will slide right into the spot previously occupied by the Atlanta Thrashers.  So the question becomes, what effect, if any, will the new Winnipeg team have on the South East division?

Meet the Jets: Ladd

The Captain (Photo Courtesy of Pierre Lebrun and Sunny Pathok)

Andrew Ladd (Left Wing)
6’3″, 205 pounds, Age 25

At just 25 years old Andrew Ladd has achieved some rare feats in the NHL.  Most notably, Ladd has won the Stanley Cup with two separate franchises already.  Most players are lucky to get a single shot at the Cup in their entire career.  To do it with two separate teams is actually a remarkable occurrence.  It would seem that if you want to get your team to go all the way, Ladd is the kind of guy you want on your side.

Moose to St.John’s, Sabres Sign First Round Selection

The bulk of news in the NHL today dealt with the fallout from events that occurred over the past few days.  Thanks to the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg, the Moose look slated to slide over to St.John’s.  Front man for True North Sports and Entertainment Mark Chipman is going to maintain ownership of the team despite the move.  He is quite proud of the work he accomplished with his minor league club, and hopes to bring that same success to the east coast.

Meet the Jets: Byfuglien

 Face of the Franchise

Dustin Byfuglien (Defence / Right Wing)
Age 26, 6’5”, 265 pounds

          While Evander Kane is probably the eventual face of the franchise in Winnipeg, there is no doubt that Dustin Byfuglien is currently the most marketable star on the roster.  Winnipeg fans will have memories of ‘Big Buff’ terrorizing the Canucks for the past two post-seasons on route to his Stanley Cup victory in the 2010.  During that dominating performance Byfuglien forced the introduction of new hockey buzz word  ‘swagger’.  He was seemingly drenched in confidence, and that attitude was contagious.  There is little doubt that he was an absolutely key cog for Chicago in that Cup run.  Known for his net presence and purely intimidating size, Byfuglien is a virtually irreplaceable part of the puzzle. 

Meet the Jets: Kane

The Jets are finally returning.  For some, it is justice.  For others, it is some sort of surreal hockey fantasy.  Years of rabid speculation and debunking rumors have come to an end.  There is no more need to fend off naysayers and prop up the city of Winnipeg.  No more singing the praises of the MTS Center.  There is no more hoping for a rich and powerful owner like Dave Thomson to come along and restore our identity.  It’s over.  Mission accomplished.  The Jets are back.