Mikhail Grabovski traded to Jets amid insane rumors, Croft's final trip to Coliseum

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

After days of speculation, the Winnipeg Jets have found their man. Early this afternoon, forward Mikhail Grabovski was acquired along with a 2017 3rd round pick, in exchange for a 2016 1st round pick, and center prospect Nic Petan. According to Jets General Manager Sean Croft, while Petan was viewed as a favorable prospect, Travis Zajac, Brock Nelson, and Sam Reinhart are the three reasons why he viewed Petan as expendable. Sean Croft broke the news to the team during this afternoon's skate. I happened to be there waiting for Croft to ask about his final trip to Nassau Coliseum.

"Hey guys, gather around," said Croft as he headed out onto the ice. "Great job last night against the Isles. Two big points for us. Obviously we've needed some scoring, you all know that. Just so that you know, you'll have a new teammate tomorrow, but don't worry, none of you have been dealt. A few minutes ago, we traded for Mikhail Grabovski."

The players on the ice started high-fiving, and there were nothing but smiles on the ice. Coming off the ice, Brent Seabrook grabbed me and said, "Hey! We got Grabo! Did you hear?" One player who had seemed relieved was rookie forward Brock Nelson. The young forward has had some difficulty transitioning into an NsHL role, and wondered if he had played his way out the door. 

"It's been frustrating for sure," commented Nelson after this morning's skate. "I haven't been able to get it going, and to make matters worse, you get some people in your ear telling you that the team is looking to replace you on the line and that you're on your way out. I'm just glad they believe in me and are keeping me around."

What Nelson is referring to is the post made earlier this week by the anonymous hockey blogger known as, "Seklund". On Tuesday, Seklund wrote on his blog:

I've heard Sean Croft has been working the phones to get some more offense for the Jets. My sources tell me he has grown sour on Brock Nelson, and is looking to deal the youngster in exchange for a more proven player, in order to not  make himself look foolish for trading a first round pick during this so-called "rebuild" last year. 

Then last night he wrote the following:

Sean Croft spotted talking to Chris Hessel during the second intermission at Nassau Coliseum. Trade winds are whipping. I'm hearing Brock Nelson is on his way to the Islanders, along with a number of high draft picks and Travis Zajac, in exchange for John Tavares and James Wisniewski. "The Wiz" is viewed as a long term solution for the Jets, as Sean Croft believes that Kevin Bieksa will waive his NTC to go to a contender. Tavares is viewed strictly as revenue, a jersey to be sold before he rejects every contract offer in the league to sign with Jade Graber's Toronto Maple Leafs, because my cousin knows a guy who drives a cab in Rome who once gave Pope Francis a ride, and he said inside the Vatican, there is a scribe signed by Jesus stating that Tavares is destined to be a Leaf. It sits on a shelf between Kim Kardashian's soul, traded for fame (S5) and a copy of Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling" (it's his favorite).

"I have no clue where he gets this stuff," said Croft after the game. "Of course I was at the game, I'm always at the games! I saw him as I was heading down to the locker room, I told him he had no integrity. His response was, "No, I actually bought "Insanity" instead, check out these abs". Then he asked me for five bucks to get a Snickers from the vending machine, which in fact was a soap dispenser in the utility closet."

Paul MacLean was equally as annoyed. 

"It's not ****ing right," barked MacLean when asked about the blogger. "He's a kid, he's trying. He's putting a lot of pressure on himself, and the last thing he needs is this clown in his head. His press pass is bogus! It's got macaroni elbows and glitter on it."

Either way, Nelson is staying, but will be demoted to the third line in favor of Grabovski with Olli Jokinen and Jaromir Jagr. The Jets have lost only by small margins, for the most part, and it is the team's belief that with the added scoring, those games could have been won. They recognized the opportunity to add early in the season and close the gap in the Western Conference playoff picture. Grabovski adds the scoring, checking, speed, puck handling, and passing that the Jets have lacked on the second line. He is also sound defensively. He will be under contract for the rest of this season, as well as the three that follow, at a cap friendly $4M per year.

Before the deal was made however, there was a game played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. It has been the home of the New York Islanders since the NsHL's inception, and had been a Long Island staple since 1972. Next season, the Islanders will call the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn home. Sean Croft made sure to get to the building early, and take in one last game in his old stomping grounds. His final game was truly his swan song, as his Jets defeated the Islanders in the shootout 2-1.

"It's a very weird feeling," said Croft as he walked through the stands prior to last night's contest. "I've spent countless hours here, both as a kid and as an adult. I started my NsHL career here."

He then felt water on his shoulder, and realized it was raining outside, which means it was raining inside as well.

"Forget it, I won't miss it."

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel 

Matthias will NOT start the season in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

The bombshell that no one expected has been dropped: Shawn Matthias will not be on the Winnipeg Jets roster when the season begins in six days. After spending a few days looking over everything, Head Coach Paul MacLean and General Manager Sean Croft have made the decision to move on from the veteran forward. While neither the coach nor the general manager could be reached for comment, Shawn Matthias was.

"It's disappointing," said a dejected Matthias. "You work hard, you think you earn a spot, and then it is taken away from you."

Matthias has torn apart the AsHL since his demotion, which does the Winnipeg Jets no good. For a team that has tried throughout the entire offseason to build a team that can make some noise, this was not the way they thought this would play out. However, the numbers can not lie. In four preseason games this year, Matthias has no goals, no assists, and is a -4. He has taken four shots, and has thrown two hits. The Jets were 2-2 with Matthias on the squad.

Calle Jarnkrok however, has one assist in three games. He is a -2, and some have made the case that perhaps his promotion is a bit premature, but the Jets are also 2-1 with him in the lineup. He has thrown twice as many hits as Matthias has, and has taken almost as many shots. All of this has been done in less games. The Jets have said since the beginning, that no one was safe, and it seems as if they are staying true to that statement.

Matthias, in three games for St. Johns, he has two goals and four assists, and is a +6. The IceCaps are 3-0 since his arrival. Sources have reported that the Jets have shopped Matthias, and that Jarnkrok is not a lock to start the season in the NsHL should they move Matthias for another NsHL center, which is what they are looking for. If he isn't moved, then Jarnkrok will be a Jet for the season opener. The only question is whether or not Matthias can do enough to regain his spot on the team, should he not be moved.

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel

Are Matthias, Bickell in trouble?

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

With the preseason drawing to a close and opening night looming, the Winnipeg Jets are 3-3-0, having shown moments of dominance and disaster (I.E. Peter Budaj last night). To be fair, Budaj actually had looked pretty good to start the preseason, and it is safe to assume that the veteran netminder will have a few games like this every now and again. This is less of a concern to the Jets who see him primarily as a back-up to Ben Scrivens. Initially, it was believed the duo was meant to split the games, however, if the preseason is any indication of what you can expect out of Scrivens long term, it is safe to assume that the split becomes more of a 60-22 advantage for Ben.

With that said, Budaj, given his warts, is still a veteran who you can rely on more times than not, but at the same time is not someone who you will need for 82 games. The same can not be said about Bryan Bickell or Shawn Matthias. Bickell was brought to the 'Peg last April in exchange for Brad Richardson, a 4th Round Draft Pick and a 5th Round Draft Pick. He had bounced around last season, but General Manager Sean Croft recognized the depth he would bring to the organization. He can hit, play defense, and chip in offensively. At least, it was believed he could chip in offensively. Early last season, he was putting up points at a respectable pace.

Since then, he has gone cold. Through six preseason games this year, he has no points, and is a -6. It is not expected that the Jets move Bickell at this point, due to the fact that he is still viewed as having value to the team as a depth piece. The club's recent acquisition of Cal Clutterbuck seemed to round out the NsHL roster. However, should the Jets be able to acquire another second or third line piece, it would not surprise me to see Bickell drop to line four, and for Clutterbuck to end up in New Foundland. Sources say that Sean Croft is going to continue to work the phones to see if that piece is out there. If he were to find a second line piece, we assume that, unless it was for a solid young player, that it would be a veteran rental, as the Jets believe that Brock Nelson will be a consistent top 6 player, although his rough preseason might force him to the third line.

Then there's Shawn Matthias. The Jets gave him a two-year "prove it" deal. So far, he hasn't proved anything except for the fact that he is a very good AsHL player. While that it great for Ted Nolan and Ryan Jones, it doesn't do a whole lot for the big club in Winnipeg. In a small sample size, rookie forward Calle Jarnkrok has showed Paul MacLean more than Matthias, and has played nearly half the games. He finally got Brendan Gallagher (who has had his own struggles) on the scoresheet, and assisted on Kevin Bieksa's first goal of the preseason. His faceoff percentage is 45% against Matthias' 44.23%. He is a -2, while Matthias is a -4. While the sample size has been smaller and inflated stats are a possibility, what we know for sure is that this rookie, who has hardly 10 professional games under his belt, has outperformed a veteran in many ways.

Sean Croft did not draft Shawn Matthias, nor did he trade for him. Sources tell us that he has less of a hesitation to move the center, against moving someone he just brought in, such as a Bickell. My assumption is that, should be Matthias be moved, it would be a lateral move for a "like" player. More or less, it would be two players who need a change of scenery. The Jets certainly hope this is not the way this plays out. They like Matthias, which is why they did offer him a contract to keep him here for two years. The organization also would prefer not to get a reputation for being a "revolving door". They just moved Derek Dorsett who they just extended for this season. Croft and MacLean are willing to make decisions based upon what is best for the team in terms of helping them win, but may be hesitant in moving another player they just extended.

One way or the other, it leaves Bickell, Matthias, and Croft stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel  

Trade Alert: Cal Clutterbuck is a Winnipeg Jet, more to come?

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

The Winnipeg Jets added more depth to their roster, bringing veteran left wing Cal Clutterbuck into the fold. The Jets sent minor leaguer Justin Courtnall and a 7th Round Draft Pick in 2016 to Erik Helsing's Bruins, in exchange for a player that Sean Croft believes will be exactly what the Jets needs to round out their bottom six.

"Cal is a gamer, and he wants to play in the NsHL," commented Croft in regards to Clutterbuck starting the preseason in the AsHL. "Here, he'll have an opportunity to make the team. He'll push some of our other players to perform as well. Everyone knows that their job is not safe, so this will keep everyone on their toes and playing hard."

Head Coach Paul MacLean seemed to be very happy with the deal. 

"I preach the church of defense, and Cal knows all about that," said MacLean. "He'll also stay out of the penalty box. 

That seems to be a big reason as to why Clutterbuck was brought to the 'Peg. The Jets recently traded Derek Dorsett to the Columbus Blue Jackets, despite just signing him to a 1 year extension. Many close to the Jets believe that, while the Jets liked Dorsett very much, that they believed his tendency to go to the penalty box was something that was going to hurt the team down the line. Clutterbuck seems to have been on Sean Croft's radar for a long time. 

"I've always been a fan of the guy. I've wanted him here since I took this team over, and this seemed like a good time, the opportunity presented itself, so we had to jump."

Clutterbuck met with the media this morning after a skating session. 

"This is great for me," said Clutterbuck. "They've done a lot over the last few months, and this is a great city to play for."

He also recognizes that this may be his best shot at playing in the NsHL this season. 

"Obviously, you want to play in this league. The AsHL has some great talent but this is where you want to be. Until last night, all things indicated that I would probably not start the year here, now I've got a shot and I'm gonna show them they made the right decision."

One man looking to put his dreams to an end is veteran winger Ben Eager, who signed a one year deal with the Jets this fall. Eager has hinted that this may be his last shot to make it in the NsHL, and some close to him believe that he will be bound to Europe next season if isn't given an NsHL opportunity. Eager couldn't be reached for comment.

What is next for the Jets?

League sources say that Sean Croft was in his office until almost two in the morning last night working the phones. Supposedly, he is looking to add one more defenseman, similarly, to push his bottom pairing pieces. Time will tell as you whether or not anything materializes. 

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel  

Jets fall to Canucks in preseason opener

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

The preseason officially started for the Winnipeg Jets today, however, it did not go as planned, as the re-tooled Jets fell to the Vancouver Canucks, by a score of 2-1. The lone goal was scored by Travis Zajac, who despite popular rumor, was not traded by Sean Croft this offseason.

"It felt good to get back out there," said Zajac. "I wish the outcome would have been better, but it's one game in, there are a lot of new faces."

One of those new faces left the game pre-maturely, as Nathan Gerbe was injured late in the first period.

"Tough way to start the year," said Gerbe, with an ice pack on his right shoulder.

Gerbe had one assist in his debut, which was limited to about 6 minutes of ice time. Paul MacLean liked what he saw.

"Well, that first goal was something he set up," boasted MacLean. "He laid out Kevin Klein, which given his size is remarkable."

"That's why we brought him here, he has the heart of a lion," said Jets General Manager Sean Croft. "It's a tough loss for us, but it doesn't seem to be more than a bruise so the coaches and the trainers are going to evaluate him tomorrow. If he feels good enough to go, then he'll be in the lineup."

One Jet who had a tough start in his debut was Olli Jokinen, who signed a splashy contract with Winnipeg earlier this summer. Jokinen only won 3 of the 15 faceoffs he took, which despite the 5 shots he took, made it difficult for him to give the second line a chance to score.

"I'm not happy about it at all, "said Jokinen after the loss. "I'm better than that. This is a new team for me, new teammates. I want them to see they got the right guy."

Ben Scrivens, fresh off his new contract, took the loss, but played well regardless, saving 26 of the 28 shots he faced. He will be given the next game off, and Peter Budaj will get his chance to play. It is clear that the Jets have accomplished their goal of building from the net out. It is just a matter of waiting to see if the high priced gamble they took on Free Agent forwards will be off.

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel

The offseason, player's union, and re-tooled Jets, a sit down with Sean Croft

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

This afternoon, I have the opportunity to sit with Winnipeg Jets General Manager Sean Croft, and address the state of the union so to speak. We talked about the offseason as a whole, as well as the upcoming season, this season's promotional schedule, and the latest in the NsHLPA Union uproar.

You've just completed your offseason with the addition of Ben Eager and the subtraction of Gabriel Bourque. Why make these moves if the team is trying to get younger?

Well Jay, very simply put, we weren't good last season. In fact, we were awful. Sam Reinhart is a fantastic consolation prize, but with that said, we expect more from our players. We had a very productive offseason, signing some big players to entry level contracts such as Malcolm Subban, Andy Andreoff, Ryan Sproul, and Calle Jarnkrok. All of these player will have a chance of making the team out of camp, although it is more likely that they end up in New Foundland. They benefit from that I think as they get to learn the game at a more competitive level, and they can get the proper amount of ice time. Still though, they are all good enough to steal a spot on the Jets roster, so this will keep some guys on their toes. The same can be said for Ben Eager. He is a veteran of this league with something still left in him. At worse, he is a top line player for the IceCaps.

The point is, I don't want to see any complacency. This is a team that is here to win, and we want the best guys possible. If you work hard, you'll play. If you don't, you won't period. As far as moving Gabby goes, he's a fine player, but at the end of the day, we added enough where frankly, he lost his job. Adding him to a press box didn't make a lot of sense to me. To be candid with you, we let a few depth players go, a few retired or went to Europe, but we didn't really send a message by moving someone who was viewed as being a mainstay here. I don't believe in keeping a team on the ice if the have the worst record in the league. Our fans expect better, and so do we. A message had to be sent. In doing so, we added a solid defensive forward in Jake Dotchin, and a third round pick in a very deep draft, so we are very happy with our return. We wish Gabby nothing but the best of luck and it wasn't anything personal, but at the end of the day, business is business and a decision had to be made.

This may seem like a stupid question, but do you believe this team is ready?

It's not a stupid question really. We swung and missed on a lot of Free Agents and a few of the prospects we expected to be here just aren't ready yet, or are still playing in Europe. It's a different look than we expected but that's not to say that we are unhappy. I'm very happy with this team. We saw some great growth from a few of our younger players. Obviously Ben (Scrivens) has grown, as has Ryan Ellis. Both of them participated in Player Development Practices, and have shown great strides, but the guy I'm really impressed with is Brock Nelson. We can't keep this kid off the ice. He has grown substantially this summer and we can't wait to see what he can do with Olli and Jaro.

What is your take on the latest involving the NsHLPA Union?

I see both sides of this argument. The Players Association wouldn't be doing their job if they weren't looking out for the best interest of the players. Guys come to a city, buy a home, get their children enrolled in school. This league, aside from fantastic financial compensation, is thankless. You are away from loved ones for months at a time, either being on the road or on the ice, you get battered, bruised, and abused, and everything you do is scrutinized by the media and the fans. With that said, thicken your skin. You're a hockey player, not a ballerina. You need to be tough mentally and physically to play in this league. And you are properly compensated, we can't lose sight of that. If you want to fly under the radar and come and go as you please, put on a suit, sit in a cubicle and make a twentieth of what you get here.

I could be fired with no notice, and no one would say or do a thing about it, my life would just have to move on. I said it before, business is business. If a guy loses their job, the team has a right to determine that it is time to move on. What is interesting to me is that certain players were moved because they wouldn't be getting ice time on their current teams, so they were moved to teams who would be getting that ice time. I'd assume that this was a good thing. You would think that guys want to play. To be honest with you, I think this is less about what happened in Calgary, and more about how there are teams who have a reputation for being revolving doors. They trade for a guy and if he doesn't score 5 goals in his first week, he gets moved. Players sign contracts and then teams decide a month later they no longer want to pay him so they put him on waivers.

I'm not speaking for everyone, just myself, but it goes back to what I said earlier about sending a message. Sometimes guys get made an example of. If it's someone with a track record, it doesn't have the same impact as someone who has more or less been flawless. It's not fair, but it is what it is. Everyone has their own way of doing things. Point is, we are still discussing this league-wide, so I guess the goal was accomplished. All I know is that I'm going to do what is best for the Winnipeg Jets, and if someone doesn't agree with it, then there's nothing I can do about it. 

The Jets have teased a few promotional nights over the last few weeks. Can you comfirm any of them?

Yeah definitely. We want to really give our fans a special season. Our first promotional night was set to be either Dale Hawerchuk night or Teemu Selanne night. We were waiting to see who we opened the season against. If it had been the Ducks, we would have had Teemu night. Any other team, and it would have been Dale. Unfortunately, we did have the tragedy this week in Ottawa, so instead we are going to have a military appreciation night for the home opener, regardless of who we are playing, and we will figure out the rest later. Each fan in attendance will receive a camouflage  long sleeve shirt. The front will have the Jets logo, and on the sleeve will be the Canadian flag. The players will also wear practice jerseys mirroring these shirts, which will be auctioned off at the end of the game. Each player will meet the person who purchases their jersey after the game and sign the jersey, take a few pictures. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warriors.

As far as the Teemu and Dale nights go, their numbers will be retired, and each fan in attendance will receive a replica banner, but these aren't the 6 inch banners you buy online, these are like three feet long, so we think these will be big ticket events for us. We're also going to have a Christmas themed puck night, a few bobblehead nights, things like that. Those will be announced as soon as we get our schedule for the year. I'd say about half of our home games will have giveaways. Like we said, we want to give back to our fans. 

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel

Jets Introduce Jokinen, Jagr, Hannan...announce Captains, plus Zajac rumors

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

The busy offseason has almost concluded. The re-tooled Jets are looking forward to the 2014-2015 NsHL season with renewed hope and optimism. The additions of Olli Jokinen, Jaromir Jagr, and Scott Hannan give the Jets fantastic veteran leadership, and they believe that these men will help in teaching the young stable of Jet's talent.

"We've got some raw players here who are still getting used to the league," said General Manager Sean Croft this afternoon. "Anytime you can add players of this caliber, it's a homerun."

Apparently, this has been on the rookie-turning-sophomore-GM's mind for a long time.

"I've wanted Olli Jokinen since April, it was just a matter of hoping he would make it to Free Agency," said Croft. "Jaromir Jagr was a guy we had our eye on as well. Scott Hannan we didn't think much about because we had Brian Lee in the mix."

Sources have confirmed that Lee retired with a five year, ten million dollar contract on his coffee table.

"Defensively, he was one of the best players in this league, and we wanted him here for a long time," replied Croft when asked about the rumors. "His retirement, which he had every right to do, despite my opinions on the matter, came as a shock. I couldn't sit back and wait. I had to fill that voice, and Scott does that for us."

Hannan was introduced at the MTS Centre this morning, along with Jokinen and Jagr.

"It's an exciting time for me," said Hannan. "Obviously, I loved playing on Long Island, but this brings a new set of challenges, and I think it should be fun."

Jaromir Jagr surprised the hockey world when he signed with Winnipeg last week. Word on the street was that he was interested in playing for a Stanley Cup this year, and most have the Jets as a long shot to get there.

"I think this is a good team," said Jagr. "They've got some great guys here who I think can play well. They said they were going to get me another linemate, and they did, so it says a lot about the team."

That linemate was Olli Jokinen. The center will be playing on the second line with Brock Nelson and Jaromir Jagr.

"This was a great opportunity for me," said Jokinen. "This is a place I've always found intriguing, and I think it's great for my family. I think it will be fun playing with Brock and Jagr."

Jokinen was introduced and presented with his #12 jersey, but what was notable was the "A" on the sweater. The Jets took the opportunity to announce that, along with Jokinen, that Kevin Bieksa would be an assistant captain, and Andrew Ladd would wear the "C" moving forward. Ladd is ready to accept the challenge.

"This is a great team and a great city," said Ladd, beaming with joy this afternoon. "I'm proud to represent this team and lead them into battle every night, now and for a long time. I've made no mystery of the fact that I want to retire here, so I'm going to leave it all out there every night."

Despite the cause for celebration, the Jets would not avoid the 500 pound gorilla in the room: Is Travis Zajac being dealt?

"No, for the final time, no," said Croft. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not looking to move an elite, franchise player. Travis is in our long term plans, and that plan has not changed."

That was the only time Zajac was mentioned during today's press conference.

Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel

Welcome to Jet Fuel!

Hello Jets fans!

Welcome to Jet Fuel, the official home for NsHL Winnipeg Jets news!

Stay tuned for a full review of Free Agency coming soon!

-Jay Trotter