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
No comments:
Post a Comment