Here's a comment for you.


I just don't think Gardiner is as good as everyone claims and I see it every time i watch him play.

He's got a great shot, he's fast, he's decently sized but he plays like a chicken without a head sometimes. Paraphrasing Pierre McGuire a bit "He has all the tools to be a solid defencemen in this league, he just doesn't know what tool to use what time."

This isn't any bias towards Gardiner either. Right here in MTL we have the same type of player but younger in Nathan Beaulieu. Shows flashes of greatness at times with his speed and ability then makes literally the dumbest play right afterwards. Not like he was being pressured from behind and iced the puck by accident. more like there was no pressure around him and he shoots the puck over the glass........

I am being overly harsh on these guys only because they have the ability to take it to the next level and then ruin by making bone head plays right after but they are still decent players. Just not for Trouba who when you watch play, makes the same mistakes but for the right reasons. Trouba will be a top pairing player eventually where as the other 2 probably will never be.

Why would WPG want Bozak? Just to have a plug until Little comes back? The when he does you have to trade Perreault away just to make it work? What if nobody wants to trade for him? Now your stuck with like 17 centerman. If WPG were to make this trade. They'd want Gardiner and picks/ prospects in return. not Bozak.


As for Bishop, you could make this trade, but it would mean this team is poised for a playoff run which they are not. They aren't going to sign Bishop because they have too many prospects nipping at the bud to play in the NHL. WPG needs to realize that they are playoff bubble team and making the playoffs is a bonus this year, not a must. they still have to figure out what to do with Trouba and that by the fact that he isn't playing has made this team worse then it should be.

Stay the course and continue the rebuild that they are close to completing. They will be a force soon. Just need to get the Trouba dossier done, Continue to play Hallebucyk and Hutchinson full time and let their young core continue to get more experience. (Laine, Connor, Ehlers, Morrisey, Comrie, Hallebucyk, etc),

We are simple differing on where we see the team; I think they are honestly closer to a deep playoff push than you (matter of opinion).

To speak to the substance of your points: Gardiner represents a legitimate 2nd line LD who will offer PP a better look and youth. Bishops ability speaks for itself, I've seen enough of Helle to say he needs to go back down and work on consistency and shootout/breakaway - positions are earned not given and not allowed to be worked into like our goal is currently (all 3 goalies have had the last year and change to stab at it).

As far as the defense thing: I've watched a lot of Beau and personally like him a lot (should keep playing with Weber) - I can't give much weight here as you're flip flopping saying Trouba has been inconsistent like the others BUT he just has "it" (i get all players possess a ceiling but I'd say they don't all reach it, E.KANE). The reality is Jets are sellers and finding a team that offers a win-win is huge (or we all just believe the Anaheim Limholm trades everyone thinks should happen...) OR we resign Trouba somehow and he continues to underwhelm because we have two better options on RHD

Bozak is admittedly a cap risk as you point out, but what isn't being mentioned is the fact that he is more replacing Little than plugging his spot - LITTLE has been such a band-aid and can't be relied on forever (so maybe we have to see what kind of cap gets retained by TOR or you make Perreault the piece that moves in lieu of Burmi. It's a question of who you see at our 3rd line spot, I personally like depth and would like to have a Jets team that can have either Little or Bozak their (Little getting an assignemnt with Laine and Connor and Bozak with Staff and Matthias - exceptional Offence and Defense respectively).

I recognize the team won't win the cup this year, but if they get these positional deficiencies fixed next year could be a lot different (playoffs). Keep in mind we have cornerstones like Byfuglien (31) who are in all likelihood not going to be competitive if we wait 3 years. As a matter of fact, youth develops as well if not better with a team that doesn't have positional gaps.

I'm not saying Hellebucyk is a number 1 goalie in the NHL yet but given that neither is Pavelec your defacto number 1, I don't think giving up (For this season) on Helle after 29 NHL career games is worth it. Give the kid a chance.

As far as flip flopping, either you can't read or your paraphrasing terribly. I simply said that Trouba when making the mistakes a defenceman will make, makes them for the right reasons. where as guys like Gardiner and Beaulieu don't. My point in saying that was to say not that they are garbage players....Just not a top pairing status dmen like Trouba has shown enough to warrant.

Umm ok so Bozak is your answer? As if he will be the difference between what you have continuing to struggle and improving as a team? The same guy who has been healthy for only 2 of his 7 NHL seasons? The same guy who was -34 a couple season ago. The same guy who was available at last year's deadline and no one was willing to bite because he makes 4.2M. I can go on an on....... If your looking to replace Little then your downgrading by getting the 30 year old Bozak. If you want to throw him into the 3rd line role, the your not improving your team sufficently as you would be then trading Perreault as you mentioned to a team like Nashville who is poised for a cup run and won't lose a key player of their team in order to make the trade so it would be draft picks and prospects in return.

The thing with this team is that ultimately signing Byfuglien IMO was the mistake they shouldn't have made. This team is still young and Byfuglien probably won't be as effective as he is now by the time this team is ready to compete. By moving Byfuglien they would amassed more futures and NHL ready prospects to grow with the already young core of this team. They would have had Trouba signed already and playing instead of trading him for an inferior Gardiner in this case. They'd also be more aligned to be ready to compete all at the same time, giving core players like Laine, Morrissey, Hellebucyk Ehlers more time to develop at their pace.

Anyhow I digress, Gardiner and Bozak for Trouba and Burmistrov is not a good trade if I'm WPG. Not the right type of trade that I'm willing to wait out signing Trouba for. If I'm WPG, I'd willing to take back high draft picks and prospects in exchange for Trouba instead of taking a lesser deal for Trouba. At least with the draft picks and prospects, I'd be getting equal value back.

So I've adjusted the trades, just as an aside.
What i'm saying is that this team is in a position where they get better with the above moves and lineup. It would be consistent with the team growing/improving over the next 3-5 years with the youth they have - this lineup has a manageable cap situation to go with that. As well, they have improved goal tending, defense, and depth at center.
You're right most of this hinges on the Byfuglien signing, but that is what is now and building to compete while he's around seems sensible enough to me.

So Trouba is much better than Myers. Perreault is better than Bozak. So winnipeg trades the better dmen and better forward.... why?

Also +/- is a terrible stat. The worst one in hockey and paints a really bad picture yet we keep using it.