THE DEALING MAY BE DONE FOR JETS

GM Cheveldayoff missed on main targets Brassard and Plekanec, Ken Wiebe writes.

Completing a blockbuster deal at this time of the year was always going to be a challenge for Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets.

For teams trying to acquire top-level talent in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline, the cost is always steep, even in what was perceived to be a buyer’s market.

After the Jets general manager made a hard push to acquire centre Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators, his pursuit of a veteran pivot moved to Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec, who would have brought experience and responsible two-way play as a consolation prize.

But since Plekanec expressed a desire to stay in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens completed a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

With Monday’s deadline fast approaching, there is still time for Cheveldayoff to turn his attention to another target, whether that’s a skilled centre to play on the third line with Patrik Laine or Nikolaj Ehlers, or a winger to provide additional experience and scoring.

However, as the hours pass, it’s becoming clear Brassard was the primary target, or at least the guy the Jets were most prepared to pay — maybe even overpay — for.

Brassard has 78 Stanley Cup playoff games on his resume and has been to the conference final three times, and reached the final on one occasion with the New York Rangers.

The playoff pedigree and playmaking ability made him a coveted asset, which is why the Columbus Blue Jackets made a pitch and the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins eventually got creative to complete the deal for him.

Since Brassard is no longer an option, the smart money is on the Jets wading into the depth market, since most of the biggerticket items on the wish list have already landed elsewhere.

At 37-16-9, the Jets are one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Over the course of the season, they’ve proven to have more depth than at any time in the 2.0 history of the franchise.

Does that mean the Jets should roll with what they have?

Adding a top-nine forward with experience and offensive ability and a blue-liner as insurance remains the best plan of attack to ensure an extended playoff run.

Before Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars, Jets head coach Paul Maurice was asked about the upcoming deadline and reiterated his position that he’ll take it as it comes.

“I’ve been through this enough to know that you can have plans and things you want to do — every team does — and it either happens for you or it doesn’t,” Maurice said. “It’s not a matter of want. You want to improve your team, but can you get it done with something that makes sense? I know (Cheveldayoff ) has been working really, really hard at it, as are all the GMs.

“I don’t spend any time thinking about it. Some of the best trades you make never happen. You might find that special player in your own group.”

Things got tougher for the Jets on Sunday. The divisionleading Nashville Predators — who the Jets face next on Tuesday — made a couple of depth moves and extended their win streak to four with a win over the St. Louis Blues.

During an interview last week, Cheveldayoff told reporters that standing pat was an option he was comfortable with.

At the time, it seemed like nothing more than a comment made by a guy who was trying to keep his cards close to the vest.

However, coming off consecutive victories over Central Division challengers on the weekend, there’s a sense Cheveldayoff believes the group he has assembled is good enough to make a strong playoff run, even

without a marquee addition.

Is there some inherent risk involved with that logic? Absolutely — but there’s also risk in making a splashy move just for the sake of making one, even when there is a nice collection of assets at your disposal.

Overpaying for a player that’s your top choice is the cost of doing business. Doing the same and settling for someone further down the list doesn’t make nearly as much sense, unless that player is markedly better than someone you’re relying on.

One phone call — or a drop in prices as the clock gets closer to the deadline — could change the way Cheveldayoff is looking at things, though history has proved his patience.

Should the Jets decide to stand pat, there will be a method to what could be perceived as madness by some.

First and foremost, it’s a sign of belief in the group and that the return of defenceman Jacob Trouba and forwards Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev should bolster the roster in the coming weeks.

For all of the talk about the lack of experience in the lineup — and it’s a reality, not just a talking point — the other side of the equation is that eventually those young players will to need to get some of their own experience, so why not allow those players to do that this spring, to get some additional wear on those tires under the microscope of the post-season lights?

You can be sure that the Jets brass has discussed the subject in recent days and it won’t take long to find out if that’s the road they’ve decided to go down.