Derick & the dominos
Since the Jets failed to land Brassard, bet on them wading more into the depth market
Completing a blockbuster deal at this time of the year was always going to be a challenge for Kevin Cheveldayoff and 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, the pursuit moved to Tomas Plekanec, who would have brought ample experience and responsible two-way play as a consolation prize.
But since the centre ended up expressing a desire to stay in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens completed a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
With Monday’s 2 p.m. CT deadline fast approaching, there is still plenty of time for Cheveldayoff to turn his attention to another target — whether that’s another skilled centre to potentially play on the third line with Patrik Laine and/or Nikolaj Ehlers or a winger to provide some additional experience and scoring.
However, as the hours pass by, it’s becoming clear that Brassard was the primary target — or at least the guy the Jets were most prepared to pay (and maybe even overpay) for.
Brassard has 78 Stanley Cup playoff games on his resume and has been to the conference final three times, while reaching 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 twotime defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins eventually got creative in order to complete the deal for him.
Since Brassard is no longer an option, the smart money is on the Jets wading more into the depth market, since most of the bigger-ticket 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 right now.
And 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? Personally, adding a top-nine forward with experience and offensive ability and a blue-liner as insurance remains the best plan of attack for the Jets in giving the organization the best chance for an extended playoff run. Prior to 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,” said Maurice. “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 all the GMs (are).
“I don’t spend anytime thinking about it. Some of the best trades you make never happen. You find that special player in your own group.”
During an interview last week, Cheveldayoff told me — and several other outlets — 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 and not show his hand.
However, coming off consecutive victories over Central Division challengers on the weekend, there’s a sense Cheveldayoff believes the group he has already assembled is good enough to make a 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 currently relying on.
One phone call — or a drop in prices as the clock gets closer to 2 p.m. — could change the way Cheveldayoff is looking at things, though history has shown he has the patience to stick with his plan.
Should the Jets decide to mostly 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 the return of defenceman Jacob Trouba and forwards Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev should bolster that group 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 are going to need to get some of their own.
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.