Winning Trouba standoff pays off
“Close as I’ll get to being home,” he said.
It sent the first strong signal out of Manitoba that the Jets weren’t just going to wave a white flag when it came time to keep their stars.
SHOWDOWN WITH JACOB TROUBA
Trouba, the ninth pick by the Jets in their first draft after moving to Winnipeg, secretly requested a trade in May 2016. The following September he left training camp, and his agent Kurt Overhardt cited playing behind right-handed defenders Byfuglien and Tyler Myers as the reason Trouba wanted out.
Nine months earlier, Cheveldayoff had seen Tampa GM Steve Yzerman deal with a similar trade demand from forward Jonathan Drouin. Yzerman, understanding Drouin had no leverage, simply waited until Drouin returned to the Lightning. Cheveldayoff did the same with Trouba.
Trouba did return in November and signed a two-year contract worth $6 million. Two years later, he’s part of Winnipeg’s top shutdown defensive pairing with Josh Morrissey.
Refusing to cave to Trouba’s trade demands was a strong statement by the Jets that they weren’t going to be blackmailed or intimidated by players whose first choice might not be to play in The Peg. Kane might have forced his way out, but that was also because the Jets were happy to let him go.
ACQUIRING PAUL STASTNY
Stastny, 32, surprised many in the hockey world when he waived his no-trade clause and agreed to be dealt by St. Louis to the Jets in February.
It was a major public relations coup for the Jets, as well as the addition of a veteran centre to add strength and experience down the middle. Like Byfuglien, the Jets did their homework, and knew Stastny might be more willing than others to join them. His father, Peter, had played in Quebec, and he was best friends with Blues forward Alex Steen, who had grown up in Winnipeg when his father, Thomas, played for the Jets.
Steen helped Stastny become comfortable with the concept of relocating to Winnipeg. When he did join the Jets, Stastny took No. 25, the same number Thomas Steen had worn.
Those three transactions — keeping Byfuglien and Trouba, and trading for Stastny — have significantly changed the narrative in Winnipeg. The Jets might never be the first choice for NHLers, but clearly that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t keep their best players, or develop a contending team.
That narrative, however, is going to be repeatedly tested over the next two summers. This summer, Trouba and Morrissey are both restricted free agents, along with goalie Connor Hellebuyck and forwards Brandon Tanev and Joel Armia. Stastny and Toby Enstrom, meanwhile, with be UFAs.
In the summer of 2019, winger Patrik Laine will be an RFA, while captain Blake Wheeler and Myers will be unrestricted. It’s going to take tens of millions of dollars to sign all those players, and some will have other choices.
So the story of the new Jets will continue to be told. But the team is clearly intent on proving it plans on dictating the terms of its future, and won’t simply be dictated to.