JetsNation Airmail – February 6th, 2017.

This week the panel discusses the Jets goaltending situation, the possibility of Jets players getting traded and more!

If you have questions either Jets related, or about hockey in general, we encourage you to e-mail us at JNAirMail@shaw.ca or tweet at us on the Twitter machine – but include the hashtag #JNAirMail so we don’t miss that question!

Let’s get started.

Mike asks: Do you think the Jets are serious about Pavelec being their number one guy or one of their goalies for the rest of the season, or are they just showcasing him for a trade?

Dustin: I cannot envision a scenario in which Ondrej Pavelec remains a Winnipeg Jets past the end of this season. I don’t think he wants to be here, and I don’t think management wants him here. I think they’ve told him that they’ll give him X amount of games as part of this call-up and told him, either directly or otherwise, that he’s got a chance to play for his career. He gets a chance to showcase himself (either for a trade or for his next contract) and the Jets get a chance to take the pressure off Connor Hellebuyck for a while.

Garret: I hope to everything that it is showcasing. He’s not good and he’s not been playing good despite his record from the Jets averaging over four goals a game with him on the ice.

Kyle: There is no way that the Jets are serious about keeping Pavelec as the number one for the year. His numbers are not good at all, and the eye-test is even worse most games. Pavelec has never changed, still very athletic but usually out of position. Hopefully there is a buyer out there come trade deadline day.

Art: I truly do believe he is being showcased for a potential trade. I also don’t believe the Jets really wanted up with the main club at all this season because if they did, Pavs would have been called up months ago when the Jets went through that five game losing streak. He’s played “well enough” for the Jets to try and convince another team that he is a solid backup option – which is why I think we keep hearing the “timely saves” and “guys are confident in front of him” talk. To me, it’s all a sales pitch.

Jacob: I think there is no way the Jets retain him beyond this season. Also, I don’t know if a team takes a chance on Pavelec unless an injury arises for that team. It’s not hard to dissect Pavelec’s performance and see he not only allows three goals per game, but is out of position far-too-frequently.

Captain Kirk asks:

Dustin: How soon are we talking? Regardless, I think he’s best off in the AHL for the time being. And probably well into the future. There’s no need to rush Comrie. Or Jamie Phillips or Mikhail Berdin. Let them develop in the minors, get used to playing with men and dealing with the travel and schedule that professional hockey brings.

Garret: No. He hasn’t been excelling in the AHL like Hellebuyck did, or even to the level that Hutchinson did prior to making the next step. He’s also younger than they were when they made the transition. He is at a similar performance level as Pavelec was at the same age…

Kyle: Some people say that Comrie has the most potential of all the goalies in Winnipeg. I think the Jets have learned the hard way that AHL success does not guarantee NHL success right away. Give him some time and see where it goes from there.

Art: Comrie isn’t ready and honestly there is no need to rush him in at all even for next season. I still think he has the potential to be even better than Hellebuyck (not that I have numbers to back this up, just a hunch I have when I see him play), but another season in the AHL won’t hurt at all.

Jacob: No. Comrie needs to continue developing with the Moose. Goalies take a while to develop and even when they excell, teams will keep them down with the farm team as long as possible to ensure they are ready to go. Comrie isn’t there, yet.

Jetsfan237 asks:

Dustin: Not on the team next year for contractual reasons: Pavelec, Stafford, Thorburn. Not on the team next year because of the expansion draft: Mathieu Perreault or Marko Dano. And, finally, I’m worried about Tyler Myers’ longterm health, and I think we need to keep an eye on Toby Enstrom. He’s played for 10 years, has clearly lost a step, and might be ready to hang ‘em up.

Garret: I think we have seen the last of Drew Stafford. He is both an expiring contract, older, and still able to contribute to a playoff team looking for depth that he’s coveted.

Kyle: Same as above. Those older players can’t seem to keep up. I think Thorburn gets an extension because management seems to love him. Stafford and Pavelec seem to be gone for sure though. My guess is Dano is lost in expansion.

Art: Pavs obviously won’t be on the team. Stafford, Perreault, Thorburn, Stuart.. I don’t know if we see any of them back either. Myers and Enstrom are question marks for a few different reasons. I think there will be a fair amount of upheaval with the bottom six forwards and on defense in general this summer no matter what happens with this roster.

I think it’s almost a guarantee we’ve seen the last of Drew Stafford. Losing Mathieu Perreault to the expansion draft is a real possibility as well. I think Chris Thorburn could earn an AHL deal with the Moose next year. Reason being, the organization, along with Thorburn’s teammates seem to have a real liking for the guy in the dressing room. If the Jets think he’s a good presence in the room, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him with the Moose next season.