The Jets Day After: Trade Them All?

So before I get into your comments and thoughts about last night, allow me a brief rant on @Kyle Connor…

I truly don’t understand what it is with some fans who insist on trading away good players. I get that it happens with every fan base and always will, but last summer we had to deal with people wanting to trade @Nikolaj Ehlers and now we just went through a bunch of talk on how the Jets should trade KC.

Here’s the thing, a team rarely wins those kinds of trades. They might get lucky and “break even” on such a deal, but just like we stated back when we said it was a bad idea to trade Ehlers, the chances Kevin Cheveldayoff “wins” a trade involving sending out a top tier offensive player is highly unlikely.

Fair points made which I can’t deny, but my counter argument to that is a simple one: 35 goals. Most on the team. There are four other players on the ice with him at any given moment, so get someone else to carry out the puck.

If you’re a Patrik Laine fan and hate the fact that people and media gripe that he doesn’t quite commit to playing defense in his own end of the ice, or would like to see him be a more complete player, yet you’re ready to trade Kyle Connor away because you feel he’s only good an being a “finisher” while the rest of his game is incomplete and lacks in other areas outside of goal scoring…

Well then I just can’t deal with you. Honestly.

Keep Kyle Connor. Also Laine. And Ehlers.

Now. On to your comments….

 

Sure does doesn’t it?

I don’t like to use the “tough schedule” excuse a whole lot because every team is dealing with that this time of year, every team is dealing with bumps and injuries and no team is at 100% but lost in the talk of the lighter than usual schedule the Jets had in February against non-playoff positioned clubs, was that they were playing a game practically every other day for a two week stretch and three of the last four weeks.

March actually looks a bit lighter schedule wise if not opponent wise. The Jets only have one back to back set, and that’s part of a three games in four day stretch – three of those on the road – that could be a challenge, but otherwise I feel like the “toughness” of the schedule that some of talked about is a bit overblown.

The Jets should have plenty of chances to rest up between games and that should be a help both physically, and mentally with their on-ice decision making.

 

On Kulikov: Good for him, but I still can’t wait to see the Jets shed that contract this summer. I’ve said it on here before; I don’t hate the idea of the Jets bringing back Kulikov for 2020-21, but at a reduced salary and given how he’s played that likely isn’t going to happen. For now though, at least the Jets can benefit from his improved play and hope he remains healthy.

On Eakin with 29 & 27: I am going to try to limit how much I talk about Cody Eakin because I have admittedly been a fan of his since his days as the Swift Current Broncos’ MVP. Do I think he adds anything to a line with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers? Not really, but I also don’t think he’s hurting them any, at least not early on, either. I do feel like Eakin is enough of a pest on the forecheck, competent with the puck in the offensive end, and willing to play physical enough to get teams to take their focus off of the other two which is a bonus for Nik and Patty… But I also don’t feel like he’s quite the dynamic player that certain TSN color commentators are making him out to be either. But yes, Laine and Ehlers at this point just need a center who doesn’t screw everything up or slow them down and right now Eakin is doing well enough in that department.

On Appleton: He deserves better linemates more than anything else. @Gabriel Bourque just isn’t doing anything worthwhile out there and @Nick Shore has regressed each game he’s played with the Jets.

 

So just to clear up a couple of common misconceptions I’ve been seeing on Jets Twitter.

Laine and Ehlers technically aren’t on the third line – or at least they aren’t getting third line minutes. Last night they all logged over 15 minutes of ice each. This of course would suggest that Eakin is being used as a second line center which… Well I am sure you all have thoughts about that.

Second, Laine is still being used on the team’s top power play and this was also his first game back from an injury that took him out for essentially two games. I don’t feel like this is a case of Paul Maurice not trusting him, but rather Maurice looking to spread out the talent over three lines.

I’d argue Laine is playing his best hockey over the last month or so and he looked pretty good last night even though he didn’t have a point in the game. Are he and Ehlers going to carry Eakin? Of course. As I just said, all Cody Eakin has to do over the next month is not play so bad that he drags down 27 and 29 and I think he can manage that.

Laine is a “star player” for the Jets but he’s not the only one and you can’t put them all on the top lines. I don’t think we have to worry about Laine being upset about who his linemates are at the moment.