Who Might The Jets Trade Away?

With the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline looming large, we have heard a handful of names that the Winnipeg Jets may be interested in acquiring to bolster a potential deep playoff run. Just as interesting though may be what the Jets might be willing to give up for a player like Rick Nash, Patrick Maroon or Ryan McDonagh.

Let’s look at a good ol’ fashioned list of potential assets the Jets may be (or at least should be) willing to part with to upgrade their roster. Feel free to chime in the comments below or on our Twitter feed with your thoughts on who you think the Jets will be willing to send away in a deal.

The first name that always seems to come up when anyone talks about a potential Jets trade is 22 year old forward Nic Petan. It has been fairly obvious this season that he’s more than NHL ready, but it’s also been obvious that the Jets – and more to the point head coach Paul Maurice – may not see much of a future with him as a Jet. With the emergence of Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic in the NHL and a group of younger forwards that are creeping up the Jets depth chart, it makes perfect sense to move Petan on now while he still has value as a young NHL ready prospect.

Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba are already ahead of him on the depth chart as right handed defensemen, but for a lot of teams, Myers would easily be a top four d-man. His cap hit is 5.5 million, but he will be paid 3.5 million this season and 3 million in the final year of his contract next season. If the Jets are looking to add a bona-fide top four defenseman that is a left hand shot, then it’s possible a team could ask for a player like Myers back.

Dano – much like Petan – is a 23 year old kid who seems to have the tools to make it in the NHL, has NHL experience, but for reasons just hasn’t been able to be a mainstay on the Jets roster. Also like Petan, he’s an RFA this summer and he too could be someone that the Jets pitch to other teams as an NHL ready player.

The Jets have a surplus of really good forward prospects. Already having added Roslovic and Connor this season, the Jets still have the likes of Mason Appleton, Michael Spacek, Kristian Vesalainen and Erik Foley who I think it can be argued have potential NHL futures. Will the Jets have room for all of them? Not likely. They key for the Jets will be to get fair value for one or more of these prospects. Just because the team has a surplus of them, doesn’t mean they should be given away in a drastic overpay for a top six forward in their 30’s or worse, a pending UFA two month rental.

It’s funny to see the reason of some people when someone suggests the Jets can trade away a first round pick. We as a fan base have been so used to valuable high first round picks that it kind of gets overlooked that the Jets as it stands now could be looking at a first round pick in the mid to high 20’s depending on how deep a playoff run they get. As we’ve already established with the forwards, the Jets have a surplus of young talent and have drafted extremely well the last couple of years, so Chevy should not be hesitant to use a first round pick if it helps clinch a move to upgrade the team in the here and now.