This week in the ol’ AirMail bag, we get asked about pending deals for both Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, what our ideal defensive pairings are once everyone gets healthy, how the Jets should solve their second center problem – if it is in fact a problem – and then we are forced to pick between Laine and a bunch of babies. (Not the Sportsnet panel talking about Carolina, we mean actual babies)

JetsNation AirMail is where we ask for your questions, you either @ them to us on Twitter, send them to us on Facebook or even old school electronic mail them to us and then we answer them here!

Sean: Laine gets long term, Connor gets the bridge. With Laine you are currently buying low, sure he has almost 30 goals, but I think anyone who watches the Jets would agree he has not been this best. Connor on the other hand has been fantastic, no matter the linemates or situations. If possible sign him to the bridge, not a lot of places to go other than down for him.

Sean S: I think Laine/Laine’s agent will push for the bridge deal. He’s having an off year (Crazy to think a 30 goal season as an “off year”) so they’ll want to get him back to form before asking for the big contract. So we sign Connor long term, lock him up then we can wait a few years until the cap grows by a few million in order to sign Laine on long term and buy more UFA years with it.

Josh: I don’t think there is any way Laine signs longterm after this year, so i’d try and get Connor for 6-6.5M$ for 5-6 years and Laine for 3-4 years at 5-5.5M$.We basically know what we have with Connor, and with Laine’s “down” year, he isn’t worth more than 5M$ in my opinion.

Art: Yeah I can’t see Laine’s side wanting a long term deal after this season but if you’re telling me I’m in full control of this situation then I absolutely try to get Laine locked in for six years whole KC gets a fair bridge deal with an understanding that i’ll take care of him money wise at a later date once some cap issues clear up.

Sean: Like last season, the Jets should look inside their own locker room. Kevin Hayes has fit in well and Winnipeg badly needs that second line center position filled. After that Winnipeg needs to shore up their defense. The pickings are slim however. I’d love to see Alex Edler return to Winnipeg but the price is high and I doubt he is leaving Vancouver. The Jets will likely look in the bargain bin and hopefully they find a good deal.

Sean S: People continue to sleep on Bryan Little. He’s a perfectly fine 2C, but like Sean O said, we can take a look into our own room. If we can manage to offload Kulikovs contract at the draft or something, we re-sign Hayes for a year or 2. And by then our young guys should be ready to play a more active role. I don’t have a problem with picking guys up at the deadline. Considering Chevy seems to always pick gems. But we do need to stop trading away our 1st rounders. The well is already starting to dry up and needs to be replenished.

Josh: I think with the season Laine has had, the Jets will obviously save a lot of money. With that and hopefully moving Perreault and Kulikov’s contracts I think it would be possible to sign Hayes again. Match his deal to the bridge that you give Laine, around 3-4 years. The Jets have enough contracts of their own to worry about let alone saving money for free agency, although I am hopeful they can find a way to resign Hayes.

Art: As good as Hayes has been I wouldn’t mind seeing the Jets take a look at Ryan Dzingel as well this summer or Anders Lee although I suspect he might be a bit on the high priced side for the Jets. Ultimately I feel like the Jets are going to give Little another crack at 2C duties next season again as that’s the kind of money he’s getting, but man that contract is looking more and more like a mistake as we go along.

Sean: Save Laine, but make it clear he is responsible for replacing the lost lives. Boom! 10 new high end prospects.

Sean S: The obvious answer here is you save Laine, and while doing that you call Connor Hellebuyck to save the babies, cause he’s been saving everything lately!

Josh: Why is it my job to run into the burning building? Call the fire dept. And let them save everyone, easy.

Art: Look, I can’t save 10 babies all at once can I? I mean if I have that kind of power to do it all at once, then maybe I go in carrying two large buckets of water, throw them on Laine to try and protect him and buy some time, carry out all the babies and then go in one more time and rescue Patty as I’ve bought myself enough time with the 10 babies worth of water I was able to carry in. If I need to make multiple trips to save ten babies, then I get strategic about it and save four on the first trip, four on the next trip and then two along with Laine on trip three.

Ya know what, maybe I just call the fire department like Josh suggested. This is starting to involve math and that’s tough.

Sean:
Morrissey – Trouba
Byfuglien – Niku
Kulikov – Myers

Sean S:
Morrissey – Byfuglien
Beaulieu – Trouba
Chiarot – Niku

Josh:
Morrissey – Trouba
Chariot – Buff
Kulikov – Myers

OR

Morrissey – Trouba
Beaulieu – Buff
Chariot – Myers

Art:
Morrissey – Trouba
Byfuglien – Niku
Beaulieu – Myers

And at some point really soon, #ReleaseTheBogdan