With the Winnipeg Jets progressing to the Western Conference Finals in 2017-18, not a lot was done in the off-season to add to the squad. In fact, the Jets saw a number of faces leave, with notable inclusions of Paul Stastny, Joel Armia, Toby Enstrom, Matt Hendricks and Steve Mason.
With Mason gone, the Jets found themselves with a hole at back-up goaltender behind Connor Hellebuyck, and turned to free agency to fill that gap.
In this article, we take a look at new Jets netminder Laurent Brossoit and the other new additions that will likely find themselves representing the Jets and/or the Moose this upcoming season.
#30 Laurent Brossoit (25) Goalie
6’3” 202 lbs
Last team: Edmonton Oilers/Bakersfield Condors (NHL/AHL)
2017-18: 14GP – 3-7-1 – 3.24GAA – .883 SV% – 0 SO
Career: 28 GP – 7-13-2 – 2.98GAA – .897 SV% – 0 SO
Shortly after teams were allowed to start signing players, the Jets announced the signing of Laurent Brossoit to a $650k, one-year contract. While Brossoit is far from being a household name, his rate of pay is far more palatable than the $4.1 million that Steve Mason would have been paid there.
Brossoit is coming off of a bit of a rough year with the Oilers, but, unless you were Connor McDavid, that pretty much went for all Oilers players in 2017-2018. Brossoit served as backup to Cam Talbot until being replaced by Al Montoya in December. After December 14, Brossoit only appeared in one more game for the Oilers last season, on March 27.
Brossoit and Hellebuyck will be joined in camp by fellow netminders Mikhail Berdin, who is coming off a less than impressive Young Stars tournament, Eric Comrie, who recently signed on for another year and looks to be the favourite to start the majority of Moose games if not be the NHL backup, and Ken Appleby, who signed with the Moose earlier this offseason after being with the Devils organization last year.
#45 Dennis Everberg (26) Wing
6’4” 205 lbs – Shoots Left
Last team: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (KHL)
2017-2018 Season: 50 GP – 11G – 5A – 16PTS – 26PIM
NHL Career Stats: 70 GP – 3G – 9A – 12PTS – 10PIM
After splitting last season between Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Omk Avangard in the KHL, Everberg is seeking to return to the NHL this year after two seasons away, after signing a one-year, two-way contract on July 1st.
Everberg’s pro hockey career began with Rögle BK in the SEL, before signing with the Colorado Avalanche. Everberg split the next two seasons between the Avs and their AHL affiliates in the Lake Eerie Monsters and the San Antonio Rampage, picking up 47 points in 66 AHL games. At one point, Everberg was sent down because the Avalanche head coach at the time, Patrick Roy, felt he wan’t playing physically enough.
Everberg was part of back-to-back World Championship winning teams with Sweden, as well as being part of the Swedish men’s Olympic hockey team, with four goals and three assists in 20 games over those three tournaments.
Everberg is one of 27 forwards in camp, and while he’s an extreme long-shot to make the Jets, he can likely make a good offensive contribution to the Moose.
#52 Simon Bourque (21) Defence
6’1” 195 lbs – Shoots Left
Last team: Laval Rocket (AHL)
2017-2018 Season: 46 GP – 0G – 3A – 3PTS – 26PIM
AHL Career Stats: 49 GP – 0G – 4A – 4PTS – 28PIM
You just know this guy is going to be good. I mean, look at what went the other way in the trade the Jets pulled off to get him.
In fairness and honesty, the trade was about freeing up cap space and managed to land a defensive prospect. While that cap pace didn’t lead to the retention of Paul Stastny, it till paved the way for a number of contract to be signed this summer.
Bourque put up decent numbers in the QMJHL with Rimouski and Saint John. He hasn’t matched that offensive production in his time in the AHL thus far. But he’s still just 21, so there’s room to grow.
#16 Seth Griffith (25) Centre/Right Wing
5’9” 190 lbs – Shoots Right
Last team: Buffalo Sabres/Rochester Americans (NHL/AHL)
NHL 2017-2018 Season: 21 GP – 2G – 1A – 3PTS – 6PIM
AHL 2017-2018 Season: 46 GP – 15G – 26A – 41PTS – 26PIM
NHL Career Stats: 79 GP – 8G – 11A – 19PTS – 24PIM
AHL Career Stats: 79 GP – 8G – 11A – 19PTS – 24PIM
They gave Seth Griffith an NHL number, so you can imagine he is one of the people in camp capable of putting pressure on depth players in fights for a roster spot.
Griffith joins his fifth franchise since 2016 training camp, having been with the Bruins, Leafs, Panthers, Leafs again, and Sabres in that span. In 2016-2017 he was claimed on waivers three separate times.
Spending last year in the Sabres organization, Griffith had three points in 21 NHL game, while putting up 41 points in 46 AHL games. At 5’9”, he isn’t a big guy, but his AHL numbers indicate he has skill. I’m just shocked he didn’t play for the Portland Winterhawks.
#49 Nicolas Kerdiles (24) Left Wing
6’2”201 lbs – Shoots Left
Last team: Anaheim Ducks/San Diego Gulls (NHL/AHL)
NHL 2017-2018 Season: 2 GP – 0G – 0A – 0PTS – 0PIM
AHL 2017-2018 Season: 49 GP – 15G – 19A – 34PTS – 34PIM
NHL Career Stats: 3 GP – 0G – 0A – 0PTS – 0PIM
AHL Career Stats: 178 GP – 47G – 59A – 106PTS – 174PIM
Picked up in a trade for Chase De Leo, Kerdiles has spent his career in the Anaheim organization. The stats above are slightly misleading, as I omitted the fact he had four playoff games with the Ducks in 2017, during which time he notched an assist.
Kerdiles has about as much chance as making the club as De Leo did, but is a good pick-up for the Moose.
The #nhljets have announced their 2018 training camp roster and schedule. The first practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday at @bellmtsiceplex as part of Fan Fest. pic.twitter.com/dfxpgD5L5n
— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) September 12, 2018
That does it for the acquisitions via free agency and trade. Everybody else you should know by now, though some you may not know as well as others. On-ice training camp gets underway on Friday, with testing, and then practices starting Saturday. The first pre-season game takes place Monday, September 17 at 7 p.m. at home against the Minnesota Wild.
