Welcome to September! The kids are heading back to school, there’s a chill in the air, and we’re two weeks away from pre-season NHL hockey! Like many other teams, the Jets still have some work to do in terms of signing their own restricted free agents. Most fans and media are confident that Kyle Connor will eventually sign an extension with the Jets. For Patrik Laine, his status seems to become more questionable the closer we get to the NHL season.
Much of the concern stems from his comments to a Sportsnet and Finnish reporter a month or so ago, which were perceived as lukewarm in terms of committing to Winnipeg over the long term, and even towards signing a new deal. Some saw the comments as indicative as a bigger problem, whereas some saw this as normal free agent posturing.
Now, we have trade speculation! Take the sources for what they are (unconfirmed, unsubstantiated, not from one of the better known NHL insiders), but, there are at least rumblings of some interest from the Carolina Hurricanes in a deal centering around Andrei Svechnikov, and the New Jersey Devils in a deal for what could be described as a boatload of first round draft picks.
Whether there is any truth to these rumours, I think we all agree that Laine’s comments, plus the reported dressing room strife, plus the potential that his agent may be asking for Auston Matthews’esque money, means that perhaps the Jets are starting to look at life without Laine.
What do you think? Please let us know in our poll. And let us know in the comments section whether you think either of the rumoured deals look good to you.
| Option | Votes |
|---|---|
| Of course! He’s going to sign a long term deal because “Winnipeg is good”. | 161 |
| Yes. But he’s only going to sign a bridge deal and I wouldn’t bet the farm that he’s a Jet long term. | 548 |
| No. There is smoke to this fire, and Chevy will trade him while his value is high to avoid being Pionk’ed. | 485 |
