I have serious doubts that Stone, no matter how great defensively he is, is going to improve Hellebuyck stats this year. I would rather the Jets but Conner in a package and go get a guy like Slavin from Carolina, and set the Jets up on the left side of the D for the long term.

spitballing that Florida may have some interest in Kulikov due to history with him and rumours of landing Panarin/Bobrovsky. Another Russian may make it more desirable for them to sign in the summer. If Duchene rental is not on the radar does Kulikov and Petan for trocheck make any sense? Florida also gets a centre back and adds d without spending more. Brassard if he really doesn't fit their plans. Huberdeau if they want to free cap space.

without Kulikov (and if no defense comes back with any potential ottawa trade) Jets defense with some NHL experience looks like:

Morrisey-Trouba
Chiarot-Buff
Morrow-Myers
Niku-Poolman
Nogier

spitballing that Florida may have some interest in Kulikov due to history with him and rumours of landing Panarin/Bobrovsky. Another Russian may make it more desirable for them to sign in the summer. If Duchene rental is not on the radar does Kulikov and Petan for trocheck make any sense? Florida also gets a centre back and adds d without spending more. Brassard if he really doesn't fit their plans. Huberdeau if they want to free cap space.

without Kulikov (and if no defense comes back with any potential ottawa trade) Jets defense with some NHL experience looks like:

Morrisey-Trouba
Chiarot-Buff
Morrow-Myers
Niku-Poolman
Nogier
- 2.0

Potential line-up next year if we could get a signed Stone...

Connor $7MM - Schief $6.1MM - Wheeler $8.5 MM
Ehlers $6MM - Little $5.3 - Stone $8.3 MM
Perreault $4.1MM - Lowry $2.9MM - Laine $6.5MM ( bridge)
Lemieux $1.4MM- Copp $1.8MM - Roslovic -900k

Kulikov $4.3MM - Buff $7.9MM
Morrissey $3.1MM - Myers $5.5MM
Niku 775K - Poolman $775k

G: Hellebuyck $6.1MM , Comrie $900K

Vesalainen $925K , Appleton $720K , Nogier $700k

Total...give or take is about $89.5 MM.

So who is already missing off this roster. Chariot (worth $2.5), Tanev ( worth $2.5) , Petan ( worth 900k) , Morrow ( 1MM) , Trouba (worth $6.5M ) and the fact Jets are still likely at least $5 MM over budget.

Who do you cut to get to budget ? ....Obvious ones are Perreault @4.1 and Kulikov @4.3MM. Possibly gamble and bridge Connor for less. Trouba costs more than Myers and Myers has played better this season so why not extend Myers and get assets for Trouba. It makes more sense than letting Myers go for nothing.

The basic idea this demonstrates is that the Jets can't really afford Stone longer term without losing a whole bunch of pieces. As well, Vesalainen and Appleton are deserving of roster spots. Either way you can clearly see who the Jets must part with .
Perreault, Trouba, might fetch assets or draft picks of varying degrees which is useful for long-term competitive viability. Appleton, Lemieux, and Roslovic don't really have spots, Kulikov needs to be off-loaded. A Myers extension remains a wildcard but we can't afford to lose both Myers and Trouba or the Jets defense takes a big drop in talent. Also hate to lose Tanev who drives that third line.

One other thing is pretty obvious here. Laine needs to be bridged for sure ( or traded) . Possibly Connor bridged as well.

...and then there is the whole Seattle expansion draft thing.....yikes !

Jetsnation, You spend too much time worrying about losing the 8th best forward or 4th best defenceman 3 playoffs from now on a team that hasn't won the stanley cup.

Ross, Wheeler keeps getting better with age. I believe that Stone is cut from the same cloth as he.
- TheUltimateJet

Wheeler is not as good as he was 2 years ago. His defence went off a cliff the second he hit 30, and he’s a lot more reliant on the PP than he used to be

- Wildschwein

Ok, guilty as charged. Kulikov for brassard was the only reasonable suggestion.

Jetsnation, You spend too much time worrying about losing the 8th best forward or 4th best defenceman 3 playoffs from now on a team that hasn't won the stanley cup.
- BWJumper

I'm never one to worry. What I do like to do is try and best figure out the puzzle and put myself in Chevy's shoes and then see where Chevy masterfully solves the puzzle with options I may have never considered. Kind of a game really. Don't we all play it ?

At least the exercise makes me fully understand why he makes a move and the longer term thinking that went behind it.

Edit: I'll add that the one thing that seems very certain is that we may really need both Niku and Poolman because we may end up short on Dmen next year. Chevy is unlikely to trade one of them over Roslovic or Perreault.

It’s incredible how much people are undervaluing Stone. You could quite easily argue that he’s the best two-way player in the game. He’s also a tremendous guy and a tremendous leader. If we do lose him, it will be devastating. Possibly worse than Karlsson.

It’s incredible how much people are undervaluing Stone. You could quite easily argue that he’s the best two-way player in the game. He’s also a tremendous guy and a tremendous leader. If we do lose him, it will be devastating. Possibly worse than Karlsson.
- Jordo

Bergeron, buddy. Not too mention losing Karlsson is far worse than losing Stone.

Potential line-up next year if we could get a signed Stone...

Connor $7MM - Schief $6.1MM - Wheeler $8.5 MM
Ehlers $6MM - Little $5.3 - Stone $8.3 MM
Perreault $4.1MM - Lowry $2.9MM - Laine $6.5MM ( bridge)
Lemieux $1.4MM- Copp $1.8MM - Roslovic -900k

Kulikov $4.3MM - Buff $7.9MM
Morrissey $3.1MM - Myers $5.5MM
Niku 775K - Poolman $775k

G: Hellebuyck $6.1MM , Comrie $900K

Vesalainen $925K , Appleton $720K , Nogier $700k



Total...give or take is about $89.5 MM.

So who is already missing off this roster. Chariot (worth $2.5), Tanev ( worth $2.5) , Petan ( worth 900k) , Morrow ( 1MM) , Trouba (worth $6.5M ) and the fact Jets are still likely at least $5 MM over budget.

Who do you cut to get to budget ? ....Obvious ones are Perreault @4.1 and Kulikov @4.3MM. Possibly gamble and bridge Connor for less. Trouba costs more than Myers and Myers has played better this season so why not extend Myers and get assets for Trouba. It makes more sense than letting Myers go for nothing.

The basic idea this demonstrates is that the Jets can't really afford Stone longer term without losing a whole bunch of pieces. As well, Vesalainen and Appleton are deserving of roster spots. Either way you can clearly see who the Jets must part with .
Perreault, Trouba, might fetch assets or draft picks of varying degrees which is useful for long-term competitive viability. Appleton, Lemieux, and Roslovic don't really have spots, Kulikov needs to be off-loaded. A Myers extension remains a wildcard but we can't afford to lose both Myers and Trouba or the Jets defense takes a big drop in talent. Also hate to lose Tanev who drives that third line.

One other thing is pretty obvious here. Laine needs to be bridged for sure ( or traded) . Possibly Connor bridged as well.

...and then there is the whole Seattle expansion draft thing.....yikes !
- jetsnation

Kind of shows us the value of keeping several of the youngsters eh?

What if you were to delete (in trades) Laine, Perrault and Copp (FA) - and add Appleton (.9), Tanev (2.0) and Vesalainen/Spacek/other $1.0 M player, brings it down to approx. $80M and with the cap expected to rise to $83 million.
This would even give the Jets wiggle room to keep, say, Chiarot, if they wished.
Would that work?

It’s incredible how much people are undervaluing Stone. You could quite easily argue that he’s the best two-way player in the game. He’s also a tremendous guy and a tremendous leader. If we do lose him, it will be devastating. Possibly worse than Karlsson.
- Jordo

And he’s a pending UFA who is unlikely to stay in Ottawa. You take what you can get, in one week his trade value becomes almost zero.

Kind of shows us the value of keeping several of the youngsters eh?

What if you were to delete (in trades) Laine, Perrault and Copp (FA) - and add Appleton (.9), Tanev (2.0) and Vesalainen/Spacek/other $1.0 M player, brings it down to approx. $80M and with the cap expected to rise to $83 million.
This would even give the Jets wiggle room to keep, say, Chiarot, if they wished.
Would that work?
- grahamzky

I also had a similar thought as well as 6 millish (bridge assumption) could be saved with Laine being dealt and restock the cupboard with picks prospects. But, I did not want to bear the wrath of suggesting something like this.

I can't see Laine pushing this team over the edge in the next couple of years.

Kind of shows us the value of keeping several of the youngsters eh?

What if you were to delete (in trades) Laine, Perrault and Copp (FA) - and add Appleton (.9), Tanev (2.0) and Vesalainen/Spacek/other $1.0 M player, brings it down to approx. $80M and with the cap expected to rise to $83 million.
This would even give the Jets wiggle room to keep, say, Chiarot, if they wished.
Would that work?
- grahamzky

If Jets could extend Tanev at $2MM I'd love to do it. He's a real driving force for the Jets and a utility guy on the PK as well. Always first in on the puck and the guy starting the cycle. The other two would be rotated in and out of the lineup next year anyways with Lemieux. Copp does have good value as a fourth line center.

At the end of the day though it's about Laine. His ceiling may be a lot lower than we thought so for the right package of picks and prospects which include a solid LD, trading him could solve a lot of problems. Let's see first how he performs in the playoffs and what his salary demands look like in the off-season. Heck, maybe some dumb GM will do an offer sheet at which point he's worth a minimum of three firsts to us.

Potential line-up next year if we could get a signed Stone...

Connor $7MM - Schief $6.1MM - Wheeler $8.5 MM
Ehlers $6MM - Little $5.3 - Stone $8.3 MM
Perreault $4.1MM - Lowry $2.9MM - Laine $6.5MM ( bridge)
Lemieux $1.4MM- Copp $1.8MM - Roslovic -900k

Kulikov $4.3MM - Buff $7.9MM
Morrissey $3.1MM - Myers $5.5MM
Niku 775K - Poolman $775k

G: Hellebuyck $6.1MM , Comrie $900K

Vesalainen $925K , Appleton $720K , Nogier $700k

Total...give or take is about $89.5 MM.

So who is already missing off this roster. Chariot (worth $2.5), Tanev ( worth $2.5) , Petan ( worth 900k) , Morrow ( 1MM) , Trouba (worth $6.5M ) and the fact Jets are still likely at least $5 MM over budget.

Who do you cut to get to budget ? ....Obvious ones are Perreault @4.1 and Kulikov @4.3MM. Possibly gamble and bridge Connor for less. Trouba costs more than Myers and Myers has played better this season so why not extend Myers and get assets for Trouba. It makes more sense than letting Myers go for nothing.

The basic idea this demonstrates is that the Jets can't really afford Stone longer term without losing a whole bunch of pieces. As well, Vesalainen and Appleton are deserving of roster spots. Either way you can clearly see who the Jets must part with .
Perreault, Trouba, might fetch assets or draft picks of varying degrees which is useful for long-term competitive viability. Appleton, Lemieux, and Roslovic don't really have spots, Kulikov needs to be off-loaded. A Myers extension remains a wildcard but we can't afford to lose both Myers and Trouba or the Jets defense takes a big drop in talent. Also hate to lose Tanev who drives that third line.

One other thing is pretty obvious here. Laine needs to be bridged for sure ( or traded) . Possibly Connor bridged as well.

...and then there is the whole Seattle expansion draft thing.....yikes !
- jetsnation

there is as much chance of Chipman firing Maurice right now as there is a Laine trade. Another words, neither is happening

I'm never one to worry. What I do like to do is try and best figure out the puzzle and put myself in Chevy's shoes and then see where Chevy masterfully solves the puzzle with options I may have never considered. Kind of a game really. Don't we all play it ?

At least the exercise makes me fully understand why he makes a move and the longer term thinking that went behind it.

Edit: I'll add that the one thing that seems very certain is that we may really need both Niku and Poolman because we may end up short on Dmen next year. Chevy is unlikely to trade one of them over Roslovic or Perreault.
- jetsnation

The fact that Niku is possibly the only D in the system comfortable playing both sides should make him untradeable.
As for talk if Seattle expansion. We have no issues once so ever. Vesalainen not playing this year will make him ineligible for Seattle and that’s huge.
If lineup stays the same.....

Shief
Wheels
Connor
Ros
Lowry
Laine
(And one more, dealers choice)

Trouba
Morrisey
Niku
( buff will be a pending UFA, so if we want to keep him we can sign him after the expansion draft)
Perreault will also be a pending UFA, so that only leaves little to either be protected or to let Seattle take. We have no problems really

The fact that Niku is possibly the only D in the system comfortable playing both sides should make him untradeable.
As for talk if Seattle expansion. We have no issues once so ever. Vesalainen not playing this year will make him ineligible for Seattle and that’s huge.
If lineup stays the same.....

Shief
Wheels
Connor
Ros
Lowry
Laine
(And one more, dealers choice)

Trouba
Morrisey
Niku
( buff will be a pending UFA, so if we want to keep him we can sign him after the expansion draft)
Perreault will also be a pending UFA, so that only leaves little to either be protected or to let Seattle take. We have no problems really
- Ross77

dealer likely to choose Ehlers, good point we are in good shape for Seattle

Bergeron, buddy. Not too mention losing Karlsson is far worse than losing Stone.
- RafiDRW

That’s your argument? “Bergeron buddy” ??

Nice one.

The fact that Niku is possibly the only D in the system comfortable playing both sides should make him untradeable.
As for talk if Seattle expansion. We have no issues once so ever. Vesalainen not playing this year will make him ineligible for Seattle and that’s huge.
If lineup stays the same.....

Shief
Wheels
Connor
Ros
Lowry
Laine
(And one more, dealers choice)

Trouba
Morrisey
Niku
( buff will be a pending UFA, so if we want to keep him we can sign him after the expansion draft)
Perreault will also be a pending UFA, so that only leaves little to either be protected or to let Seattle take. We have no problems really
- Ross77

Agree, the expansion draft shouldn't be a problem. Believe that Lowry is in the same boat as Buff, so that makes it even easier. Now hopefully we can add Stone (and possibly delete one). Probably Trouba gone by then, but we can add in his replacement if so

dealer likely to choose Ehlers, good point we are in good shape for Seattle
- 2.0

My bad, forgive me cause he’s hurt as the horrible excuse how I forgot him

The fact that Niku is possibly the only D in the system comfortable playing both sides should make him untradeable.
As for talk if Seattle expansion. We have no issues once so ever. Vesalainen not playing this year will make him ineligible for Seattle and that’s huge.
If lineup stays the same.....

Shief
Wheels
Connor
Ros
Lowry
Laine
(And one more, dealers choice)

Trouba
Morrisey
Niku
( buff will be a pending UFA, so if we want to keep him we can sign him after the expansion draft)
Perreault will also be a pending UFA, so that only leaves little to either be protected or to let Seattle take. We have no problems really
- Ross77

Certainly not huge problems anyways. Who knows how much Lemieux and Appleton have developed by then. I also had Stone on that roster as part of that exercise was to see if we could really afford him and what sacrifices it would cost us to do so. I that case Roslovic or Lemieux or Appleton might be gone.

Expansion draft is a funny thing. Had Chevy let Vegas take Enstrom then maybe it would have been the difference in beating them.

What if the Jets never traded their second round pick to move up 4 spots to draft Logan Stanley? Do they use that second round pick on a small forward who was ranked as a first round pick named Alex DeBrincat. I think they do.

What if the Jets never traded their second round pick to move up 4 spots to draft Logan Stanley? Do they use that second round pick on a small forward who was ranked as a first round pick named Alex DeBrincat. I think they do.
- BWJumper

DeBrincat has two goals tonite (31 on the year) against Ottawa.

Edit: He has three tonite now, 32 for the season.

Dorion is playing the game, waiting it out, playing his top three UFA's against Chicago.

What if the Jets never traded their second round pick to move up 4 spots to draft Logan Stanley? Do they use that second round pick on a small forward who was ranked as a first round pick named Alex DeBrincat. I think they do.
- BWJumper

What if the Jets had never traded away their first round pick to Vegas to protect Enstrom? We only got 43 games and 1 goal out of him for that price. The Jets most certainly would have drafted Nick Suzuki. He is a solid prospect at Center. Instead we moved back and drafted Vesalainen.

Suzuki got Vegas Pacioretty. Perhaps he could have been enough to get Stone?