ANDREW LADD IS A JET…………………BUT FOR HOW LONG?????
It is that time of year yet again it is one of the best times of the year for hockey fans all over the world, but it is a very busy time for NHL executives and general managers.
Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is no different, Cheveldayoff has had some very laid back trade deadline days during his tenure in Winnipeg but this year there is a very big difference and it could be a busy day on Portage Avenue with and Dustin Byfuglien signed long term for big money.
As it stands right now the Jets do have 11,565,241 million dollars free under the salary cap right now sounds like a lot however that does not include Byfuglien and his new deal that only leaves around 4 million dollars for Cheveldayoff to play with and Ladd will not be taking a pay cut from his 4.4 he is currently making.
Cheveldayoff also has to remember that Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba are both coming off their respective entry level deals and while they are not going to be making 7 million a year Cheveldayoff has too sign both those players are they are very important to the future of this team, Cheveldayoff can’t let them walk to keep Ladd happy this is about building for the future success of this franchise.
Many hockey insiders on all the major networks TSN, Sportsnet, ESPN yes ESPN, and NBCSN all say that Andrew Ladd is good as gone, but what none of them are saying is who the Jets could get in return, they have all said that the Blackhawks, Kings, Anaheim, Boston, Florida all want Andrew Ladd, so let us take a look at some possible trades.
Chicago Blackhawks
Andrew Ladd has a history with the Chicago Blackhawks Ladd was on the Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks for the first of three championship teams, before being dealt to Atlanta with Dustin Byfuglien. So why does Chicago have any interest in Ladd they did trade him and they did win two Stanley Cups without him.
Stan Bowman has some issues in Chicago with injury, Marian Hossa is currently injured although Hossa is expected to return to the lineup before the playoffs, Bowman also has Marcus Kruger on the IR right now and Kruger has a season ending injury although the Hawks have done a great job plugging holes with call ups, this team is known for deep playoff runs and Ladd has more experience then the Rockford call ups currently in the lineup and with some moves they could get Ladd in under the salary cap.
The Winnipeg Jets would then of course need something in return for Ladd the Hawks would have to move some salary in order to fit Ladd under the cap so who is going to be skating in aviator blue Teuvo Teravainen would be a good fit in the Jets lineup, he is a cap hit of under $900,000 and has another season on his entry level deal. It sounds crazy because Teravainen was the Hawks number one draft pick in 2012 and was the next big thing for Chicago.
Teravainen had a lot of call ups last year from Rockford and was able to stick with th team during the playoffs, and again this year out of training camp, but in recent weeks the emergence of Artemi Panarin it may be time for the Hawks to move on from Teravainen.
But this trade will not be a one for one, the Jets could also demand a prospect and a draft pick for Ladd he is after all the captain of the Jets. Marko Dano from the Rockford Icehogs and a second round draft pick could go back to the Jets and that can buy the Jets some time and money to sign the guys they need to carry this team.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are out of this picture altogether, they are already over 80,000 dollars are over the salary cap. The Los Angeles Kings are set up for another long run and don’t need Andrew Ladd in their lineup.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are still a good team, they have been since they won the Stanley Cup in 2011, but this season has been horrible for the Bruins. Boston has had sparks of greatness and sparks of the old Bruins in 2011 but they have fallen on flat on their face in other games hence the 9-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
So why would Boston want Andrew Ladd, one reason is Chris Kelly is out of the lineup until May or July depending on the rehab of his knee injury, even if Kelly returns will he be ready for the demand the playoffs will put on his body.
Andrew Ladd, would make sense for the Boston Bruins Ladd has been more or less healthy for entire career and he is five years younger then Kelly but he does make more by a million and a half. Ladd is a better player then Kelly and can take the playoff demand better then Kelly could if he comes back.
So what the Jets get in return, the Jets would have to take some salary back for sure, Loui Eriksson would be getting sent back to the Winnipeg Jets for sure as Loui and Ladd make roughly the same, now the Jets don’t need Eriksson and they could let him walk and seasons end or the Jets could turn around and flip Eriksson as well.
The Winnipeg Jets would be smart to get prospects and draft picks in return picking up Frank Vatrano would be a smart move for Winnipeg with two season left on his entry level deal he could do really well under the Jets coaching staff who works wondering with the Jets young guns, they can also demand a second or Vatrano and third rounder.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have a great team and great management in Dale Tallon a very smart hockey mind. Andrew Ladd would make sense for the Panthers for a number of reasons and reason number one being there is a great chance that the Panthers and the Capitals will meet in the playoffs at some point and the Panthers right now can’t take a series against the Caps but with Ladd in the lineup they at least have a more scoring threat.
The Panthers also have an injury issue with Brendon Pirri and Alexander Barkov are both injured Barkov is undisclosed after being smoked in Detroit he has been out with what can obviously be marked as a concussion, Pirri should be back mid-march.
The Panthers are believed to be letting Shawn Thornton walk after the season ends that frees up at least 1.5 million in cap space. The Panthers could very well resign Andrew Ladd to a long term deal as well with 5.8 million in cap space however they would need to be careful with Barkov and his massive deal kicking in next year.
The Winnipeg could get Brendon Pirri and make a play on Alex Petrovic as well Pirri would have to be sent down to the Manitoba Moose but Petrovic would make the Jets roster for sure.
The Jets play tonight in Winnipeg could this really be Andrew Ladd’s last game in the Powerhouse on Portage as the Jets play a home and home with the Dallas Stars.
I am a married father of three I living in Northwestern Ontario about 5 hours from Winnipeg, I have been involved with hockey my whole life I started playing when I was 4 and played all the way up through high school and I still currently play hockey every Saturday night in the local mens league, I am a level 2 certified ref and I love to ref games from little kids to high school and the ladies league, I have even started doing lines for our Junior A team the English River Miners of the SIJHL. I also own Pinnacle Sports Management I do player placement most of my clients are in Europe but I have a couple in the SPHL I have also worked as a scout for a number of SIJHL teams.