Jets fall short on big targets, settle for depth at deadline

WINNIPEG — This deadline couldn’t have unfolded worse for Kevin Cheveldayoff. 

There’s no other way to slice it. 

Armed with an abundance in cap space, all his first-round picks and a team that sits atop the NHL’s standings — the table was set for Winnipeg’s general manager to make a splash. 

By the time it was 2:00 p.m. ET, Cheveldayoff walked out of deadline day with just two depth additions — Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn — to show for. No prospects were dealt. 

Winnipeg held onto all their first-round picks. Not by design, though.

“I tried like heck not to,” Cheveldayoff told reporters ahead of Winnipeg’s tilt with New Jersey. 

That may make some people roll their eyes. And while it won’t subside the sting, it’s important to understand what led to this flop.  

For starters, they struck out on their No. 1 target — Brock Nelson. 

On paper, It seemed like a perfect match — Nelson could chase a Cup, the Jets would get their missing puzzle piece. Winnipeg’s interest in Nelson was no secret and even Scott Arniel admitted that he was excited about the possibility of where the six-foot-four centre could’ve slotted into his lineup. 

“It’s unfortunate, but at the end of the day we like our group, we really do. It didn’t happen, didn’t materialize. But we like what we have,” Arniel told reporters.

Cheveldayoff made it seem like they did everything they could to acquire Nelson. 

“When decisions are made that are out of your control, that’s the way it is,” Cheveldayoff said. 

A reporter asked him if part of the issue was Nelson, who has a 16-team no-trade list, refusing to waive his clause to come to Winnipeg.

“I’m not going to get into anything specific as far as what the different situations were. But again, we put a real strong foot forward and that’s where we’re at,” he said. 

Ultimately, whether or not Nelson wanted to come here didn’t matter. Winnipeg wouldn’t have been able to outbid what Nelson was ultimately acquired for — a blue-chip prospect in Calum Ritchie plus a first-round and third-round pick in 2026. 

But that won’t ease the sting for this fanbase. Especially given how much better their divisional rivals got. 

The Colorado Avalanche, of all teams, were the ones who snagged Nelson. They also splurged on Charlie Coyle, adding even more skill and size down the middle below Nathan MacKinnon. Mind you, Coyle also had partial no-trade protection.

The Dallas Stars landed Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster sign-and-trade, a move that came on the heels of them adding Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci weeks prior. 

The problem for Winnipeg, though, was that they couldn’t seamlessly pivot to a Plan B. This year’s market saw exorbitant price tags placed on players that, for Winnipeg, would only be a marginal upgrade on Vladislav Namestnikov. 

Toronto traded a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin for Scott Laughton, a bottom-six centre.

St. Louis was asking for premium assets in exchange for Brayden Schenn, a declining 33-year-old centre who is signed to a $6.5 million AAV until through the 2027-28 season. 

Beyond that, there weren’t many quality centres available. Ryan O’Reilly didn’t have trade protection but Nashville allowed him to choose his destiny (even if he were up for grabs with no strings attached, Winnipeg likely wouldn’t have won a bidding war).

After Nelson, there was really no Plan B. 

“You know, it was a really interesting deadline. Much different than a lot of other ones,” Cheveldayoff said. “There were things that you thought were real and then all of the sudden weren’t real. There was lots of players that maybe were in play that then got pulled out. Usually, you see guys get added in as the days go on. This was a unique trade deadline in that respect. We were in on things that we felt we could be in on and anything that was available to us, we took a good hard look at.”

It’s natural to turn your attention to the backend, where the Jets could’ve really used another top-four addition. But there were slim pickings there, too. 

Rasmus Ristolainen, who we listed as a potential trade target, wasn’t as available as many believed. Flyers GM Danny Briere was firm in his asking price — a first-round pick + type of package similar to the Laughton return — and several league sources indicated to Sportsnet.ca that they didn’t believe Briere was serious about trading Ristolainen in the first place.

The Jets probably would’ve paid a premium for Brandon Carlo — who was traded to Toronto for prospect Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick — but keep in mind the 28-year-old has a 10-team no trade list. 

Beyond those two, where were the Jets going to find a top-four, right-handed defenceman? 

Love it or hate it, Chevy’s hands were tied. 

Tanev and Schenn

You probably don’t want to hear about how Tanev and Schenn are good fits for this roster.

But in a vacuum, these are the right depth additions for Winnipeg. 

Jets fans are familiar with Tanev’s abilities as a speedy, aggressive pest that can kill penalties and forecheck hard. He’s expected to slot in alongside Alex Iafallo — and one of David Gustafsson or Rasmus Kupari — on the fourth line. I could see him and Iafallo feeding off one another well and creating havoc for opponents. 

Schenn, 35, is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with 1,057 regular season games under his belt. As a stay-at-home physical defender, he’ll provide the Jets third pairing with more sandpaper and will help clear bodies in front of Connor Hellebuyck. Given the acquisition cost to get him, he’ll likely replace Colin Miller on the third pairing to start. Although it’s no slam-dunk he’s in a regular come playoff time. 

Both players embody Winnipeg’s identity as a hard-nosed, defensively sound team.

“We have more speed. I think as you get into the playoffs that’s important. We have a hardness element that we didn’t have before. We have a champion in the room that has experience that will be a voice that will help our leadership group immensely,” Cheveldayoff said.

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