Third straight loss reinforces Jets’ trade deadline needs

WINNIPEG — Three days before the trade deadline, Kevin Cheveldayoff’s shopping list got a few more red circles after Tuesday’s game.

The 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders, on its own, isn’t changing the Winnipeg Jets GM’s checklist. But that game, their third straight loss, sure reinforced what Winnipeg needs to solidify itself as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. 

By now, we all know what that is.

It starts with the glaring hole on the depth chart, sandwiched between Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti. This team needs a bona fide second-line centre, preferably one with size.

Enter Brock Nelson, the crown jewel ahead of Friday’s deadline.

Nelson — who registered a goal and assist to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead — is the prototype of what Winnipeg needs. The six-foot-four centre has a knack for creating offence from the middle of the slot, something Namestnikov struggles to do. As much zone time as the second line had against the Isles, a lot of the plays were made along the perimeter — while New York deserves credit for keeping them to the outside, Winnipeg’s six-foot second-line centre played a part in that, too.

Jets coach Scott Arniel often reflects on regular-season games through the lens of what they mean for the playoffs. And once the post-season gets underway, that net-front real estate is all the more coveted. Over the last three years, Nelson has generated 9.91 five-on-five scoring chances per 60 minutes — which places him in the 94th percentile among forwards. In that same span, Namestnikov clocks in at the 42nd percentile (6.78).

Now, as much as Winnipeg’s need for a top-six centre comes up in barstool chats, so too does the team’s lack of defensive depth. 

Usually, it’s in the vein of bolstering the team’s top four — with a right-shot defenceman to go alongside Josh Morrissey. But even if they can find that, Cheveldayoff should be in the hunt for a bottom-pairing defenceman, and Tuesday was a perfect example of why. With Dylan Samberg missing due to a family matter, Winnipeg promoted Logan Stanley to the second pair alongside Neal Pionk.

In 16:28 of five-on-five ice-time, that pairing posted a 25.7 per cent expected goals-for percentage — quite the drop off from the Samberg-Pionk pairing (56.2 percent). If one of the Jets’ top-four defenceman misses time in the playoffs — which has happened in each of the last two years (Brenden Dillon missed two games last year, Josh Morrissey missed two games back in 2022-23) — you can’t have Stanley as the next man up.

Further down Cheveldayoff’s grocery list — past the meat and potatoes — is the salt: faceoff help.

Trailing 3-2 with 1:21 left in regulation, fresh off a timeout, Scheifele lost a crucial offensive-zone faceoff to Nelson. It resulted in the Islanders pinning the puck up against the wall and shaving about 10 seconds off the clock before Winnipeg could set up. Now, this may seem nitpicky — the Jets did win 50.9 per cent of the draws in a game where they went toe-to-toe with the NHL’s best faceoff team — but situational faceoffs aren’t a strong suit of Winnipeg’s. Take the penalty kill as an example. Winnipeg finished the night 1 / 3 on penalty kill draws — an area they rank 28th in the league (42 per cent). Winnipeg’s penalty kill has improved recently, but for it to become an asset, they’ve got to get better in the faceoff circle.

As much as Nelson is the gold standard for what the Jets need, a player like Jean-Gabriel Pageau also fits the bill as a depth addition. Sporting a 59.6 per cent faceoff win percentage in all situations, Pageau is especially efficient on the penalty kill — where he’s won 61 per cent of his faceoffs. Winnipeg’s penalty kill could become above average with an ace in the dot. 

Perhaps this game against the Islanders will prompt Cheveldayoff to start his shopping before Friday.

Stoller Says

• The Jets have scored just four goals over their last three games — an uncharacteristic lull for the NHL’s third-best offence (3.47 goals per game). 

“You know, I think there’s part of it where it’s executions, and there’s parts of it where maybe some fatigue in the Nashville game, and Philly, I just think there were areas in decision-making as opposed to execution that weren’t very good,” Adam Lowry told reporters post-game. “And then tonight, I thought the effort, the compete, the decision-making, the directness was there. It was just a couple plays where the puck rolled off the end of our sticks, a couple plays we missed chances.”

• Lowry has been shot out of a cannon since returning to the lineup on Feb 22. The Jets captain may be scoreless over the last six games, but he’s won 54 per cent of his draws and posted team-highs in hits (14), drawn penalties (five) and fights (two). His second tilt came against Isles captain Anders Lee, a few shifts after Lowry was looking for blood following Alexander Romanov’s bone-crushing (clean) hit on Mason Appleton. 

“It was one of those ones where I thought we were having a good first, kind of wanted to set the tone early,” Lowry told reporters. “I don’t love the hit. There’s nothing wrong with the hit, either. It’s a clean, hard hit, but you want to stand up for your teammates. That’s what I felt like I was doing.”

• Rasmus Kupari left the game after an awkward collision midway through the third period. At first glance, it looked like his leg got tangled up — which it did — but upon further review, it’s clear his head also hit the boards.

“I think it’s his head. I really haven’t found out yet,” Arniel told reporters. 

The Jets are off Wednesday, so we won’t have an update until Thursday’s morning skate. 

• Judging by how emotional Nelson was in a rinkside interview post-game, there’s little doubt he’ll be moved by Friday. While it’d sting to swing and miss on him, it would add salt to the wound if a divisional foe — like Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota — picks him up. He’s a handful to match up against in the playoffs.