The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline has now come and gone, and the Winnipeg Jets made a splash to help keep pace in a wild Central Division. After making the trade for Sean Monahan on Feb. 2, the Jets’ deadline period was fairly quiet until deadline day when they acquired Tyler Toffoli and Colin Miller from the New Jersey Devils.
Whether these were planned adds or additions in response to the increased firepower in the Central Division, they moved the needle in a big way while addressing their most pressing needs. After the dust settled, it appears like another couple of wins for Jets’ general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
These trades not only improve an already good team but also send a message. This Jets team is ready to go, and they’re inviting the challenge ahead of them by bolstering their group.
Toffoli Deal Keeps Jets in Race For Top Seed
After a frenzy on March 6 that saw division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche, acquire Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker in a matter of hours, it felt as if the Jets had some catching up to do. This came after the Dallas Stars also bolstered their team, trading for Chris Tanev to help shore up their defensive group.
With the Monahan deal paying dividends, the Jets have been reaping the rewards of an early trade. Between that deal and deadline day, the Jets won nine of 14 total games, and have been especially hot as of late. That said, some cracks have been appearing and it suddenly became apparent that there was a need in their middle six.
Well, at the risk of falling behind, Cheveldayoff pulled the trigger on a move that many didn’t expect, acquiring Toffoli, who was arguably the best forward that was still available. The Jets sent the Devils a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Toffoli, with the Devils retaining 50 percent of his remaining cap hit.
With their need to fill that middle-six right-wing spot, they did that with Toffoli, who has 26 goals this season so far. He’s coming off a 34-goal season with the Calgary Flames in 2022-23, which was a career high.
This move, as good as it looks for the Jets, also carries a level of symbolism. In years past, deadline season has been filled with a great deal of vitriol for the lack of “all-in” trades. Trades that signal that extra push to separate a team from its competitors, and show the players that their faith is unwavering.
Between the Monahan and Toffoli deals, it seems apparent that the Jets want everyone to know that they are, in fact, “all in.” This also countered any notion that they had fallen behind in the race for the Central, as they now seem primed for a stretch run.
Related: 3 Things the Jets Should Focus on in Final 25 Games
It is key for the Jets to finish first in the division, as that would pit the Avalanche and Stars against each other in the first round, knocking one of them out and creating a far more interesting path through the postseason. With their moves yesterday, it feels as if they’re aware of the importance of the top seed, and they should be able to make that push.
Trade For Miller Solidifies Defensive Depth
As the deadline was winding down, the Jets snuck another deal in and acquired journeyman defenseman Colin Miller. Miller, 31, is in the middle of his first season with the Devils and hasn’t been a regular in the lineup this season. That being said, this isn’t a move to scoff at.
Miller has a proven track record of being an effective bottom-four defender, and while it hasn’t worked with the Devils, it shouldn’t discourage fans from being happy with this move. For a 2026 fourth-round pick, the deal was cheap and filled a need that the Jets had a desire to address.
Defensive depth has been on the tips of everyone’s tongues for a while, and as top-four defenders that would have fit with the Jets came off the board, the logical pivot was to someone who could be the “next man up.” Miller will now function as the sixth or seventh defender, ready to be an injury or performance replacement down the stretch.
Miller moves the puck well, especially in transition, a feature that was visible in his time with the Vegas Golden Knights between 2017-19. In the 2017-18 season, he recorded a career-high 41 points in 82 games as the Golden Knights played their way to the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Jets on the way there.
Don’t be surprised to see Miller show some offensive upside in Rick Bowness’ systems, which emphasizes that defenders need to jump into the play. He also has a massive shot from the point, something that could come in handy with how well the Jets work down low off of rebounds.
An Exciting Stretch Run Awaits
Now that the league’s last real season benchmark is passed, nothing stands in the way of the Jets as they stare toward the NHL playoffs. With 21 games remaining in the regular season, that should be enough time for the new additions to work their way into the Jets’ systems.
It’s going to be a dogfight between a grouping of teams with the same goal, but the Jets have positioned themselves perfectly to leapfrog those teams to the top of the division, and maybe even the conference. They have three games in hand over the Avalanche and Stars, giving them a chance to work towards a franchise first, a Central Division championship.
