The Winnipeg Jets are the center of attention this summer as their core players have dominated trade speculation and rumours. Yet, Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele are still with the team. Both players’ situations are distinctively unique, but Scheifele has a special place in Jets lore due to being the first pick in the franchise’s rebirth.
For this reason, I assume management is trying its hardest to re-sign the player. However, this isn’t the only reason Scheifele hasn’t been traded, as there are many other factors affecting the Jets’ decision to hold onto him. Jets management isn’t afraid to play hardball, as it is becoming more and more likely that he will start the 2023-24 season as a member of the team.
Scheifele is still a member of the Jets for many reasons. Plenty of teams have already made key offseason moves and no longer have the need or the cap space to acquire him. While on top of that, other transactions, such as the Alex DeBrincat trade, have shown how difficult it is to move players for a fair return. Finally, the Boston Bruins are likely the most interested team in a potential trade but aren’t a good trade fit. This is due to their lack of tradable win-now players. When all of these factors are taken into account, it’s easy to see and understand why Scheifele still hasn’t been traded.
The Trade Market Is Convoluted Right Now
The only teams willing to acquire Scheifele are contenders, which boils down to 10-12 clubs. Factoring in cap space and rosters that already have center depth, and the list of potential suitors dwindles even further. Waiting until the trade deadline could be management’s best option for maximizing a return on a deal if the Jets are set on getting as much of a return as possible.
Related: Jets & Scheifele Would Both Benefit with a Trade
Fans on social media were very quick to point out how the DeBrincat trade and contract extension must have had William Nylander’s agent fuming. The return was a streaky middle-six winger (Dominik Kubalik), a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick and an American Hockey League (AHL) defenseman (Donovan Sebrango). This is definitely not a like-for-like comparison for a potential Scheifele trade. However, if a young 40-goal scorer is going for that type of return, it showcases how complicated the trade market is right now.
Bruins Not an Ideal Trade Partner
Most teams have already made their big offseason moves and are no longer interested in trading for Scheifele. The Colorado Avalanche traded for Ryan Johansen, while the Carolina Hurricanes are focused on Erik Karlsson. The Bruins, on the other hand, have been handcuffed while they wait for David Krejci to decide if he will join Patrice Bergeron in retirement. So acquiring an elite center like Scheifele is still an option for the Bruins. Unfortunately, they are not the best trade partner. The Jets don’t have an interest in acquiring draft picks or prospects, like Fabian Lysell, but rather win-now assets and NHL-ready players, such as Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo or Jeremy Swayman.
DeBrusk is a talented player who the Jets would love to have, but this would be a huge risk because he’s on an expiring contract. Unless he were to be included merely as a cap casualty to make the move work, the Jets likely are not going to be interested in him, while Boston will not give up the top-six winger for free. If DeBrusk had a couple more years of team control, a Scheifele trade to Boston might have happened by now.
Carlo is a defensively sound top-four right-handed defenseman who would likely be the perfect partner for Josh Morrissey. However, his term, 6-foot-5 size and ties to the team make it unlikely the Bruins are interested in moving him, especially since fellow Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Barring a 1-for-1 swap, Boston likely isn’t interested in moving Carlo.
Swayman has all the talent in the world to become a starting goalie and is a restricted free agent. However, it’s unlikely the Jets would be interested in bringing him in without sending Hellebuyck the other way. With the Bruins’ reigning Vezina Trophy winner (Linus Ullmark) only signed for the next two seasons, Swayman has an easy path to becoming Boston’s goalie of the future.
Jets Losing Scheifele for Nothing Would Be a Failure
Winnipeg would certainly prefer to sign Scheifele to a contract extension, but that may not be an option. Losing Scheifele for nothing would be detrimental to the team’s future, as this would be terrible asset management. Choosing to take the player into the season without a contract extension is a very high-risk, high-reward scenario that could end positively or negatively. On one hand, a productive year could convince him to re-sign. But on the other hand, an injury could derail any possibility of a trade at the trade deadline. If the Jets don’t think they have a probable chance of re-signing him, they should bite the bullet and trade for him for a below-market-value return if that opportunity presents itself.
