The Winnipeg Jets have proved through 46 games this season that they are legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. With that comes an opportunity to bolster their lineup with a trade near the Trade Deadline to increase their odds of winning the Stanley Cup.
With Mark Scheifele having missed the past five games, the need for a second-line centre was exposed, as Adam Lowry was forced to slide up to the top line where he struggled alongside Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabriel Vilardi. Vladislav Namestnikov has filled at second-line centre, but similar to Lowry, having him in the bottom-six would further enforce the Jets’ elite depth and give them the best chance to win the ultimate prize. Here are four second-line centre targets the Jets’ could target over the coming weeks through Trade Deadline season.
Claude Giroux – Ottawa Senators
Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators would be one of the most ideal targets for Winnipeg, given how elite he has been offensively throughout his career. In the 2023-24 season, he has put up a solid 39 points in 42 games on a struggling Senators team that is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
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Rick Bowness puts a big emphasis on faceoffs when evaluating his centre’s play, which luckily Giroux is elite at, as he is currently winning 58.1 percent of his faceoffs this season. While Giroux hasn’t played much centre for the Senators this year, as long as he takes the faceoffs, one of Cole Perfetti or Vilardi could slot into the centre position during the flow of play.
As we can see from his Jfresh Hockey card above, Giroux has been able to post positive offensive impacts despite his age, and while his defensive impacts have taken a dive this season, some of that might have to do with the system in Ottawa. He would fit in nicely between Perfetti and Ehlers on the Jets’ second line and would give them much better centre depth heading into the playoffs.
At 36 years old, Giroux’s contract comes with two years left of term at $6.5 million per season. The extra year on his contract would allow for the Jets to run largely the same group back next season, but would step on the money that could be allocated to Perfetti who is needing a new contract.
Giroux’s contract does feature a full no-move clause (NMC), but for a player who has never won the Stanley Cup and is reaching the late stages of his career, one would think that he would be willing to waive that no-move clause to go to a contender, Winnipeg or elsewhere.
Casey Mittelstadt – Buffalo Sabres
Casey Mittelstadt of the Buffalo Sabres is another potential option for Winnipeg, as the Sabres look to be on the outside looking in of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Mittelstadt has posted 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 46 games this season on a struggling Sabres team that may be looking to move off of some of their core.
Mittelstadt is a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of this season, so this trade would come with him not only spending the remainder of this season in Winnipeg but likely a few seasons after that as well. Much like Giroux, it wouldn’t be a pure rental, which Jets’ General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff likely prefers given his current core group of players.
This would give Perfetti and Ehlers an incredibly skilled and young player to play with, which could give the Jets a lethal second line that could drive play at five-on-five and fill the scoresheet. He is 25 years old and just now starting to turn a corner offensively, to go along with the fact he is an RFA at the end of the season, could drive the price up higher than the Jets are comfortable paying. We will get a clearer picture as to whether or not Mittelstadt is available closer to the trade deadline, but the need and fit for a young and skilled centre of his calibre is there for Winnipeg.
Adam Henrique – Anaheim Ducks
Adam Henrique would be another solid option for the second-line centre spot in Winnipeg. His acquisition would likely be a secondary move, if the Jets chose to invest big assets into a top defender instead. Henrique would be a solid pivot option if they were to miss out on the other names on this list.
The 33-year-old centre has posted 29 points in 46 games on the struggling Anaheim Ducks this season. His 15 goals ont he season would rank third on the Jets, behind only Kyle Connor and Scheifele. He would likely cost the least out of all the names posed in this article and would bring similar value, especially offensively.
The ideal scenario in which their acquire Henrique, would be the same scenario in which they spend large assets on a top four defenceman in return. Some of those names rumoured have been Jakob Chychrun, Sean Walker, Chris Tanev, among others. If the Jets are able to take a big swing (Chychrun, Tanev) on defence, and bring in Henrique, they would be primed and ready for a Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Elias Lindholm – Calgary Flames
At the top of every trade board is Calgary Flames centre Elias Lindholm. He is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), which means NHL organizations will be running the risk that he may sign with another team in free agency. We know that Rick Bowness often keys in on faceoffs when evaluating his centre’s play, and Lindholm currently sits at a 55.9 faceoff percentage (FO%).
Related: 3 Potential Trade Destinations for Flames’ Elias Lindholm
Lindholm is a two-way centre who is especially proficient in his own zone, which would fit Rick Bowness’ defensive system nicely. His analytics have taken a turn for the worse this season, but if he is able to re-capture his level of play from the past two seasons, he would be the best option that is publicly available for the Winnipeg Jets. He’s scored only eight goals this season to go along with 30 points in 46 games, and the price to acquire him in a trade would be sky-high.
He would improve the Jets’ already stingy defence on that second line, and he has more than enough skill to keep up offensively with any of the Jets’ more offensive-minded players in the top six. Winnipeg just had a streak of 34 straight games allowing three goals or fewer come to an end in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, and with the acquisition of Lindholm, they would be even stronger defensively down the middle.
Taking cost acquisition, contract term, and on-ice production into account, Lindholm might not be the best option on the market for Winnipeg. He is likely to command the biggest return out of any player on this list, and unlike Giroux and Mittelstadt, he could sign with another team as early as this offseason. There is a lot of risk involved, but this would be a huge swing and acquisition that would give the Jets the centre depth they need to match up with opponents in the playoffs.
