In this edition of the Winnipeg Jets News & Rumors, we look at a couple of trades that almost emerged for the Jets over the past few weeks. They tried to send a big package including Rutger McGroarty to the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as trying to land a young roster player from the Washington Capitals.
Bringing Laine Back to Winnipeg
Ever since the report of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine being out of the NHL’s Player Assistance Program, the idea of him returning to the Jets has been circulating all around X. Many fans are divided on whether it would be a smart move or not, but in a recent mailbag article for Winnipeg Free Press from Ken Weibe and Mike McIntyre, it was addressed. (from Winnipeg Free Press, “Could Laine come back? What’s up with McGroarty? Your Jets questions answered”, July 28. 2024)
Could that lead to a reunion? Maybe, but at least at this stage of the game, the odds are more likely in the range of 10 to 15 per cent. That number could rise in the summer of 2026 when Laine is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent.
Ken Weibe, Winnipeg Free Press
When talking about Laine and the Jets, it is easy to look at the roster and find a spot for him. The Jets could use an extra productive goal-scoring winger, and while a center should be their top priority, on paper, it makes sense for them to look at Laine for help. Despite a tough ending to their relationship, Weibe points out that both Laine and the Jets may regret how things went, and they would have been better off finding mutual ground to stick together. Is it too late to go back to that? Maybe, but it could also work. However, the asking price would likely be too high for the Jets as they would be unsure about the risks of taking him back.
The Jets have brought players back to the team after separating, most notably Paul Stastny, who was a rental in 2017-18 but returned in 2020 to look to complete the roster yet again.
Jets Targeted McMichael in Trade
In the same mailbag, Weibe reported that around the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Jets were in conversations with the Capitals surrounding center Connor McMichael.
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With acknowledgment of the Capitals’ cap situation, moving any money out has to be on their mind, and the Jets could use a young player to help challenge the depth in the lineup, and even push for the role of the second-line center. McMichael is a 23-year-old who is just starting to break into the league. In 80 games, he posted 18 goals and 33 points, but certainly has more room to grow and has skill to build on.
The current center depth on the Jets is their weakest position. With Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, and David Gustafsson being the three lines up behind Mark Scheifele, a player like McMichael would have a legitimate shot at the second-line spot and could thrive alongside wingers Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti.
The cost for McMichael is what makes the trade hard to break down. With the trade talks happening around the draft, it is safe to say it was centered around draft picks, and with the Capitals’ cap situation, that would make sense. It could have also been built around a prospect or two, and while McGroarty’s name has been in plenty of conversations, the Capitals likely would have needed to add more to a deal to help facilitate that one.
Jets Tried to Swing Big for Necas
Frank Serevalli reported on his podcast “The DFO Rundown” that the Jets had an offer to the Hurricanes for Martin Necas, which was built around McGroarty, Perfetti, and a draft pick.
Obviously, this trade never came to fruition, and Necas re-signed with the Hurricanes on a two-year deal. This trade was likely contingent on Necas signing a long-term deal with the Jets, which could be why it fell apart if true.
Breaking down the assets, it seems like it would take a miracle at this point to see McGroarty in a Jets uniform, but nothing is impossible. He seemingly doesn’t want to sign with the Jets, and wants to be traded somewhere he will have a better opportunity, which takes away some leverage from the Jets in a trade. With that being said, he is a high-end prospect teams would be willing to pay for, but the Jets are just waiting for the right deal to roll along.
As for Perfetti, he is one of the best young assets the Jets have, and while he hasn’t had his big breakout year yet, he set a career-high last season in goals with 19 and points with 38. There is still a lot of room to go, and if he transitions to center, he could be much more valuable on this team with the lack of center depth we talked about.
Throwing a pick in can mean anything. A first-round pick wouldn’t make sense, a second-round pick would make more sense, but would be a lot to add in on that trade, and anything later would just be a bit of a throw-in to make the trade happen.
If this deal was close to happening, the value isn’t bad for either side. The Hurricanes would win the deal in the long-term outlook, but considering McGroarty likely won’t play for the Jets, most trades that include him will have the other team being the winner in hindsight. This kind of trade is what the Jets are likely hoping to pull off when they deal him because if they trade him as an asset on his own, they probably won’t get a fair return.
