Is the door to the Winnipeg Jets re-signing their two biggest pending unrestricted free agents still open after all? Their comments after day one of training camp reveals that perhaps it is.
Trade rumours have swirled around Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele for months, and most pundits (author included) predicted they would be traded in the offseason. They both seemed lukewarm — or completely uninterested — in re-signing and have questioned the team’s direction — or lack thereof — in the past.
For various reasons, however, blockbusters never materialized and both remain Jets entering training camp.
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Unsurprisingly, in their first media appearances — which took place Thursday after the first day of on-ice workouts at Hockey For All Centre — questions about their futures in Winnipeg abounded.
Their answers brought some interesting takeaways. Both expressed a focus on winning and staying in the present, and both prefer to kick the extension discussion can down the road. General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff prefers this route well, saying on Wednesday the focus is on winning and discussions can come later.
Most interestingly, neither star has ruled out re-signing.
“I’m Going to Give My Heart Out Every Single Game” — Scheifele
Scheifele, the Jets’ first-ever draft pick who has 645 points with the franchise and serves as an alternate captain, said the business part of the game is “not really on my mind.”
“I have one year left on my deal and I’m here to focus on this team and helping this team succeed, and that’s really my whole focus,” he said to a gaggle of reporters.
“Yeah, for sure, I’ve told them (Jets’ management) I’m open to staying,” he said. “Yeah, I’m definitely open to staying here. I’ve been a Winnipeg Jet, this is my 13th camp, it’s been a long time. I’ve enjoyed every day of it and I’m definitely open to staying.”
Scheifele, 30, has not always looked like he’s enjoyed every day of being a Jet. Last season, he set a career-high in goals with 42 and added 26 assists for 68 points and looked re-energized in the first half of the season. In the second half, he fell back into old bad habits and frustrated head coach Rick Bowness with his lack of defensive effort.
In 2023-24, he promised to “give my heart out each and every single game” and “just go out and play hockey.”
While Scheifele’s open to staying, there hasn’t been much in the way of contract talks between his agents and Cheveldayoff. He said he trusts his representatives to handle the business side of things.
The goal, Scheifele said, remains simple. “Obviously I want to win. I’m a competitor. I want to win a Stanley Cup… that never changes,” he said.
“I Know This Locker Room Can Win a Cup” — Hellebuyck
Hellebuyck, who is one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders and has covered up many of the team’s flaws in his eight seasons, expressed similar sentiments.
The 30 year old has been open about his burning desire to win a Stanley Cup and his feeling he’s running out of time to do so. While the Jets have moved further from hockey’s ultimate prize since their Western Conference Final run in 2018, Hellebuyck is keeping an open mind about his future.
“I’m just here to win, that’s always been my goal, and I don’t see why this year would change anything based on the scenario I’m in,” he said.
“At the end of the day I’m just here to win a Cup. And we have a good team and I do believe that,” he continued. “I see a lot of guys, I see a lot of improvement, I see just a lot of eagerness in this room to improve as a group and really give our all, so I want to be a part of that.”
Cheveldayoff traded Pierre-Luc Dubois for Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and Gabriel Vilardi in June, a move which deepened the forward group. The GM also bought out former captain Blake Wheeler and the organization appointed veteran power forward Adam Lowry the third captain in Jets 2.0 history.
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“I have an open mind to everything and I just want to win, I’ve made that clear since day one,” Hellebuyck said, adding he’s going to be patient when it comes to his future. “We’ll see how everything unfolds… I’m here, I’m a Jet, I’m just going to try to win a Cup with this team.”
“I’m not closing the door to anywhere,” he continued. “I’m going to look at anywhere I think I can win a Cup, and I know this locker room can win a Cup.”
Hellebuyck, who has 436 wins since making his Jets debut in 2015, said there’s still time to talk about an extension and in his mind his pending UFA status is not a distraction. He also said he hasn’t soured on the market at all.
“I love it here. I love the fans here. I love the city,” he said. “It’s very ‘outdoorsman,’ and that’s who I am. That being said, I don’t want to come and say to you guys something and then tomorrow it changes and it be different. I’m just going to leave it as I’m going to win a Cup and wherever I can win a Cup, I think is where I want to be.”
This Storyline Isn’t Going Away
Hellebuyck and Scheifele’s shared status will continue to be a big storyline until they either re-sign or are traded. Cheveldayoff is playing with fire considering a long-term injury to either would render them untradeable, but ultimately, team performance will dictate whether they finish the season in Winnipeg or somewhere else.
If the Jets aren’t in a good position — not just on the playoff bubble but truly in a good position to contend for the Cup — by the March 8 Trade Deadline, both could and should be traded. It would be a massive failure of asset management for Cheveldayoff to lose such talented players for nothing given the possibility of strong return from contenders looking to bolster their squads ahead of the postseason.
