Whereas the free agent market has slowed down, there are nonetheless a number of gamers left with out groups. A type of gamers is veteran ahead Tyler Johnson. There are many upsides and disadvantages to signing the veteran ahead, nevertheless it’s one thing the Winnipeg Jets ought to a minimum of contemplate going into the season.
Tyler Johnson May Assist with Centre Depth
The 34-year-old ahead made a reputation for himself with the Tampa Bay Lightning when he centred a line with Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat that was dubbed “The Triplets.” Whereas he may not have the identical degree of the sport he did when he was youthful, he’s nonetheless a flexible and speedy centre. On a staff the place centre depth is a bit questionable, he might present some much-needed aid to the Jets.
Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry are all however locks for the 1C and 3C respectively, however the 2C and 4C are nonetheless fluctuating. Johnson could be a great match for 4C if the Jets need somebody with a number of NHL expertise. He has a profession faceoff proportion of 49.6, which might be a giant enchancment from a few of their different centre choices. He completed final season with 17 targets and 14 assists in 67 video games, so he nonetheless generates some respectable offence as nicely.
Johnson Is a Veteran Presence Who Is aware of Methods to Win
Johnson gained the Stanley Cup back-to-back with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, so he is aware of a factor or two about what it takes to win. A veteran with that type of expertise can bolster the Jets lineup, particularly for the gamers who haven’t been to the playoffs or made a deep run but.
https://twitter.com/croumeliotis/standing/1781696909897281714?s=42
Not solely that, however he’s already mentioned that he desires to play for a contender. He spent his final three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks who’re within the midst of a rebuild, so it’s not totally stunning he’s trying to get again into extra aggressive play. The Jets are prone to be a contender once more, and he may very well be a key piece in serving to enhance the staff’s playoff probabilities.
The Jets May Signal Him for Low-cost
When the Jets signal Cole Perfetti, odds are, they’ll lose a great chunk of their remaining $5 million in cap area. Johnson’s final contract was price $5 million a yr, which is manner too steep for the Jets, particularly at this level in Johnson’s profession. Nonetheless, it’s August and he nonetheless isn’t signed to a staff. If he’s trying to proceed his NHL profession, he could take a decrease supply. Relying on how a lot cap area is left, the staff might supply him a one-year deal someplace within the ballpark between league minimal and $1.5 million. That will be an honest worth for a 4C who brings expertise and ability to the desk.
Johnson Doesn’t Match Into Scott Arniel’s Imaginative and prescient of Getting Youthful
Whereas Johnson ticks lots of packing containers for the Jets’ wants, he additionally carries a number of downsides. Head coach Scott Arniel mentioned he believes the youth are “very important” to any profitable staff’s future, and the Jets have a number of younger prospects coming via the system. Perfetti is anticipated to get extra ice time beneath Arniel’s management, and Manitoba Moose forwards like Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov are hoping to land a spot on the NHL roster this season.
Johnson is 34 years outdated, and whereas his veteran management and skills are useful, he doesn’t match into the staff’s long-term plans of getting youthful and mentioning organizational expertise. Signing him may very well be a short lived depth resolution, however he might additionally block the way in which for youthful gamers to transition into the massive leagues. The Jets are a staff that should depend on their draft picks to domesticate NHL expertise, and stopping their prospects from NHL ice time solely hurts the group. Whereas it might be good to have additional centre depth with an skilled participant, Johnson might finally hinder participant improvement.
He’s Suffered A number of Setbacks from Accidents
Since becoming a member of the Blackhawks, Johnson has but to play a full season within the NHL resulting from struggling a number of accidents. In his first season with Chicago, he had a number of setbacks and solely performed in 26 video games. Most of his accidents had been ankle or foot-related, and he was restricted to lower than 70 video games a season.
Associated: Scott Arniel’s Keys to Success in First Season as Winnipeg Jets Head Coach
The Jets have lots of depth to depend on ought to any person get damage, nevertheless it’s exhausting to construct chemistry and get a lineup going with an injury-riddled participant. The staff already struggled final season with a number of accidents, like Gabriel Vilardi who tore his MCL and had an enlarged spleen. It might be dangerous to signal Johnson together with his earlier historical past, particularly if his asking worth is anyplace above $2 million.
Ought to the Jets Signal Tyler Johnson?
In all honesty, I believe it depends upon how coaching camp goes. It’s exhausting to think about Johnson will nonetheless be obtainable as soon as the season kicks off, however with how little chatter there appears to be surrounding him, it’s definitely attainable. In that state of affairs, it might be price including him round coaching camp or the beginning of the season if the Jets don’t really feel like their prospects are prepared for NHL play but. Filling a gap within the lineup with Johnson on a one-year deal may very well be a great non permanent resolution.
That being mentioned, I discover it exhausting to consider the Jets are going to have issues with their younger gamers. Lambert and Chibrikov regarded good of their debuts final season, and their American Hockey League (AHL) stats present that they’re a minimum of worthy of an opportunity within the NHL. Whereas each of them would want a while to regulate to a brand new degree of play, I can’t see it being a large enough difficulty that the Jets would want to signal one other depth ahead. Providing him a contract is a minimum of price consideration, however I believe the staff is well-poised to begin the season off on a great foot.
