August has arrived, and a handful of familiar former Jets are still hanging out in free agency as NHL training camps draw closer.
The biggest name on that list is Patrik Laine. The former second overall pick remains one of the more interesting unsigned players on the market, even though he suited up for only five games last season before a core muscle injury ended his year. Thanks to an injury-related provision in the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the 28-year-old winger is eligible for a one-year deal packed with performance bonuses, a setup that could appeal to cap-strapped contenders looking for a low-risk swing at a player who was once among the league’s most dangerous goal scorers.
Evander Kane is another notable former Jet still without a contract. The former Atlanta Thrashers first-round pick spent the first five-plus seasons of his NHL career with the franchise before it moved to Winnipeg, and he continues to draw attention whenever he comes back to the city. Injuries have piled up for the 35-year-old, but he still brings size, physical play and a track record of playoff experience that could help a team looking for some added bite.
Logan Stanley is also on the open market after being moved by the Jets to the Buffalo Sabres before last season’s trade deadline. At 6-foot-7, the 28-year-old defenceman has already logged parts of six NHL seasons, and he could still attract teams looking for left-side depth. Just six months ago, certain 'insiders' had Stanley's value marked north of $25 million.
The group doesn’t stop there. Tanner Pearson and Gustav Nyquist, both veteran forwards who finished last season in Winnipeg, also entered August without NHL contracts.
The list of former Jets has thinned out in other ways, too. Colin Miller has taken his career overseas, while Winnipeg native Jonathan Toews officially announced his retirement, ending a remarkable NHL run.
With training camp set to begin next month, the question now is simple: will Laine, Kane or Stanley have new deals in place by then?
In Other News...
Jets Problems Go Far Beyond Scott Arniel
The Jets rough stretch has put Scott Arniel under the microscope, but the bigger picture in Winnipeg looks a lot messier than a coaching debate. Arniel has a track record with this group and plenty of familiarity inside the room, yet the teams uneven season has also pointed back to deeper issues that have been building for a while, especially the way the roster has been put together around an aging core.
Connor Hellebuycks name keeps coming up in trade speculation, which only adds to the noise around a team already searching for answers. Still, a move of that scale feels far-fetched, and the more realistic question is how much of Winnipegs current problem can actually be fixed from the bench at all. [Read more 🡒]