Winning attracting FAs

[razorsedge]

Real question is, does having a winning team get you a discount on UFA's?

How many players took less money because the potential to win the cup was greater?

I'm talking just in general.

 

[allan5oh]

Winnipeg does not have room this summer and next unless other moves are made.

 

[Georgetown Al]

Whatever the cap is...

If the Jets do take a FA I can guarantee one thing...

The lazy non skilled ones will not get picked...

Go Go

 

[larmex99]

Ladd (year 1), Enstrom, Wheeler, Little, Byfuglien, Bogosian, and Kane all extended either as upcoming UFAs or gave up substantial UFA years to re-sign. Scheifele and Ehlers just gave up future UFA years to re-sign. There have been many others.

I’ll flip this on you. Name the players the Jets wanted to re-sign but couldn’t. I’ll give you one - Ladd last year (thank heaven!). Good luck building a list.

Frolik comes to mind....

 

[Beville]

It's not about free agents, the free agents you want are the college free agents. It's also about trading for the young stars and which ones will request to be traded to Winnipeg in lieu of our winning.

Has there ever really been any big time college free agents though? Most I can think of have been pretty poor.

Plus why does WPG need free agents, they’ve got a solid enough team IMO.

 

[howkie]

Frolik comes to mind....

I was about to mention him. I think Trouba will stay, but he could be the big fish that will leave, it will be an intressting summer, I think he will sign longterm now with the playoff success.

 

[larmex99]

I was about to mention him. I think Trouba will stay, but he could be the big fish that will leave, it will be an intressting summer, I think he will sign longterm now with the playoff success.

Agreed. Overall Jets have a good retention record. A few who chose to leave, like Ladd, did us a big favor. Like, a huge favor.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Has there ever really been any big time college free agents though? Most I can think of have been pretty poor.

Plus why does WPG need free agents, they’ve got a solid enough team IMO.

If you read my post it practically meant that we don't need free agents. But Tanev was a free agent and we could maybe use some for the Moose if we were to sign some. Personally, I don't see the Jets going after a prized free agent.

 

[Stej]

Frolik comes to mind....

Yep, that’s two.

 

[LeafFever]

Signing free agents is much more important in other sports. It just doesn't matter in the NHL.

 

[Hobble]

Agreed. Overall Jets have a good retention record. A few who chose to leave, like Ladd, did us a big favor. Like, a huge favor.

Yuge favour.

 

[tapi]

Jagr should be a consideration. Lots of young guns on the roster who need a mentor to look up to. Jagr could also probably teach a thing or two to Laine about goal scoring considering his pedigree.

 

[OVrocks]

It really depends IMO, a veteran who already had substantial career earnings and just wants a shot at the cup is likely to take less. However, a player in their prime may have other considerations like the area, tax situation (no income tax in Florida for example), market size, weather etc. For example, a highly sought after FA is more likely to sign with the Rangers or Kings than Winnipeg, because, well, nobody wants to spend 6+ months a year there.

 

[Beezeral]

Don’t know why stastny is being used as an example of a player who waived because the mentality is changing. He’s a pending UFA. He agreed to go to wpg for 2 months and a guaranteed cup run. It remains to be seen whether he stays. As for the OP. Yes I think WPG’s sucesss will make it easier to sign/get guys to waive. However location will always be a negative for them and they are going to lose more battles then they win to teams in similar on ice situations because of it.

 

[LeafFever]

Jagr should be a consideration. Lots of young guns on the roster who need a mentor to look up to. Jagr could also probably teach a thing or two to Laine about goal scoring considering his pedigree.

Jagr is not worthy of a roster spot on the league's worst team. You need to be a mentor, but also able to play like Marleau.

 

[Pens x]

You want to be a contender so that players that have NMC’s are willing to be traded to your team. People are underestimating the importance of free agents in this thread.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Has there ever really been any big time college free agents though? Most I can think of have been pretty poor.

Plus why does WPG need free agents, they’ve got a solid enough team IMO.

Umm, there’s one ON the Jets.

 

[Newsworthy]

Let's be fair.
The majority of top free agents are resigned and the others are dealt in the off-season or at the trade deadline. Once dealt and productive those teams tend to hold on to these guys. i.e. Justin Shultz, Kessel, Palmieri, Halak, Dubnyk, etc Its rare that guys like Parise, Suter, Carlson, Tavares or Stamkos become UFA.
The other scenario is if your team is competing for a playoff spot like Toronto with JVR. But other than that teams aren't losing assets for nothing.
Your not getting to many Radulovs. The draft is so important in the NHL.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Umm, there’s one ON the Jets.

Yeah, but does he play a prominent role on the team? /s

 

[SavedByRoy]

The Jets' situation is a strong argument in favor of a good, comprehensive rebuild/build needing 5+ years, especially if you don't have good prospects in the system (which Winnipeg didn't when the team moved from Atlanta). They have a very strong roster and prospects now. Remember that hockey mag cover a couple years ago that said "Your 2019 Stanley Cup Champs, the Winnipeg Jets"? That was based on the amazing minor league system, and was before Laine was even drafted.

The only lucky break they got, if you call it that, was winning the lottery with Laine to move from 6 to 2, (and that someone as good as Laine was available that year at #2).

You don't need UFAs or NTC-waivers to get to elite contender if you have a good GM and the fans have patience not to freak out if you are bad for 4-6 years to stockpile. Once you get to elite status, then a few finishing touches become available as UFAs or trades. Then you try to stay elite for a decade if you can.

Or you can hope to be like Pittsburgh and win 2 straight lotteries and draft a generational player and another top 5 in the NHL player and be elite in ~3+ years.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

The Jets are the lowest ranked city in the NHL for FAs for a reason.


Has nothing to do with Playoff success either. Large majority of players dont like playing in Canada, they dont like playing in the cold and especially the extreme cold in Winnipeg, and they dont like playing in the West with lots of travel if they can avoid it as well.

Now, making Playoffs will no doubt make the Jets at least a little more attractive a city to go too because of the chance at a cup. But they're still going to be very far down the totem pole compared to cities like Tampa Bay, New York, Pittsburgh, Boston, etc. etc.

 

[aj8000]

I think it helps for trade deadline help AKA Stastny, but when you are a draft and develop team, overpaying for free agents will just eat up your cap space and cause issues when you need to resign your drafted players after the entry level contract is up.

 

[aj8000]

The Jets are the lowest ranked city in the NHL for FAs for a reason.


Has nothing to do with Playoff success either. Large majority of players dont like playing in Canada, they dont like playing in the cold and especially the extreme cold in Winnipeg, and they dont like playing in the West with lots of travel if they can avoid it as well.

Now, making Playoffs will no doubt make the Jets at least a little more attractive a city to go too because of the chance at a cup. But they're still going to be very far down the totem pole compared to cities like Tampa Bay, New York, Pittsburgh, Boston, etc. etc.

It is a good thing we have global warming then. I do not think the weather has much to do with it since they are on the road half the time during the season.

 

[LeafFever]

You want to be a contender so that players that have NMC’s are willing to be traded to your team. People are underestimating the importance of free agents in this thread.

People look through the historical results of free agents and are making a decision on that.

 

[aj8000]

Frolik comes to mind....

I think the jets had many players in the lineup while they moved the draft picks through the system. They would have signed Frolik for their price and where not willing to overpay for him so he left.