The Winnipeg Jets are now a member of a group they had long resisted becoming a part of. The NHL buyout gang. The Jets raised more than a few eyebrows on Friday morning with the announcement they had placed defenceman Mark Stuart on unconditional waivers with the intention of buying out the final year of the 4 year, 10.5 million dollar extension the 33 year old blue liner signed with the team on March 5/14.
To say the former Boston Bruin first round draft pick was highly respected from top to bottom in the Jets organization would be an understatement. This could not have been an easy decision for Mark Chipman or GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to arrive at. But it was also inevitable.
Stuart sat out almost as many as the 42 games he played in the 2016-17 season, falling further and further down the depth chart behind the likes of fellow 6th and 7th d-men Ben Chiarot, Julian Melchiori, and Nelson Nogier. Add fifth round 2013 draft pick Tucker Poolman to the mix for this coming season, and not even Stuart’s most ardent supporters could justify keeping his 2.6 million dollar cap hit as part of the salary cap equation.
With the departure of Stuart, and the decision to move on from Chris Thorburn and Ondrej Pavelec earlier this off-season, there are now just five members on the current roster who were part of the opening night lineup that lost 5-1 to Montreal in down town Winnipeg on October 9/11. That group being Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Mark Scheifele, Dustin Byfuglien, and Toby Enstrom.
Hopefully there will be a team that recognizes the leadership, grit, and shot blocking ability Mark Stuart brings to the table. But with the NHL going to a younger and faster style of play, it’s going to be a tough sell for Stuart and his agent this summer.
As for the Jets, they realize a 1.2 million dollar cap hit saving for the coming season. Perhaps a sign that big things are on the horizon for July 1st which would be embraced by Jets Nation. In past years the opening day of free agency has been a source of great frustration, and then anger over the lack of “past participation” by Kevin Cheveldayoff. Some of that criticism has not taken into account the attempt was made, but in many cases to a deaf ear. In a results driven business though, the final result is the only thing that matters.
And while there are no guarantees on what is about to happen on Canada’s 150th birthday, it’s difficult to ignore the Jets would have bought out Mark Stuart, had they not engaged in “productive” conversations during the window period for speaking with pending unrestricted free agents. So the view from here is get ready, because some rather significant changes could be coming.
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