AS I SEE IT COLUMN: The Stanley Cup finals were a nightmare for the Jets

For a Winnipeg Jets organization facing a lot of challenges after a really bad season, the recently completed Stanley Cup finals were horrible for the Jets in terms of lost opportunities.

Between seeing all the Manitobans playing high-profile roles with both the Las Vegas Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes, and watching Nikolaj Ehlers’s huge smile after all the playoff goals he scored and realizing we got nothing for him in a trade, Jets fans are left to ponder the agonizing question “what could have been?”

NIKOLAJ EHLERS

After a season where the Jets struggled mightily to score goals, the loss of Ehlers turned out to be a way bigger issue than most thought when he first signed with the Canes.

Ehlers’ desire to leave calls into question how he was handled during his time with the Jets. He wanted to play on the first line and he wanted to play on the first power play unit. He wanted to play for a team where he would get those opportunities and compete for a cup.

Ehlers is now a Stanley Cup champion. Tons of Jet fans were cheering for Ehlers these playoffs. But two massive questions remain: would he have stayed with the Jets if he got more playing time and why couldn’t they get something for him in a trade if they knew he wanted out?

His emotional comments after winning the cup, where he said his dream was to win the cup in Winnipeg, makes the anguish of his departure hurt even more.

SETH JARVIS

Jarvis was picked 13th overall by the Canes in the 2020 draft. He was available to the Jets when they picked Cole Perfetti in the 10th spot. Figuring out how junior players will develop in the NHL is impossible to discern, but one thing is clear: If the Jets had made signing a local kid a priority they would have picked Jarvis. Perfetti is a decent player, but he’s not an Olympian nor a Stanely Cup champion like Jarvis.

MARK STONE

The Winnipegger is captain of the Vegas Knights and has been available to be acquired in trades at various times in his NHL career. To see his enthusiasm, leadership, his timely goals and the way he makes players around him better, all in a Jets uniform, leaves many hockey fans in the province to wonder what could have been.

BRETT HOWDEN

Oakbank’s Howden was chosen 27th overall in the 2016 draft. The Jets picked nine spots earlier and selected Logan Stanley. Again, teams don’t have a crystal ball that tells them exactly how a player will turn out, but here was another good Manitoban player that the Jets could have chosen but didn’t. Had the Knights won the Stanley Cup, Howden would have been in the conversation for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That he could be wearing a Jets uniform stings.

KELLY MCCRIMMON

The former GM of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the GM of the Knights. He loves signing Manitoban hockey players and he’s put together teams that have made it to the Stanely Cup finals three times in the last 9 years. Was he available when the Jets picked a GM?

“Would’ve-could’ve-should’ve” is a tough game to play in sports, but if Jonathan Toews retires, the Jets will once again not have any Manitoban on their roster. As these Stanley Cup finals painfully showed us, there have been many opportunities for the Jets to sign Manitobans.

Why have the Jets have been so averse to acquire Manitoba-born talent? The internet says there are between 30-40 NHLers from our province.

The Jets would do well to take a page from the Blue Bombers playbook: prioritize signing a couple of talented local guys, make them core pieces of your group, and see how that builds a palpable sense of community with your fan base.