Busy summer ahead for Jets GM Cheveldayoff

WINNIPEG -While the work on the ice for the Winnipeg Jets may be over, the focus shifts to what's shaping up to be a busy offseason for the club.
All season long, players, coaches, and management praised the team's depth as being a key piece to their success. Now, a large portion of the "depth" is looking for a new contract - 14 players from the current roster, to be exact.
Five of the 14 skaters set to hit the free agent market include veteran forward Paul Stastny, Toby Enstrom, Shawn Matthias, Matt Hendricks and goaltender Michael Hutchinson. The other nine including Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, Joe Morrow, Tucker Poolman Adam Lowry, Joel Armia, Brandon Tanev, Marko Dano and Vezina-nominated goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will become restricted free agents on July 1st, 2018.

As is standard when Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff meets with the media on the final day of the season, he fields questions in regard to his summertime tasks. With this offseason being a busy one, he knows of the work ahead.
"We've evolved as a team from a standpoint that our summers are very real as far as the challenges that come into play. That happens when you have really good players. You have tough decisions to make, you've got trying to make numbers work in the short-term and the long-term. These are things that are very real," said Cheveldayoff.
Only a handful of the players set to become restricted free agents met with the media on Tuesday. When asked about their current contract situation, many were candid in their desire to pull on a Jets sweater for years to come.

"I love being a Winnipeg Jet. (Contract negotiations) get taken care of in the off season. Right now, it's just so soon after the year, still disappointed on the way things ended. All those things get sorted out over time in the summer." said Morrissey.
"I love the city, I love playing here, I love the fan base. Nothing would make me happier to sign long-term. But that's the business side of hockey that's so unpredictable," added Hellebuyck.
This summer marks Jacob Trouba's second foray into restricted free agency. The first time saw the Michigan product sign a two-year deal with the Jets on November 7, 2016. When asked if this negation would go down a similar path, Trouba responded quickly.
"Been down that road once, the quicker the better," he said with a grin.

"I get the sense there is a bit of unfinished business here with this team. We all have such good relationships on this team. It's fun to be a part of. It's a special team, and you want to play for a contender. That's what we have here," said the 24-year-old.
As is standard in business negations, it's all about finding a balance. All of Winnipeg RFAs, except Morrissey, are eligible to file for arbitration. Cheveldayoff says that's all part of the process.
"We have a lot of players that have contracts coming up that are (arbitration) eligible. So there is a process that's going to be in place there. Don't write articles that the sky is falling if we have five or six guys filing for arbitration. We've been through that process. It's about getting contracts in place and different things like that," said Cheveldayoff.
Obviously, dollar value for the player and the team are the key piece in contract negotiations. However, when it comes to playing in the NHL, there are a number of external factors that come into play as well, such as team atmosphere, facilities and the city itself. Cheveldayoff believes Winnipeg checks off many of those boxes.
"I think when (the player are) here, and I think going through the time that we did, the sacrifices the players have to make, I really think the core of the families really became united," said Cheveldayoff. "I'm so thankful we've embraced a lot of the alumni of the Winnipeg teams of the past because that's exactly what (the alumni) talked about. They talked about how their families loved it here, they talked about how their families were always together… That is distinctly and uniquely part of our Winnipeg Jet culture."