NHL 2012 Trade Deadline: Winnipeg Jets GM Cheveldayoff Trading Blue Line Depth?

The key to whether or not GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is active at the NHL trade deadline is his assessment of the Jets' blue line. The Winnipeg Jets have demonstrated they have depth on defense; and defensemen are a highly sought after commodity at the trade deadline.

Four of the Jets' blueliners will be UFAs this summer (Johnny Oduya, Randy Jones, Mark Flood, Derek Meech) and may attract interest from playoff teams seeking depth on the backline for their playoff run. There has been much speculation that Oduya may attract interest, and possibly Jones and Flood as well, however, these trades would likely produce draft picks and prospects, rather than immediate help to amp up the Jets' own playoff aspirations.

Other Jets defensemen that would be available at the right price are:

 - Ron Hainsey (31 in April, one year remaining on $4.5 Million cap hit, no trade clause to 15 teams),  salary and limited no trade clause may deter potential buyers.

 - Toby Enstrom (27 years old, one year remaining, $3.75 Million cap hit), may attract some interest, but would the price be right?

- Mark Stuart (27 years old, two years remaining, $1.7 Million cap hit), might be more valuable to the Jets than the trade deadline market? Not likely to move.

To obtain immediate help Cheveldayoff would have to consider trading key personnel from the roster. The roster has demonstrated good team effort (most nights) and, by all accounts, it has good team chemistry.

At the start of the season few would have predicted that the Jets would be in a position to make the playoffs at the trade deadline. In essence, they have overachieved due to teamwork and chemistry, overcoming shortcomings in scoring and size up front.  They have also been among the leaders in man-games lost due to injury, which has provided Chevy an opportunity to evaluate their depth, especially on D.

It is doubtful that Zach Bogosian (D - 21 years old), Alexander Burmistrov (F - 20 years old), Evander Kane (F - 20 years old), Andrew Ladd (F - 26 years old), Blake Wheeler (F - 25 years old), Dustin Byfuglien (D - 26 years old), and Ondrej Pavelec (G - 24 years old) would be made available at this time. All of these players have youth and potential upside beyond what will be made available at the trade deadline. Any trade for these seven would likely develop in the offseason.

On the other hand, it is not difficult to imagine that Cheveldayoff would move the following "for a bag of pucks":

- Nik Antropov (32 years old, high cap hit), not likely attractive as he under-produces and is overpaid.

- Eric Fehr (26 years old), not likely to attract attention as he appears to be slow in recovering from a shoulder surgery and would provide little help in a playoff run (and would still be a big risk long term) 

- Anti Miettinen (31 years old, over $3 Million cap hit), possible interest but for little value

Overall, the Jets are sellers. They will—or will not—make the playoffs with most of the current roster, which has overachieved but is still capable of securing a playoff spot.

To be buyers would require that they mortgage their future. Only one thing is clear though, and that is that Cheveldayoff does not want to mortgage the Jets' future.