NHL Network: (On Sunday) Elliotte Freidman on the NHL Network on the Winnipeg Jets.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Jamie Hersch: “We’ve documented it a lot throughout the show this week about the troubles in Winnipeg. Their big four possibly going to be on the move.
What can you tell us in terms of any news or any rumblings? Do you think that all four of those big-named guys could be gone next season?
Friedman: “I don’t know, I think the biggest question Jamie, I think they all will be gone eventually I just don’t know if they’ll all be gone now or they’ll show up to the start of the year and we’ll see where we go from there.
Blake Wheeler, I do think one way or the other, this will be his last week coming up as a Winnipeg Jet. I believe there’s an understanding there between the player and team, it’s time for something new. I think they’re both working together in terms of a trade or a buyout. One way or the other but I think they’re trying to find a solution together. I think everybody recognizes it’s time, which happens.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, I think the fact that Winnipeg didn’t take him to arbitration. I think we know that he’s gonna get traded. I think he’s going to narrow it down to two to three teams over the next few days. So Winnipeg knows what they can do right before the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a draft day move there. LA’s had some interest. Other teams have interest. Dubois’ got a long history of having an interest in Montreal. Although other teams kind of suspect that Montreal would rather sign him as a free agent then trade for him. We’ll see what happens. But I do think that ones heading down.
It’s been a little quieter around Scheifele lately but I wouldn’t count out, the one team I wonder about for centers is Boston. They could have a situation next year where they don’t have (Patrice) Bergeron, they don’t have (David) Krejci. Somebody’s gonna have to play top two center there. So whenever there’s a center available, I think about potentially the Bruins. So that’s one thing. I think they’ve kind of like Scheifele’s profile.
And (Connor) Hellebuyck, the guys a great goaltender. A dynamite goalie. A lot of teams want him based on his pure ability. But there’s a lot of goalies out there and there’s a big extension coming with Hellebuyck. I think in a vacuum, it would be very easy to move him. I think what it could come down to is, just what teams think the extensions gonna look like, and if they’re comfortable doing it. But on pure ability, he’s a great goalie, no question about it.”
