Trade target: Andrew Ladd

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First and foremost let’s stop kidding ourselves. The Winnipeg Jets are not a playoff team and even if they were to continue their improved play over the final 27 games and continue at the same winning percentage since Paul Maurice took over they would finish with 97 points. Which may still not be enough for a wild card spot but would be enough to drastically decrease any chance at a high lottery pick.

Even if the improbable did happen, are the Jets good enough to be considered Stanley Cup Contenders? Is it feasible to believe they could knock of Anaheim, San Jose or Chicago in a seven game series? Possibly having to go through all three? Not a bet I’d be willing to make.

What about next season then? Scheifele and Trouba have a full season under their belts. Wheeler is back after a career year and so on and so on. But without a major shake up and addition of top 6 talent – and I’m sorry but a legitimate starting goaltender – there’s no way this team will be among the elite teams. There have been major steps taken in the right direction but only a dreamer would think that in less than two or three years the Jets could compete for a Stanley Cup.

So why trade Andrew Ladd?

He’s a unique player and as Kyprios made very clear on a recent Sportsnet show players like Ladd don’t come along often and the Jets would be hard pressed to get any player in return that would match his skill set of size, leadership and experience. And he’s 100% correct in this statement – I even said as much in our latest episode – but that’s not really the concern. Presently the question that needs to be asked is within two seasons while Andrew Ladd is under contract, are the Jets better long term with Ladd, or without him and the assets you receive in trading him away.

I think that answer is pretty obvious. Build for the future, trade Ladd for a quality prospect who is close to or is NHL ready, a first or second round draft pick and anything else you can squeeze out of a team who wants to add a two time Stanley Cup winner that can play in any situation. Like Kyprios stated he’s the type of player you can’t just replace, so the Jets should sell while his value is at his highest point. Keep stock-piling prospects and draft picks so in three to four years when they are legitimate contenders they have assets they can move to add those veteran players like Andrew Ladd to help push them over the top.

Trade Andrew Ladd, shake up the core of this team and don’t get shortsighted.

What do you think, should the Jets trade Andrew Ladd?

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