Winnipeg Jets focused on Playoffs instead of contracts -NHL Update
One of the teams that could definitely surprise by the end of the season is the Winnipeg Jets, who at the moment are just one point away from tying eighth place Washington Capitals having lost in recently.
The Jets have a number of players who are set to become unrestricted free agents by the end of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season. It would normally be an alarming situation for the team and players equally but right now, their more
focused on actually making the postseason and contracts kept as a second priority.
At one point of the season, it seemed Winnipeg had lost everything and would just have to try again next time, but an All-Star Weekend did them some good as players are energised and confident of making it big in their first official hockey year as a Jets
team.
"I like that... less distraction is better," said Winnipeg’s Jim Slater. "Obviously we've got a job to do here and we've got to put our best foot forward day in and day out. That's what the summers are for, those negotiations, and right now it's about getting
this team to a place where we want to be."
Slater is not the only one on the list to become a free agent at the end of the season. Chris Mason, Randy Jones, Mark Flood, Tim Stapleton, Tanner Glass and Kyle Wellwood are also set to become free agents, but securing a significant playoff run could mean
an easier negotiating between them and the team.
"You don't take that stuff personally," Chris Mason said. "Every team has different ways of handling things. You have to respect that. I don't think they are slighting anybody by any means.”
Looking how Winnipeg has been performing this season, they have seen their up’s and down’s, but overall in general, even if they are left out of the postseason, it would certainly be counted as a great run as the team’s first official season as Jets.
Keeping a keen eye on the Jets would be the best way to go with it as they are expected to make the playoffs, even if it means playing hard till the final moment.
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