As the NHL announced their Return to Play Plan on Tuesday, Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff appreciates all the hard work put forth by the league, the NHLPA and the Return to Play committee, which featured Jets centre Mark Scheifele.
"When you sit there and think about all the different questions and all the different ways to go about it, everybody had a say in. I'm sure there was 31 different opinions solicited to the league office and Gary Bettman said none of them were ever dismissed out of hand. I think everyone had their voice heard," said Cheveldayoff via conference call Wednesday afternoon.
"I think from that standpoint, I really applaud the outcome of the format that they've come up with."
Under this format, the ninth ranked Jets will face off against the eighth ranked Calgary Flames in a best-of-five play in series. Ironically it was the Flames who Winnipeg was supposed to play against before the season was put on pause back on March 12th.
"We were within a point of each other at the time and we're battling hard against each other. We are excited about how we were playing going into the pause and we like our group. We like the additions that we made at that point in time and the chemistry that was being developed," said Cheveldayoff.
"In this game, all you ask for is for a chance. If you would have asked at the pause if you threw out this scenario in front of us, would you embrace that in order to have hockey to continue and an eventual champion are crowned at the end of it, I think everyone would have taken it."
On top of the 24-team format, the NHL announced their decision for the Draft Lottery which decides the top 15 selections of the Draft. The picks will be awarded to the seven teams that did not resume play and the eight teams that do not advance from the Qualifying Round (or the teams that acquired their first round picks). So, the Jets could win the Stanley Cup or get the first overall selection in the Draft should they be eliminated during the Qualifying Round.
"Quite honestly the focus we have had really has been about the resumption of play for us. We haven't really kind of sat back and thought about it. We've gone through our amateur process or are continuing it throughout the morning right now," said Cheveldayoff.
"We're still interviewing players through video conference calls. Quite frankly, it's been refreshing because it allows us to stay connected with the young players and get a feel for how they're handling this whole entire situation. When they explained the lottery situation yesterday it was something you had to take some notes. After you hung up you had to go back and look it over again and truly understand it. It really speaks to just to level of attention to detail and thought that went into this whole process."
The pause has allowed a couple of banged up Jets to heal. Luca Sbisa and Sami Niku will be ready to go whenever the green light is given on training camp. The situation isn't so clear for veteran forward Bryan Little.
"There was some tests that were scheduled for later in the summer and I don't think those have happened at this point in time. I wouldn't have a status update on Bryan." said Cheveldayoff.
At this time, each team will be allowed to carry 28 skaters and as many goalies as they wish to carry. While Cheveldayoff hasn't written that roster in stone, he does have a good idea of who will be with the team should things get underway.
"We anticipate at looking at adding a goaltender or goaltenders depending on different situations here. But as far as the numbers go I believe we have now healthy - 10 defencemen that were essentially under NHL rules and 16 forwards," said Cheveldayoff.
"We will have a little bit of flexibility but we haven't made a final determination on that yet."
Josh Morrissey is one of a "handful" of Jets that are currently in Winnipeg. With the league about to go to Phase 2 of the Return To Play protocol there is a chance a few Jets could be skating in the Manitoba capital very soon.
"The league has not indicated yet when you will actually progress to Phase 2 where we can open it," said Cheveldayoff.
"There are some hurdles that you need to make sure that are in place. Some precautions, provisions that you need to make sure that are in place. We're going through that right now and we anticipate to provide an opportunity for those players to skate on a voluntary basis if they so choose too."
