Expansion Draft just the first step in busy week for Cheveldayoff

WINNIPEG - The NHL Expansion Draft may be in the rear view mirror, but it was just one event that Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff could cross off his list.
Still to come, the NHL Draft this weekend, then the opening of the Free Agency period (which begins on July 28).
As he said on Thursday, there are "a lot of balls in the air."

The busy week started off with the Seattle Kraken selecting forward Mason Appleton off the Jets roster. While Cheveldayoff knew someone had to be picked, it was an emotional few days as the management team finalized their protected list by 4 pm on Saturday, July 17.
"It was a very tough call to make to both Mason and Dylan (DeMelo) to tell them that we had left them unprotected," said Cheveldayoff. "It was a pretty joyous call to make to Dylan DeMelo to say that he was still part of the Jets. Lots of emotion there. It's a bittersweet thing. On the eve of the draft, we end up losing a player that was drafted, that went through our development process, that became a key contributor in the American League and then a solid, key, contributor in the National Hockey League."
Appleton was selected in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft and was the definition of the draft and develop strategy the Jets have stuck to since 2011.
The 25-year-old played 120 games with the Manitoba Moose, registering 99 points, and earning rookie of the year honours in 2017-18.
At the NHL level, he had a breakout season in 2020-21 scoring 12 times and finishing with 25 points in 56 games.
"We discussed with Seattle about what it would take to potentially not lose a piece off our team, but there was nothing that would work for me to make a deal that was going to satisfy that," said Cheveldayoff. "Mason is going to be a good player there. With an increased role there, he's going to flourish and good for him. We wish him all the best."
So begins the process of filling Appleton's spot on the roster, as well as those that are open simply because of expiring contracts. The Jets have eight unrestricted free agents (Paul Stastny, Mathieu Perreault, Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis, Jordie Benn, Derek Forbort, Tucker Poolman, and Laurent Brossoit) and three restricted free agents (Andrew Copp, Neal Pionk, and Logan Stanley), and Cheveldayoff said contact has been made with all of those player agents to begin the negotiation process.
On Thursday, the NHL's roster freeze (for the purpose of the Expansion Draft) lifted, making trades possible once again.
Cheveldayoff said the Jets are active on that front, whether those conversations centre around player-for-player trades or player-for-draft pick scenarios.
"The value of picks right now is at their highest because everybody is getting set and ready to pick," said Cheveldayoff. "Once these two days go by, then you're focused more on the player for player, or free agency, side of things."
With free agency less than a week away, Cheveldayoff believes adding to Winnipeg's defensive group is the priority.
When he looks at the depth chart, he sees a lot of the team's youth on the back end is on the left side.
"Sometimes you've got guys that maybe can play the right side," he said. "But in the process of trying to add, I think you first keep an open mind and see what might be there, whether it's right side or left side through trade or potential free agency, and then you hone in on it. You see whether it's a better opportunity for the money and vice versa."
That phrase "a better opportunity for the money" stands out.
It's a flat cap this season, so Cheveldayoff only has so much room to work in while also trying to sign some of the pending free agents from his own roster.
With Bryan Little expected to be on Long Term Injured Reserve for another season (Cheveldayoff said the veteran forward isn't retired, but both sides know he can't play until cleared by doctors), the Jets GM needs to make every dollar count.
"We have to give some value to the young players that we have in the organization and put them up beside what a potential free agent might look like and see where things are going to be at - 20, 30, 40 games down the road," he said. "A lot goes in (to the decisions) and we're still a long way from free agency, so who is going to be left on the board when the clock starts, so to speak, is going to be interesting to see."
It's all in an effort to capitalize on a core group in its prime, with Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, and Connor Hellebuyck signed long-term.
"We've been in that mode since the day that we actually were able to re-sign Blake Wheeler," said Cheveldayoff. "So we are hopeful that we can find ways to address it but the opportunities again have to be there. We are hopeful that we can find our way."