Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 24, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B2 SPORTS JETS @ NHL DRAFT 2012 B2 SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012 P ITTSBURGH - As they say on the street, Kevin Cheveldayoff is now packing heat. The Jets GM bought himself a Saturday Night Special and never even took the time to holster it before sticking it in the ribs of agent Allan Walsh. From the gun counter right into action. Walsh has been waving around a pistol of his own for weeks, so at least this standoff over the future of Jets goalie and restricted free agent Ondrej Pavelec can now be characterized as a fair fight. The Jets don't like to use the word leverage in any of their negotiations, but that's what this deal has been about since the day word leaked out that Pavelec was pondering a deal worth $ 5.5 million in the KHL, giving Walsh the upper hand. Cheveldayoff, by flipping a conditional seventh- round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to goalie Jonas Gustavsson, threw a jab of his own on Saturday morning. If nothing else, he got Walsh's attention. Minutes after the draft ended, Cheveldayoff climbed into the stands at Consol Energy Center and waded into a lengthy and animated discussion with Walsh. While the arena floor emptied and executives, coaches and scouts from all 30 NHL teams departed for flights and post- draft parties, Cheveldayoff and Walsh engaged one another for a long time. Long enough for them to be the only two people remaining in the stands when they finally stood up and shook hands before going their separate ways. The discussion very likely was the beginning of one of two things - the road to a deal and new contract for Pavelec or the penultimate scene in a standoff that could shake the Jets to the core. Let's be clear: The Jets getting Gustavsson's rights and the opportunity to talk with him and try to make a deal prior to his becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1 is an option, but a secondary one. Cheveldayoff said so himself on Saturday - signing Pavelec is the priority. But there's a distinct gap in negotiations between the two parties right now and there hasn't been much give to this point. The Jets aren't going to trade Pavelec. He's 24 and could be on the verge of establishing himself as a top- 10 goalie in the NHL. So it's either get a deal done or let him bolt to the KHL for a year and start this dance again next summer. Goaltending is key in the NHL, and the good variety that Pavelec has supplied at times is hard to come by. The Jets can't and won't cut ties. Pavelec is key to the foundation of the organization and its future. If Cheveldayoff has to wait a year, he will. The Jets are far from a lock for the post- season next year and the future is what counts in the GM's mind. He'll protect that rather than sign what he considers a bad deal just to have the goalie in camp next fall. If Pavelec decides he wants the big rubles and can't accept what the Jets are willing to pay him, Gustavsson gives Winnipeg a Plan B. The 27- year- old Swede came to the NHL with the label, " best goalie in the world not playing in the NHL," but never lived up to the billing. Many blame that on injuries and a style switch insisted upon by Leafs goalie guru Francois Allaire. Many in- the- know hockey people from the Toronto market were complimentary of Gustavsson on Saturday, saying a change in scenery could result in improved play. Is he as good an option as Pavelec? Not at this point, but Cheveldayoff has to cover his bases. Gustavsson also provides another goalie in the Jets system should unrestricted backup Chris Mason remain unsigned. The Jets now have three balls in the air where their netminding is concerned and will likely sign just two. The Pavelec- Mason tandem of a year ago is still the preferred route, but business gets in the way of the best laid plans. Is Gustavsson the No. 1 goalie Winnipeggers want to see in net next season? Likely not. But when Ilya Bryzgalov left the Phoenix Coyotes last off- season and Mike Smith moved into the picture, it looked like a major downgrade. All Smith did was rebound with the Yotes and lead them to the Western Conference final. Jets fans should be so lucky. Life goes on, and teams deal with injuries and defections on a daily basis. No one is irreplaceable. Both Cheveldayoff and Walsh have sidearms now. The next thing to learn is which one is willing to fire real bullets. gary. lawless@ freepress. mb. ca Twitter: @ garylawless Chevy gets gun, waves it at Walsh Gustavsson obvious Pavelec bargaining chip GARY LAWLESS P ITTSBURGH - The second day of the NHL entry draft is usually a dreary one compared to the buzz of the first. Not so for the Winnipeg Jets. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff engineered a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, acquiring the rights to soon- to- be- unrestricted free agent Jonas Gustavsson for a conditional seventh- round draft pick next June. The condition is that there is no cost ( draft pick) if the Jets don't sign Gustavsson, likely before next Sunday when he becomes a UFA. Cheveldayoff said later he won't be signing three goalies, only two, but now he has some leverage in each case, since starter Ondrej Pavelec is about to become a restricted free agent and last season's backup, Chris Mason, who has been negotiating with the club, will soon be a UFA. " We're going to sign two guys and get that done," Cheveldayoff said. " But the Pavelec situation is totally separate from this. This is more an opportunity to be able to talk to a UFA person before the July 1 deadline." It is that, and it's unlikely Gustavsson and Mason are the tandem he's got in mind for next season, but at least the GM has a better goaltending chart, even for a few days, than he did on Friday. The Jets would appear to have no deal close with any of these goalies, but Cheveldayoff was downplaying his better leverage after Saturday's trade. " Not at all. It just gives us an opportunity to talk to someone that is potentially an unrestricted free agent," he said. " So is Mason. When you get this chance to speak with someone, you can evaluate all your options. "( Gustavsson) is a big goaltender, very athletic. He's only had several years over here. Again, he's an intriguing opportunity to talk to. " It doesn't necessarily mean we're going to get him signed." Leafs GM Brian Burke said it was time for Gustavsson, who played 42 games for his team last season and went 17- 17- 4, to move. " He saved our butts last year during the season at times. He played some real good hockey for us," Burke said. " I think it's time for us as an organization to move on. I think it's time for him to move on. Winnipeg approached us and said they want to sign him as a backup goaltender." Around their deal, which was announced during the draft's fourth round, the Jets selected five more players, including two goalies. Their headliner on the day was centre Lukas Sutter of the Saskatoon Blades, chosen by the Jets with the 39th pick overall. From there, the Jets selected right- winger Scott Kosmachuk from the OHL's Guelph Storm in the third round ( 70th), goalie Connor Hellebuyck of Odessa of the NAHL in the fifth ( 130th), centre Ryan Olsen of the Blades in the sixth ( 160th) and goalie Jamie Phillips of Toronto of the OJHL in the seventh ( 190th). " With Scott Kosmachuk, we're real excited to add a player that has a good combination of skill but is a great character player as well," Cheveldayoff said. " We see tremendous upside in his game. He's a real solid person from a character standpoint, and to get him where we got, we feel very fortunate." Kosmachuk, much like the Jets' first- round pick on Friday, Jacob Trouba, said the draft is only the start of things. Asked what he would do after the big day, he said: " Keep working hard. Don't let your head get too big. This is just the beginning. You want to get bigger, stronger, physically ... keep working on your game." Both goalies picked by the Jets are 19- yearolds headed for NCAA hockey in the fall. And both are 6- foot- 4. Hellebuyck is from Commerce, Mich., and is headed for UMass- Lowell, while Phillips is from Chateauguay, Que., and will go to Michigan Tech. tim. campbell@ freepress. mb. ca Yo u've g o t company, Pavs Jets acquire rights to Gustavsson By Tim Campbell It might be a stretch to call it a Monster deal, but the acquisition of Jonas Gustavsson ( left) might give Ondrej Pavelec pause for thought on a few levels. ELLEN OZIER / REUTERS ARCHIVES The trade for Gustavsson should temper backup goalie Chris Mason's demands, as well. Signing Jonas Gustavsson was a shrewd move by Chevy. B_ 02_ Jun- 24- 12_ FP_ 01. indd B2 6/ 23/ 12 9: 43: 08 PM ;