The 29-year-old centreman Mark Scheifele will be a hot commodity if he ever makes it to the trade market. And, after last week’s comments when he said he needed to have a tough talk with the Winnipeg Jets organization about his future, many assumed he might be on the block sooner than later. For now, we’ll hold off on announcing a deal is in the works because, according to reports, Scheifele hasn’t officially requested a trade.
Scheifele left his future with the Jets rather open-ended when he said he wanted to know what direction the franchise was headed in. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Jets and Scheifele recently sat down to talk about it and while Friedman wasn’t able to divulge what was said, the assumption is that Scheifele must have been open to what he heard because he has not asked for a trade. A request could still come and in the changes that are expected to alter the look of the Jets organization, he could still be on the way out. For now, he’s sticking with the team and there’s no indication that any need to make a trade is pressing.
Scheifele is under contract with Winnipeg through 2024. If he’s on the move, he’ll be a strong asset for a team for a couple of seasons and then he’ll need a new deal. Considering the assets it would take to acquire him, the team that does would logically like to have some assurances he’ll stay, but Scheifele and whatever team he’s playing for, can’t begin negotiating an extension until the summer of 2023.
That’s one of the reasons it was so shocking for Jets fans to hear that Scheifele wasn’t sure about his future. He’s not really in a position to do anything about where he plays except request a trade. Even then, it’s not a guarantee the Jets would be willing to accommodate him. At the very least, Scheifele’s comments could make it awkward in the locker room, but then again, there are rumors he’s not the only player to feel uncertain about this team. Perhaps more conversations need to be had by management and with more than just Scheifele.
Could The Jets Still Shop Scheifele?
Just because Scheifele isn’t rushing the Jets to make a deal doesn’t mean the Jets won’t see what’s out there. The forward has a 10-team no-trade list and it wasn’t reported that the organization has asked the player to submit said list. They might.
Or, the Jets might just have preliminary conversations with other teams about moving Scheifele and his $6.125 million cap hit. If anything serious comes of those conversations, the Jets and the forward might need to sit down again.
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