Should the Jets keep Scheifele, he would earn his full NHL salary this year and the club would then have to count his contract towards the team’s salary cap.

But having the 19-year old stick with the big club is a long shot according to Paul Friesen of the Sun.  Friesen believes that Scheifele’s fate was decided during training camp and that the Jets are keeping him around merely for the experience.  He points to the fact that Scheifele has played on the fourth line for two of the team’s three games and was asked to play the wing.  The other game he was at center, his natural position.  The 7th overall pick in the 2010 draft is pointless on the season and is averaging just under ten minutes of ice-time.

To go one step further, Friesen points out that through the last two games the Jets have played, Scheifele’s ice-time has dropped below nine minutes while averaging just 12 shifts during that span.  Hardly enough time for a budding prospect to develop his game while trying to stick with the big club.

Friesen also points out that Scheifele hasn’t been given a fair shake to try and impress the coaching staff thanks to the lockout erasing the pre-season games.  With every game so crucial to making the playoffs, a team like the Jets can’t afford to experiment with a teenager who may or may not be ready to play in the NHL.  At least that’s how the Winnipeg Jets feel.

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Its really too bad that there was nothing of great significance to happen in the past week in the Canadian NHL markets. Wait a minute, it was only the most active week since I started writing this weekly column, what with the awards, draft, signings, trades, hirings, and franchise naming that went on.  So without further delay, lets get to it, starting this week in the newest Canadian NHL city: (more…)

Now, this is where we continue. Starting with the Colorado Avalanche picking at 11 after the deal that sent Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and the 11th overall pick to Colorado in exchange for Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk, and 2nd round pick.

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