TSN released their annual Trade Bait List ahead of the March 1st deadline and three Jets players cracked the top 15. To no

one’s surprise, pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Ondrej Pavelec comes

in at number nine along with pending unrestricted winger Drew Stafford showing up at 15. Not

only are those two likely candidates to be moved, some will argue they both should be moved, if there are any takers. A somewhat surprising inclusion

on the list and extra surprising in his placement is Mathieu Perreault, who

shows up at number four.

But should it be surprising?

Back in July, the Jets signed Perreault to a four-year extension at an average annual value of $4.125 million. “Mathieu has found his place, found his home,” said Jets coach Paul

Maurice at the time. “He’s played the best hockey of his career here. He’s

excited he fits and he’s become a really versatile player for us on the wings

and at center ice. I think style of game too – when fans come and watch, and

the players on the bench really appreciate his tenacity. For not a big guy, he

plays with a big heart. We’re really fortunate, really pleased that he picked

us again.” His numbers had dipped last year, with only 9 goals in 71 games after have

scored 18 in each of the previous two seasons. And now his production seems to

have slipped even further, posting just four goals and nine assists in 33 games

this season.

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With the supposed forward depth that

the Jets have amongst their youngsters, perhaps now is the time to move

Perreault. There are many moving parts in all of this, but removing Perreault

from the equation might give the Jets some room to maneuver as the expansion draft approaches.

Perreault has all day to tie the game. Rough start for the Petry-Beaulieu pairing. pic.twitter.com/c6ZgYq7v6r — Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 12, 2017

Now, there’s no doubt that ‘Matty P’ has value on the roster, even when he’s

not producing at the highest levels, but in the current ‘draft and develop’

climate, Nic Petan is wasting away on the fourth line alongside Andrew Copp and Chris Thorburn. Looking onward, Petan could slide in nicely in Perreault’s role. Alike Perreault, Petan can play both wing or center and Petan has also

shown a lot of promise on the half wall of the power play.

When on his game, Mathieu Perreault is a very likeable player. He’s versatile, energetic, and not

afraid to speak his mind (see his comments from earlier in the season on Jacob Trouba’s holdout). His drop in production as of late can be traced back to the hit

he took from Daniel Carcillo of the Blackhawks in January of 2015 (a hit for

which Carcillo was suspended 6 games). Since that point, his production has been on the decline.

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TSN’s ‘Trade Bait’ lists aren’t put together in a vacuum; Mathieu

Perreault doesn’t show up at number four based on a hunch. It’s safe

to assume that these guys have some sort of insider information, perhaps that

the Jets are shopping him or perhaps other teams are making inquiries. Whatever the case is, with Petan needing ice

time to develop, the Jets needing to make expansion draft decisions, and

Perreault looking at a raise and a decline in production along with his increased propensity for injury, maybe now is the time

to let him go. If there was a way for the Jets to get some young defensive

talent in return, Perreault may be a good piece to move.



