Jets on the hunt for options on offence

WINNIPEG — It can be a foolish game to play, trying to connect the dots through the first weekend of the National Hockey League’s free agency period and attempting to draw any kind of concrete conclusions.

But we’re going to wade in and do it anyway.

Fact #1: The Winnipeg Jets need a centre and/or winger to beef up their top two lines and provide punch to a squad that finished 20th in offence last year and lost 11 games by one goal.

Fact #2: The team signed six players — three defencemen in Randy Jones, Derek Meech and Mark Flood plus three forwards in Tanner Glass, Rick Rypien and Aaron Gagnon — who have combined to score a grand total of 40 goals in 782 NHL games.

Our brilliantly insightful conclusion: The Jets still have some work to do to jump-start their attack.
How does the franchise find offensive help with the best available unrestricted free agents on the open market already picked over?

• Jason Arnott, centre, Washington: Scored 17 last year and has 400 in his career, but turns 37 in October.

• Teemu Selanne, winger, Anaheim: Would be spectacular if he finished as a Jet — he did have 31 goals and 80 points last year — but he’s coming off knee surgery and, if he returns, it’s said that will likely be with Anaheim.

• Alex Kovalev, winger, Pittsburgh: Gifted when he’s into the game — he had 16 goals last year and 428 in his career — but he’s 38.

• Cory Stillman, winger, Carolina: Has scored at least 20 goals eight times in his long career.

• Vaclav Prospal, centre, New York Rangers: Had 23 points in 29 games with the Rangers last year, but might be looking for a new home after they landed Brad Richards.

• Nikolay Zherdev, winger, Philadelphia: He’s just 26 and has a ton of skill, but coaches get quickly frustrated with his inconsistency.

2. Trade for offence

The Jets do have some intriguing pieces that could be moved — defenceman Zach Bogosian’s name came up a lot around the draft — but the organization might not make a drastic move until it at least gets a feel for the hand they’ve been dealt and what new coach Claude Noel can do with it.

3. Consider the restricted free agent market

It would cost to chase some of the talent here — they’d have to give up draft picks, depending on how much a player is signed for — and it’s not exactly the best way to make new friends in the NHL playground. So, debate among yourselves: is Tampa superstar Steven Stamkos worth four future first-rounders? Should the Jets give up future picks for a player like Brandon Dubinksy or Ryan Callahan, both decent goal scorers with the Rangers last year?

4. Cross fingers and pray a young squad finds its goal-scoring mojo this winter

Evander Kane doesn’t turn 20 until August, has already posted 14 and 19-goal campaigns and many figure he’s got 35-40 written all over him. Andrew Ladd is just 25 and finished with a career-best 29 goals last year. Bryan Little, 23, scored 31 goals in 2008-09 and has had the same over the last two seasons. Blake Wheeler has posted 21, 18 and 18-goal campaigns over the last three years and Nik Antropov has flashed an occasional touch during his 679-game NHL career.

If those players continue their metamorphosis — and first-round draft pick Mark Scheifele is ready to jump to the pros — the Jets may have found their goal-scoring answer from within their own roster.

In the end — and as general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff stressed Friday night in meeting with the media — there’s a whole lot of time left between the opening of the free-agent market and the drop of the first puck in October.