Yesterday, the Winnipeg Jets put left-winger Marko Dano on waivers who was then claimed by their division rival, the Colorado Avalanche.
The Winnipeg Jets made a questionable move that made the hockey world tilt their heads. They put winger Marko Dano on waivers and lost him for nothing. To make matters worse, Dano is going straight to the Colorado Avalanche, a divisional rival.
Marko Dano was acquired by the Jets back in 2016 in a trade that involved the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jets traded their captain Andrew Ladd, Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser for Dano and some picks. At the time, he was a highly touted young player who was drafted in the first round. Dano was also a part of the trade which sent Brandon Saad to the Blue Jackets.
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In his rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he played 35 games and had 21 points (8 goals and 13 assists). After going to Winnipeg, he never got the chance to play a full season and found himself in the press box more often than not due to the overwhelming amount of talent in the Jets’ system.
When he did get to play, it was in a limited role in the fourth line where he didn’t show the same promise as his rookie year.
The reason the Jets put him on waivers in the first place was to prepare for the activation of Nic Petan. However, this logic is flawed because there was a way to keep Dano while also keeping a 23-man roster. They have two players who do not require waivers to be sent down to the AHL: Brandon Lemieux and Kristian Vesalainen.
Lemieux still has not played a game this season and Vesalainen is 19 years old with one assist in five games.
After the Avalanche claimed the winger, head coach Paul Maurice explained to the media about the decision.
"“But Marko has been an outstanding professional. Last year, he went through the entire year dealing with this, not being in. We want to give him an opportunity to play. And if he gets picked up, he’ll get an opportunity to go somewhere and play… He’s too young to go through what he went through last year.”"
Basically, the Jets didn’t have room and didn’t need Dano so they decided to give him the chance to play, rather than sit him out for another season. Now, that’s a nice thought, but the Jets’ management isn’t stupid. They must have known that there was another option so the question still remains: Why would the Jets give up a 23-year old former first round pick for nothing to a divisional rival?
At the end of the day, the Jets are still one of the best teams in hockey, no matter who plays on their fourth line. Whether it’s Dano, Petan, or a garbage bag, this team is still a major Stanley Cup contender for years to come. However, if they don’t start managing their futures better, they will limit the size of their competitive window.
As for the Colorado Avalanche, their team is already filled with young, blossoming talent and the consistency of playing every day with players around your age will definitely boost up Dano and his bruised confidence.
He’s a left winger who can also play center when necessary and is a positive possession player. Additionally, he’s a good depth player and according to the Sports Forecaster, he is very creative offensively. Dano has not played enough for a thorough evaluation, but from the limited minutes he’s recorded, he seems to be a solid claim for the Avalanche.
In five career NHL seasons, Dano has already played for three different teams, with the Avalanche being his fourth home. Finding a more permanent home with a permanent role will settle down the young player and hopefully rekindle the magic he had in his rookie year.