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Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes in his 200th career game and the New Orleans Saints vaulted into first place in the NFC South with a 31-15 victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Monday. The Saints (6-8) climbed a half-game ahead of the Carolina Panthers for the top spot in the woeful division and control their own destiny with two games remaining against division foes Atlanta and Tampa Bay. Brees completed 29-of-36 passes for 375 yards and set an NFL record with his ninth straight season with at least 4,000 yards passing. Josh Hill caught two scores, Marques Colston finished with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown and Mark Ingram ran in a late score. Jay Cutler turned in a sub- par performance as he threw for just 194 yards on 17-of-31 passing with two touchdown passes and three interceptions for the Bears (5-9), who have dropped their last three games. Alshon Jeffrey and Marquess Wilson each hauled in a touchdown pass in the loss. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 Final Score: Carolina 19, Tampa Bay 17 Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - The Carolina Panthers won for the first time in seven games last week, were without Cam Newton due to a car accident this week, but somehow remain in contention in the NFC South. Derek Anderson filled in for Newton and threw for 277 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-17 on Sunday. Newton suffered two transverse process fractures in his lower back in a two-car accident Tuesday afternoon near the teams stadium. He was released from the hospital on Wednesday morning and will be re-evaluated next week. Anderson, who also started for Newton in the Panthers Week 1 win at Tampa Bay, completed 25- of-40 passes. Greg Olsen caught 10 balls for 110 yards and Kelvin Benjamin added 104 yards on eight receptions for Carolina (5-8-1), which is one-half game behind New Orleans (6-8) for first place in the division. The Atlanta Falcons came into Sunday tied with the Saints for first place, but they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-20. Josh McCown completed 13-of-28 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Buccaneers (2-12), who have dropped four straight games. Doug Martin carried the ball 14 times for 96 yards and Vincent Jackson hauled in six passes for 70 yards in defeat. Final Score: Pittsburgh 27, Atlanta 20 Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - LeVeon Bell scored twice and set the Steelers franchise record for yards from scrimmage as Pittsburgh went into Atlanta and beat the Falcons 27-20 on Sunday. Bell didnt find much running room against an uncharacteristically stingy Atlanta front, but he did reach the end zone twice among 20 carries for 47 yards. He also made five catches for 72 yards and broke Barry Fosters single-season Steelers record for yards from scrimmage with 2,042. Ben Roethlisberger completed 27- of-35 passes for 360 yards, 123 of those going to his favorite target, Antonio Brown. Brown extended his streak of at least five catches and 50 yards to 30 games. With the win, the Steelers (9-5) kept pace in the tight AFC North race. Cincinnati, which blanked Johnny Manziel and the Browns on Sunday, maintained its half-game lead ahead of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which took down Jacksonville. Matt Ryan threw for 310 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (5-9), who remain alive in the lowly NFC South. Harry Douglas filled in admirably for an injured Julio Jones, making 10 catches for 131 yards. Jones, who was coming off a career-high 259 yards against Green Bay last Monday, was unable to play through a hip pointer injury he suffered late in a loss to the Packers. Final Score: Baltimore 20, Jacksonville 12 Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Flacco threw for 221 yards with a touchdown and the Baltimore defense kept Jacksonville out of the end zone, as the Ravens strengthened their playoff hopes with a 20-12 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens (9-5) also scored on a blocked punt and picked up their second straight win to remain in contention for the AFC North title. Baltimore trails first-place Cincinnati by one-half game after the Bengals blanked the Browns on Sunday to reach 9-4-1. Pittsburgh also kept pace in the tight race and improved to 9-5 with a win over Atlanta on Sunday. Josh Scobee kicked four field goals to account for the entire offensive output for Jacksonville (2-12), which has lost two in a row. Blake Bortles threw for 210 yards with an interception for the Jaguars. He was also sacked eight times by a swarming Baltimore defense that limited Jacksonville to 248 total yards. Final Score: Cincinnati 30, Cleveland 0 Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - There were plenty of money signs flashed in Sundays game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. Not one was made by the player associated with the gesture, Johnny Manziel. The Cleveland rookie quarterbacks first career NFL start was a dud as the Browns were shut out 30-0 by the AFC North-leading Bengals. Jeremy Hill had 148 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Giovani Bernard amassed 79 yards on the ground for the Bengals (9-4-1), who produced points on each of their first four drives and remain a half-game ahead of Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the division standings. Andy Dalton completed 14-of-24 passes for 117 yards with one interception for Cincinnati, which won its fourth straight road game to tie a club record for the most consecutive wins away from home within a season. The Browns (7-7), in an effort to keep their fading playoff hopes alive, switched from Brian Hoyer to Manziel to spark the offense. However, the quarterback change didnt have the impact coach Mike Pettine was hoping on Sunday. Manziel was 10-of-18 for 80 yards with two first-half interceptions. A handful of Cincinnati players flashed the former Heisman Trophy winners signature money sign to the FirstEnergy Stadium crowd. Cleveland, which has lost three in a row, totaled only 107 yards on offense and had six three-and-outs. Final Score: Buffalo 21, Green Bay 13 Orchard Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcus Thigpen had a punt return for a touchdown and Dan Carpenter hit four field goals as the Buffalo Bills pulled off a 21-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Kyle Orton went just 14-for-27 for 158 yards with an interception, while Fred Jackson added 71 yards on 20 carries for the Bills (8-6), who have won three of their last four games and also finished 4-0 against the NFC North this season. Buffalo was able to keep pace in the hunt for a wild card spot, and got some help thanks to losses by Miami and Houston. Pittsburgh and Baltimore currently hold the wild card spots with nine wins apiece. Aaron Rodgers had his worst game of the year, as he was a paltry 17-for-42 for 185 yards with two interceptions, along with a fumble on his final possession that turned into a safety. The Packers (10-4) had a five-game winning streak stopped and now sit tied with Detroit for first place in the NFC North as the Lions defeated the Vikings on Sunday. The Lions currently hold the tiebreaker thanks to a Week 3 win over the Packers, but the two will meet in Green Bay on the final week of the season. Final Score: Detroit 16, Minnesota 14 Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Prater hit a late field goal to give the Detroit Lions a 16-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in a tough NFC North matchup. Matthew Stafford went 17-for-28 for 153 yards and a touchdown, while Joique Bell totaled 103 combined yards for the Lions (10-4), who moved into a tie with Green Bay for first place in the NFC North thanks to their third win in a row. The Packers lost to the Bills earlier on Sunday, and the Lions currently hold the tiebreaker thanks to a win at home against the Packers in Week 3. Detroit and Green Bay both play on the road next week before they meet in Green Bay on the final week of the season. Teddy Bridgewater went 31-for-41 for 315 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Vikings (6-8), who had won their previous two coming into the game. Final Score: Indianapolis 17, Houston 10 Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - The Indianapolis Colts captured their second straight AFC South crown with a 17-10 win over the Houston Texans. Indianapolis defense held the Texans to 289 total yards and forced a couple of turnovers, including an interception late that ended Houstons last chance to make a comeback. Andrew Luck was held under 200 yards passing for the second time this season for the Colts (10-4), who only had 278 yards of offense themselves. Luck did connect with Hakeem Nicks and Dwayne Allen on second-quarter touchdown passes, while finishing 18-of-34 for 187 yards and an interception. Dan Herron led the Colts with 60 yards on the ground. T.Y. Hilton added 50 receiving yards on four catches. Houston (7-7) lost starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with a leg injury in the second quarter, forcing rookie Tom Savage into duty. Savage completed 10-of-19 passes for 127 yards and an interception in his NFL debut. Arian Foster ran for 99 yards on 26 carries for the Texans, while DeAndre Hopkins caught five passes for 77 yards. Final Score: New England 41, Miami 13 Foxboro, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Whatever adjustments the New England Patriots made at halftime sure worked. Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes during a 24-point third quarter, as New England clinched its sixth straight AFC East title with a 41-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. LeGarrette Blount also ran for a score during the dominant stanza, as the Patriots turned a tenuous one-point lead into a laugher. Brady finished the game 21-of-35 passing for 287 yards with the two scores and an interception. Rob Gronkowski, held without a reception in the first half, caught three passes for 96 yards with a score for New England (11-3), which gained a split of the season series with Miami. The Dolphins (7-7) saw their already slim playoff hopes dashed further with a second straight loss. Ryan Tannehill completed 29-of-47 passes for 346 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Miami, which had beaten New England in the season opener 33-20. The Dolphins outscored the Patriots 23-0 in the second half of that game and had the tables turned to a tune of 27-0 in the final 30 minutes of this one. Final Score: Denver 22, San Diego 10 San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Peyton Manning got plenty of support from his Broncos teammates as Denver wrapped up another AFC West title with a 22-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers. Manning briefly exited the game late in the first half and produced a modest 233 yards with a touchdown, but five Connor Barth field goals and a strong defensive effort helped Denver (11-3) sew up its fourth straight division crown. The Broncos limited San Diego to 288 total yards, with the Chargers failing to mount a sustained rushing attack with top back Ryan Mathews out with an ankle injury. Philip Rivers finished 24-of-41 for 232 yards and a touchdown to Antonio Gates, but threw two late interceptions. Reliable kicker Nick Novak also missed a pair of field goal tries in a costly loss that now has San Diego (8-6) on the outside of the AFC playoff picture. Demaryius Thomas also stepped up for the Broncos, recording 123 yards and a touchdown on six catches, with C.J. Anderson adding 85 rushing yards on a workmanlike 29 carries. Final Score: Kansas City 31, Oakland 13 Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Knile Davis scored two touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs avenged a Week 12 loss with a 31-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Davis caught a 70-yard touchdown pass and also had a 3-yard rushing score, while Travis Kelce caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (8-6), who ended a three-game skid which began with a 24-20 loss to the Raiders on Nov. 20. Alex Smith completed 18- of-30 passes for a season-high 297 yards and two touchdowns, Jamaal Charles carried the ball 12 times for 52 yards and Dwayne Bowe and Albert Wilson each finished with three catches for 69 yards in the win. Derek Carr threw for 222 yards and a score on 27-of-56 passing, James Jones caught a short TD pass and Sebastian Janikowski made two field goals for Oakland (2-12), which has dropped two of its last three games. Final Score: NY Giants 24, Washington 13 East Rutherford, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Odell Beckham Jr. caught three touchdown passes from Eli Manning as the New York Giants rallied for a 24-13 victory over the Washington Redskins, who saw another change at quarterback come to no avail. Robert Griffin III replaced an injured Colt McCoy after one possession and gave the Redskins a brief spark, putting together a pair of scoring drives that gave Washington a 13-10 edge late in the third quarter. Beckham then hauled in two touchdowns from Manning in yet another dazzling display for the rookie receiver, who finished with 12 receptions totaling 143 yards. Nine of those grabs came in the second half, enabling New York (5-9) to deal the reeling Redskins (3-11) a sixth straight loss. Griffin completed 18-of-27 attempts for 236 yards and a touchdown in place of McCoy, who aggravated a previous neck strain on Washingtons opening series. The embattled quarterback also had a rushing touchdown overturned late in the first half, with a replay review determining that he fumbled prior to crossing the goal line. Manning ended with 250 yards on 23-of-34 passing in the Giants second consecutive win following a seven-game losing skid. Final Score: NY Jets 16, Tennessee 11 Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris Ivory scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the New York Jets to a 16-11 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Titans made it interesting and nearly came up with another Music City Miracle on the games last play. Delanie Walker took the final lateral to the Jets 9-yard line. Geno Smith completed 16-of-28 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown for the Jets (3-11), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Quarterback Jake Locker made his first start for the Titans (2-12) since Week 5, but left the game late in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury. Locker started because rookie Zach Mettenberger re-injured his right shoulder last week. Charlie Whitehurst replaced Locker and was 10-of-24 for 203 yards in his first action since Week 7. Tennessee has dropped eight in a row, the clubs longest skid since the 1994 Houston Oilers lost 11 straight. Final Score: Dallas 38, Philadelphia 27 Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys moved into the drivers seat in the NFC East after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 on Sunday night. The slugfest had all the elements of a heavyweight bout, with the Cowboys jumping out to a 21-0 lead and the Eagles countering with 24 straight points. Lincoln Financial Field was quickly quieted, however, as Dallas (10-4) dealt the knockout blow with 17 of the final 20 points to seize control in the two-team race atop the standings. Bryant caught all three of Tony Romos touchdown passes and finished with 114 yards on six catches. The Eagles (9-5) have dropped consecutive games for the first time all season after losing to the Seahawks at home last week. They turned it over four times and only held the ball for 18 minutes. Final Score: Seattle 17, San Francisco 7 Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Seattle Seahawks rode their defense to beat the San Francisco 49ers again as the bitter rivals continue heading in opposite directions. Marshawn Lynch ran for 91 yards and a touchdown and the Seahawks stifled the 49ers in the second half, eliminating them from playoff contention with a 17-7 victory on Sunday. Seattle (10-4) allowed 178 yards to San Francisco (7-7) in the first half, but clamped down and limited the 49ers to a meager 67 over the final 30 minutes. The Seahawks outscored the 49ers 14-0 in the second half. The Seahawks, winners of four in a row, clash with Arizona in Glendale next Sunday night with first place in the NFC West on the line. Russell Wilson was 12-of-24 for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Jermaine Kearse caught five passes for 78 yards for Seattle, which has beaten San Francisco four straight times at home and recorded its first season sweep in the series since 2007. Colin Kaepernick completed 11-of-19 passes for 141 yards for the 49ers, who lost running backs Frank Gore (concussion) and Carlos Hyde (ankle) along with linebacker Chris Borland (ankle) to injury. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 Final Score: Arizona 12, St. Louis 6 St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Chandler Catanzaro made four field goals as the Arizona Cardinals moved closer to clinching a playoff spot despite not scoring a touchdown in a 12-6 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Thursday. The Cardinals (11-3) now own the leagues best record and on Sunday secured a postseason berth when Dallas beat Philadelphia. Arizona, however, suffered another injury at quarterback at the hands of the St. Louis defense as Drew Stanton left the game with a right knee injury in the third quarter. He was carted to the locker room and did not return. Stanton, who was 12-of-20 for 109 yards before exiting, started his fifth straight game after Carson Palmer tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a 31-14 win over the Rams on Nov. 9. Ryan Lindley took over for Stanton and completed four of his 10 passes for 30 yards. Larry Fitzgerald (31 years, 102 days old) became the youngest player in NFL history to compile 900 career receptions after finishing with seven catches for 30 yards. Arizonas 11 wins ties a franchise record which was also set in 1975 and 1948. Kirk Cousins Jersey . The 2014 edition will be the ninth meeting between the Caps and Vikes in a tradition that dates back to 2005. "Since the original Whitecaps, the club has enjoyed fantastic support from fans in Victoria and all across Vancouver Island," said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. Sheldon Richardson Jersey .Y. -- First, Patrick Kane gave his family and friends something to cheer about by scoring a highlight-reel goal in a rare trip home to Buffalo on Sunday night. http://www.shopvikingsauthentic.com/Youth-Mike-Hughes-Elite-Jersey/ . - San Diego Padres centre fielder Cameron Maybin is going to be out two to three months after rupturing his left biceps tendon during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Jalyn Holmes Jersey . Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three major league hits and drove in three runs, while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open the game in the sixth inning and lead Boston over the Houston Astros 8-3. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . - After sewage backups, toilet overflows and foul smells surfaced the past two years, nothing at the Oakland Coliseum surprises the home team anymore.The Winnipeg Jets won 37 games last season, and the franchise hasnt won more than that since 2006-2007 in Atlanta, the last -- and only -- time that they have reached the playoffs. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Jets team that has an interesting core, a new coach and a problem between the pipes. Many of Winnipegs core players are in their twenties, in and around their prime years, so while thats reason for optimism, its also reason for some urgency to take advantage of the kind of production being provided by the likes of Andew Ladd, Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Byfuglien is an interesting case for the Jets, having shifted from defence to forward part way through last season. While Big Buff is an effective winger, his preference is to play defence, which might make him appealing as a trade candidate for other clubs that are willing to accomodate that desire. But, if Byfuglien sticks around, the Jets have a quality group of forwards, with potential to be really good if Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele continue to develop. Their defence isnt as strong, overall, without Byfuglien, but Jacob Troubas strong rookie season was encouraging. Basically, the Jets have a competitive group of skaters. Not great, necessarily, but competitive. Then, it comes to goaltending, and that appears to be the area that needs fixing, only GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has backed Ondrej Pavelec as the teams starting goaltender going into next season. Maybe thats the stance that a GM has to take with a guy under contract for three more seasons, but his performance has been crippling to the Jets playoff chances and if he starts 50-plus games again next season, that is a serious roll of the dice that the Jets are taking with a goaltender that has finished with a league average save percentage once in five NHL seasons. The Jets did fare better under new head coach Paul Maurice, going 18-12-5 in the last 35 games, but that was largely due to favourable percentages and their possession stats only improved slightly over that span. They are close enough to contend for a playoff spot next season, with a couple of savvy moves this summer and further development from young players, but if they dont do something to upgrade in goal, it may all for naught. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACH Kevin Cheveldayoff/Paul Maurice Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Dustin Byfuglien 77.01 78 20 36 56 50.4% $5.2M Blake Wheeler 75.85 82 28 41 69 49.9% $5.6M Evander Kane 74.81 63 19 22 41 51.5% $5.25M Bryan Little 74.61 82 23 41 64 52.9% $4.7M Andrew Ladd 73.59 78 23 31 54 52.9% $4.4M Mark Scheifele 66.91 63 13 21 34 48.6% $863K Jim Slater 57.45 27 1 1 2 49.6% $1.6M Eric Tangradi 57.40 55 3 3 6 53.8% $675K Anthony Peluso 54.84 53 2 3 5 45.6% $563K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Michael Frolik 68.98 81 15 27 42 53.0% RFA $2.333M Olli Jokinen 64.17 82 18 25 43 49.2% UFA $4.5M Devin Setoguchi 63.46 75 11 16 27 48.8% UFA $3.0M Matt Halischuk 58.07 46 5 5 10 44.5% RFA $650K Chris Thorburn 57.18 55 2 9 11 43.3% UFA $867K James Wright 53.76 59 0 2 2 47.7% RFA $650K Shifted to forward at the end of his run by since-departed coach Claude Noel, Dustin Byfuglien appears to be set for that spot again next season. That presumes that Byfuglien doesnt get moved in the summer, which is always a possibility, but also operates under the premise that the Jets are better with Byfuglien at forward. Byfuglien, individually, had a 51.7% Corsi percentage before he was moved to forward and 48.0% after. That aside, in 32 games at (mostly) forward, Byfuglien had 10 goals, 12 assists and 102 shots on goal. On a per-game basis, those numbers would have placed him with pretty nice company last season. Its a little interesting that the bottom name on that list is Brent Burns, the Sharks winger who also used to play defence. Over the past three seasons, Blake Wheeler has 174 points, which ranks 22nd in the league over that span and last years 50 even-strength points was tied for 13th in the league with David Krejci and Thomas Vanek. Wheelers is big and can move, which allows him to create mismatches depending on what gives him the advantage on a particular defender. Evander Kane uses his terrific speed to generate shots at an elite level, but has been a relatively low-percentage finisher. Some of that is due to not getting first-unit power play time and, even at even-strength, could use better linemates to help him out. That doesnt absolve Kane of any responsibility for his production, which has dipped since scoring 30 goals in 74 games in 2011-2012, but theres still a lot to like about what he brings to the game. After scoing 23 goals and a career-high 64 points, there is a case to be made for Bryan Little as an advanced stats All-Star as one of a handful of players to face top-tier competition, start more shifts in the defensive zone and still have a relative Corsi over plus-10 per 60 minutes. The common perception of Little might be that hes a good second-line centre but the 26-year-old is coming off a season in which he was a full-fledged No. 1 pivot. Team captain Andrew Ladd has scored 98 goals over the past four seasons, ranking 24th in that span. Hes a reliable two-way player that can be used in any situation and he is, averaging 19:46 per game in four seasons with the franchise. Mark Scheifele had rounded into form, with 12 goals and 29 points in the last 39 games he played before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Considering that Scheifele managed five points in his first 24 games last season, and had his Corsi percentage rise from 46.7% to 49.7% over those splits, counts as positive indications that he could fulfill the second-line centre role going forward. A sports hernia cost Jim Slater two-thirds of last season, and hes mustered a grand total of two goals and four points in 53 games over the past two seasons. While hes hit double-digits in goals three times in his career, Slater has also missed at least a dozen games in six of nine seasons, so its getting difficult to count on him, even in a fourth-line role. Though he has a paltry 15 points in 136 career games, big winge Eric Tangradi held his own in a depth role last season, putting up positive possession stats. As an inexpensive fourth-line option, the Jets could do worse. Like most forwards that play less than six minutes per game, Anthony Peluso cant risk playing too many minutes, lest he be exposed. Hes a scrapper who can handle the big boys, though, so as long as the Jets are going to leave a roster spot for that role, Peluso can fill it. At the same time, they could probably do without. 26-year-old Michael Frolik established that he hasnt completely forgotten how to create offence, scoring 42 points, his most since 2009-2010. Hes still a low-percentage finisher, but a versatile forward who can play both ends of the rink. A couple years removed from a career-best 28-point season, Matt Halischuk has been battling to keep a regular spot in the lineup and, last season, he was overrun in possession terms. Hes a viable fourth-line forward, but also one that could quickly be replaced. 24-year-old James Wright has good size, but there isnt much else justifying his place on an NHL roster. Last season, he was one of eight forwards since 2000-2001 to play at least 500 minutes and not register a single goal. The Jets have a solid core of forwards, but can use a couple of top-nine forwards to effectively take spots of unrestricted free agents Olli Jokinen and Devin Setoguchi. Given the free agent alternatives at centre, the Jets could be okay doing a short-term deal with Jokinen and then find a solid checking forward, like Blake Comeau, Jesse Winchester or Daniel Winnik could round out the group nicely. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Jacob Trouba 71.45 65 10 19 29 49.0% $894K Grant Clitsome 67.dddddddddddd12 32 2 10 12 51.7% $2.067M Tobias Enstrom 66.89 82 10 20 30 50.6% $5.75M Zach Bogosian 63.37 55 3 8 11 49.4% $5.143M Mark Stuart 61.70 69 2 11 13 47.6% $2.625M Paul Postma 58.59 20 1 2 3 47.4% $713K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Adam Pardy 57.93 60 0 6 6 53.7% UFA $600K Keaton Ellerby 57.48 51 2 4 6 48.0% RFA $735K One of the reasons that the Jets might have felt able to move Byfuglien to forward was the emergence of Jacob Trouba, who recovered from a neck injury and led the Jets in ice time following the Olympic break, averaging 23:33 per game. A 20-year-old who can skate, hit and contribute offensively, Trouba will have more responsibility heaped on him, but he has the makings of a No. 1 on the blueline. Back surgery ended Grant Clitsomes season early, but he was logging nearly 20 minutes a night, with positive possession stats at the time of his injury. Clitsome can move the puck and play a solid game, though hes never played more than 63 games in an NHL season, so theres still some unknown regarding his performance over the course of a full season. While Tobias Enstroms offensive production dipped to a career-low 0.37 points per game last season, he still delivered relatively steady play while facing tough competition. Hes small, but mobile and his ability to move the puck is important to the Jets defence. Zach Bogosian hasnt really made the mark that was expected when he was drafted third overall in 2008 and, on top of being bitten by the injury bug -- hes missed 70 games over the past four seasons -- Bogosian hasnt been able to successfully lock into a shutdown role. Thats the objective, but there is still some unexplored potential in the 23-year-olds game. A rugged veteran, Mark Stuart combined for 389 hits and blocked shots last season, ranking third among defencemen (behind Cody Franson and Radko Gudas), so theres no denying that he lays his body on the line. He also tends to spend more of his time in the Jets end of the ice, though last season he was taking on tougher matchups, playing more minutes once Byfuglien moved up. Paul Postma hasnt been able to hold down a regular spot in the lineup, playing 57 career games and while he has some puck skills and a big shot that suit him on the power play, Postma struggled at even-strength last season. Between Postma, Keaton Ellerby and pending unrestricted free agent Adam Pardy, the Jets had a battle for playing time at the bottom of the defence depth chart. Ellerby could take on more minutes if Pardy departs, but that may just mean a more regular turn in the lineup. The wildcard could be top prospect Joshua Morrissey, who is a fast-rising offensive defenceman. If he makes the club, that could raise the groups ceiling. Returning Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Ondrej Pavelec 60.64 57 22 26 7 3.01 .901 $3.9M Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Al Montoya 68.70 28 13 8 3 2.30 .920 UFA $601K Over the past three seasons, Ondrej Pavelec has cost the Jets approximately 45 goals compared to the league average, according to Hockey References Goals Saved Above Average measure. Its one thing to be at the bottom of the league in save percentage and another to continually get played at a starters workload. The Jets have invested money in Pavelec, but its really had to rationalize him in a starters role, especially if the team considers itself ready to contend for a playoff spot. There may be challenges to getting rid of Pavelec, not least of which is that Cheveldayoff has said that Pavelec will be the No. 1 goalie next year, but he also may not be particularly appealing to other teams with the Jets paying half of his salary. Given how much it has been a problem lately, though, the Jets have to investigate opportunities to upgrade their goaltending. A trade for Manitoba native James Reimer could work, or signing a free agent like Jonas Hiller, Brian Elliott, Ray Emery or Tomas Vokoun could be worthwhile. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Joshua Morrissey D Prince Albert (WHL) 28-45-73, +6, 59 GP Nicolas Petan C Portland (WHL) 35-78-113, +47, 63 GP Adam Lowry LW St. Johns (AHL) 17-16-33, -1, 64 GP Eric Comrie G Tri-City (WHL) 2.57 GAA, .925 SV%, 60 GP Scott Kosmachuk RW Guelph (OHL) 49-52-101, +52, 68 GP Andrew Copp C Michigan (Big 10) 15-14-29, +1, 33 GP Connor Hellebuyck G UMass-Lowell (HE) 1.79 GAA, .941 SV%, 29 GP J.C. Lipon RW St. Johns (AHL) 9-32-41, even, 72 GP Brenden Kichton D St. Johns (AHL) 10-38-48, +8, 76 GP Julian Melchiori D St. Johns (AHL) 1-10-11, +19, 50 GP Eric ODell C St. Johns (AHL) 17-25-42, +9, 42 GP The 13th pick last summer, Joshua Morrissey had an outstanding year in Prince Albert. If the Jets are willing to live with the mistakes of a smart, teenaged offensive defenceman, then Morrissey (who has six points in eight AHL playoff games) could be a viable challenger for an NHL job as a 19-year-old. An undersized playmaker, Nicolas Petan was a second-rond pick last summer and has been tearing up the WHL for the past couple seasons. Between regular season and playoffs, hes tallied 289 points (in 176 games) and while size may be an issue, the only way to find out if its going to pose a problem is to wait and see how he does at the next level. A 6-foot-5 winger-turned-centre, Adam Lowry completed his first pro season and is probably not far from challenging for a spot in Winnipeg. The third-round pick from 2011 picked up his play after Christmas, scoring 28 points in his last 43 regular-season games. One of the games better goaltending prospects, Eric Comrie was a second-round pick in 2013. He struggled in a couple of AHL games at seasons end, but had a tremendous season in the WHL. Hes also only 18-year-old, so its going to take time before hes the answer to the Jets goaltending questions. Drafted in the third round in 2012, Scott Kosmachuk has improved steadily throughout his junior career and had a monster year with a powerhouse Guelph team in the OHL. He can make the jump to the AHL next season to see if his scoring will come to the pro game with him. A solidly-built centre who was picked in the fourth round last year, Andrew Copp is making quick progress, coming off a strong sophomore season at Michigan while also putting up five points in five games at the World Juniors for Team USA. Theres not much more that Connor Hellebuyck can do in college to raise his profile. Through two years at UMass-Lowell, Hellebuyck has a .946 save percentage and a dozen shutouts. Hes signed with the Jets and might be expected to start in the American Hockey League, but if he keep stopping pucks, there should be room for him. An aggressive winger picked in the third roudn last summer, J.C. Lipon had a solid pro debut and wasnt shy about it, leading the Ice Caps in penalty minutes with 136. Not the biggest blueliner on the block, Brenden Kichton was initially a fifth-round pick of the Islanders, was not signed, and then was drafted in the seventh-round by Winnipeg in 2013. A heady player who can quarterback a power play, Kichton ranked sixth among AHL defencemen in points as a rookie pro. A third-round pick in 2010, Julian Melchiori is a big, stay-at-home defenceman who has missed time with injuries in each of his first two pro seasons. Eric ODell turns 24 this summer, which puts him on the older side as a prospect but, in addition to scoring 97 points in 101 AHL games over the past two seasons, he also played 30 games for the Jets last season (3 G, 4 A, 51.0 CF%) so hes able to contribute now. Jets advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT 9th - Nick Ritchie, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jake Virtanen, Haydn Fleury FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Jets have approximately $49.9M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 16 players. Check out my possible Jets lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: Two top nine forwards, one top four defenceman, goaltenders. What I said the Jets needed last year: Two top six forwards, two top nine forwards, one top four defenceman, goaltender. They added: Michael Frolik, Mark Scheifele, Devin Setoguchi, Jacob Trouba. TRADE MARKET Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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