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Winnipeg Jets trade talk heats up after Elliotte Friedman drops Original Six link


Daniel Lucente
Feb 2, 2026  (3:51 PM)
Jan 24, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond (23) scores on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the third period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
Photo credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

Elliotte Friedman drops Detroit Red Wings trade buzz with the Winnipeg Jets, and it lands like a deadline warning siren.

On the latest 32 Thoughts, Friedman said he’s heard "Detroit Winnipeg," and that there might be a match, even if he doesn’t know the exact pieces yet.
That kind of vague, sourced chatter usually means calls are happening.
Winnipeg’s spot in the standings makes this feel less like fantasy and more like roster triage.
The Jets are 22-25-7, and every loss tightens the options.
They just grabbed a 2-1 road win over Florida on Saturday, which shows there’s still push in the room.
Here’s the post that lit it up.
"I don't know exactly what it is, but I had a couple people say to me they heard Detroit Winnipeg, that there might be a match there."

- Elliotte Friedman
Detroit, meanwhile, is 32-18-6 and playing like a team that wants help, not a teardown.
And yeah, the Wings just slapped the Jets 5-1 in Winnipeg on January 24, which always leaves scouts with fresh notes.

Elliotte Friedman and the Winnipeg Jets feel a pivot

Jets fans are tired of "almost," so even a whisper of action hits different right now.
From a Winnipeg angle, the cleanest logic is moving a piece from the blue line for something that helps the top-six now, or adds future value.
From Detroit’s angle, it’s easy to see why they’d sniff around size or depth for a playoff-style back end.
Friedman’s wording matters because it wasn’t a prediction, it was a "people told me" breadcrumb.
If the Jets are going to reshape anything, it has to protect the spine of the team, and avoid turning a rough year into a multi-year hole.
Either way, keep an eye on the next few games, because these talks usually get louder when lineups start looking thin.
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Winnipeg Jets trade talk heats up after Elliotte Friedman drops Original Six link

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