This is the Jeff Merrick Show on the SportsNet Radio Network.

So a couple of things about the Winnipeg Jets will face off against the Nashville

Predators this evening. Playoff spot check 100 points check. Hardware at the end of the season for individuals,

most likely. What will they do in the playoffs? We shall see. It is the Preds and the Winnipeg Jets this

evening as they chase down home ice advantage in the first round, two points away from the Colorado

Avalanche for second in the central. Kevin Shevoldaoff is the GM of the Winnipeg Jets, and he joins me now. Kevin, thanks so much for this. How are you today? I'm doing well, thanks. Thanks for having me on. The pleasure is mine. You know, we've talked to Rick Bonas a couple of different times, Elliot and I this year for the 32 podcast. And one of the things in our first conversation that we talked about was, and he really stressed this, was, you know, getting the room right, getting the room right, getting everything rights. And those are difficult conversations. You know, when you sat down at the beginning of last off season, you know, we wondered, okay, which direction is Winnipeg going to go here? The netminder's back, boom, Mark Schaifley is back boom, and things start clicking at the beginning of the season, Pierloch Dubois trade, et cetera, good players on their way back. How difficult was that off season for you? I don't know if we've talked about how much of a heavy lift that was for the Winnipeg Jets.

Well, you know, it was a methodical process. It wasn't one that obviously, you know, could simply just come to light, you know, instantly.

And it began really, you know, at the end of last season and the conversations that we had, you know, with the players, with the staff, and then internally with our own group and what the options might be in front of us as far as what directions we, you know, we could go.

And then obviously one thing led to another, led to another.

And we were fortunate to be able to execute on a lot of the things that we wanted to

and get to the point that we're at now.

You know, it's been such a tremendous season for the Winnipeg Jets.

And like every season, there's going to be a sort of a bunny hop element to it,

a couple of steps forward and a couple of steps back here and there.

But based on what you thought you had at the beginning of the season,

like I just, you know, read off.

After 77 games, it's, you know, locked into a playoff spot.

That's been clinch.

100 point season.

Some individuals have really distinguished themselves.

Some younger players have popped.

What were your expectations at the beginning of the season?

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