Ron Hainsey, 31, 6’3, 210 lbs.

Last Year’s Ranking: 10

This Year’s Ranking: 16

Difference: -6

Ron Hainsey just rubs me the wrong way.

At first I thought it was his enormous (for a player like him) $4.5 million per year contract with the Winnipeg Jets.

But when I watched games both live and on TV, it became apparent that the Jets were putting money into a deep hole that continually gave the puck away and created chances for the other team.

Not exactly how you want to spend $4.5 million per is it?

In 2011-12, Hainsey gave the puck away 23 more times than he took it away from opponents and it always seemed to happen at the most critical times in games.

Despite that, Hainsey did finish the season with a respectable plus nine rating along with 10 assists in 56 games, but it begs the question: Why do we pay a middle tier defenseman over $4 million a year?

Great question with not many answers.

Hainsey signed a five year contract in Atlanta, after spending three seasons in Columbus, to the tune of $22.5 million overall.

His first season was a career year with 39 points (six goals, 33 assists) despite a minus 16 rating.  

Since his first big year, Hainsey has dropped off significantly with a 26 point season, a 19 point season, and most recently a 10 point season.

There’s no reason for the Jets number six to be any higher than this and to be honest, it seems being at the sixteenth spot is a little generous already.

To Hainsey’s credit, he is the Jets NHLPA representative and is a great mentor for the younger defensemen like Toby Enstrom, whom he has played with for four years now, as well as young and up-and-coming Paul Postma.

But it seems Hainsey’s days are numbered.

He is in a contract year that is locked out and Postma and Redmond are only going to get better with another year in the AHL.

And to their credit, they are younger.

So, for the former 13th overall pick, the road seems to only indicate another slide, though I can’t see him picking up less than ten points if he wants to get another big payday as he did after his Columbus days.

But that’s for him to decide if they can actually play this season.

Go ahead, say it.

"It's about time."

If you are an impatient Jets fan that's your first reaction to the six-year, $31.5 million contract that 21 year-old Evander Kane finally signed late Saturday.

My first reaction was of sheer joy and then of even more sheer joy after hearing his press conference after signing.

Not only is he committed to becoming better and being a part of the Jets long term, there is no reason for him to not become a better player than he already is.

If he is still improving, 30 goals is only a stepping stone to his progress as the Jets premier power forward scoring machine.

Hold the phone though, why did it take this long?

Was it length of contract?

Was it money?

Was there hesitation on his part?

While negotiations were on-going between Jets brass and Kane's agent back in July, there was hope for optimism at that point that quickly died out leading into a stretched out August of back and forth with the NHL and NHLPA squawking at each other.

As a fan, I was worried that Kane would have too big of an ego to take such a base salary that the likes of John Tavares and Jeff Skinner had gotten earlier in the summer.

While at the same time know that both Tavares and Skinner have accomplished much more in their careers than Kane - both have been All-Stars and both were nominated for a Calder Trophy which Skinner won in 2011.

My biggest concern was he was reacting negatively to the Jets fans after what was a roller coaster season for Kane on and off the ice.

Whatever was the case for his late signing was put aside in my mind and should put other fans minds at rest - Kane chose a six-year deal for a reason: he wants to be here.

If Kane didn't want to be in Winnipeg as a Jet, he would have either not signed and waited for an offer sheet of some kind or signed a short-term deal to be able to become a UFA sooner and make money elsewhere.

And that, in my mind, shows that Kane is progressing, not only as a hockey player, but as a professional.

And for our leading goal scorer, that's the most positive sign for the Jets future.

Nikolai Antropov, 32, C, 6'6, 245 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: #8
This Year's Ranking: #17
Difference: -9

With the largest demotion in the top 25, Nik Antropov's extremely sub-par 35 point season made him the goat in this ranking in 2012.

Though he did score the first goal in Winnipeg Jets 2.0 history, his 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 69 games was the lowest career total for Antropov since the 2006-07 season when he had 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 54 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and even then his points-per-game ratio was much higher.

For Antropov, his production continued to slide in 2011-12.

After a career year in 2009-10 with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in 76 games in his first season in Atlanta, he followed that up with a 41 point performance (16 goals, 25 assists) in his last season in Georgia.

In Winnipeg, Antropov played at times uninspired and sluggish.

For Jets fans, he looked like he skated slow and didn't care to backcheck much.

But with his hulking 6'6, 245 pound frame it doesn't take long to cover the ice in his long strides.

However, that is not an excuse for Antropov's lack of offensive production in 2011-12.

Brought in by former Thrasher GM Don Waddell to be a big number one centre, Antropov contributed to that philosophy in his first season and has tapered off significnatly.

One reason could be the absence of Ilya Kovalchuk, who had 31 goals with the Thrashers that season before being dealt to New Jersey.  Ever since, Antropov has not been able to replicate those numbers.

With former linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky now in the mix and probably taking the wing on Antropov's side, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff along with head coach Claude Noel are optimistic that Antropov will regain some additional offensive punch to the lineup in a third line capacity unlike a fourth line role which Antropov was demoted to last season.

All the Jets can hope for is that Antropov finds his game this season when it does start.

Grant Clitsome, 27, D, 5'11, 215 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: #18
Difference: N/A

Word that come up to describe Grant Clitsome are versatile, steady, and an asset in the back half of the Jets blueline corps.

Claimed on waivers midway through the 2011-12 season to the Jets, Clitsome found relief by playing for a team in the midst of a playoff run that didn't pan out - but it was better than playing for a team in the basement of the Western Conference.

Though he split time with other sixth defenseman Randy Jones, Clitsome comes into the 2012-13 season with the opportunity to be in sole possession of that final defensive depth chart spot.

His competition will be the young up-and-coming Paul Postma to be sure, but Clitsome's 105 games of NHL experience does prove worthy of a closer look as well as his cap friendly salary which was a big reason Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff brought him to Winnipeg.

In 12 games his suited up for the Jets, Clitsome had three assists and a minus three rating.  He had finally made the Columbus Blue Jackets full time roster this season and had played 51 games for the Jackets with 14 points (four goals, ten assists) before the trade.

Throw in he was a -6 on a team that was the worst in goal differential at -60 and Clitsome was a bit of a steal in the waiver claim.

For Clitsome, though he is 27, his opportunity to make an impact is now and a strong camp and star of the season will be the only thing stopping him from again splitting time in the NHL or losing that spot on the blueline to the likes of Postma.

Antti Miettinen, 32, RW, 6’0, 190 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: #19
Difference: N/A

Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made a shrew move to acquire Antti Miettinen via re-entry waivers after the Tampa Bay Lightning signed the 31 year-old Finn to a two-yeard deal.

However, the move wasn't as shrewd offensively at first with the former 20 goal scorer as he was hoping.

In 45 games in Jets blue, Miettinen scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) - his lowest totals since he scored one goal in 16 games in 2003-04 with the Dallas Stars.

Add to that he didn't score a goal until his 34th game into being a Jet (only six points in the 33 leading up to that game) and his stock wasn't much of a factor in the Jets season.

But you can understand the move to grab the ex-Minnesota Wild/Dallas Star.

Despite his meager eight points in 20 games in the KHL for Ak Bars Kazan early in the 2011-12 season, in 2009-10, playing alongside Mikko Koivu, Miettinen notched 20 goals and added 22 assists - albeit on a supposed "first line" of a non-playoff team.

The move to add Miettinen to the lineup was a depth move as the Jets wanted to make sure they didn't have to unnecessarily rush any of their younger players to play in the NHL right away.

Miettinen got a mixed reaction from Jets fans on the whole - and a mostly negative reaction from me for this ranking.

If he had been more of an impact offensively, his ranking would have been much higher.

Though he was fairly more consistent in the last part of the season - five goals, four assists in the last 13 games, his lack of offensive production during the stretch drive was enough to keep him way away from the top 15 players on the Jets.

With a season up in the air, the best thing for Miettinen to find his scoring touch again would be to start the season in Winnipeg and see how things develop with a training camp in Jets blue instead of in Russia.

Chris Thorburn, 29, RW, 6’3, 230 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: #17
This Year's Ranking: #20
Difference: -3

Chris Thorburn is a touchy subject for me.

First of all, he is a fourth line player.

Second of all, he doesn't score much.

And third of all, he isn't that great of a scrapper.

So, the only thing he was going for him is his leadership.

And on a team with a two-time Stanley Cup champion as captain there's not much room for Thorburn to improve in that category as he will always be behind in that department due to his fourth line role.

Seeing the departure of Tanner Glass, another low scoring, but much better of a scrapper, fourth liner, it begs the question of why not give a Patrice Cormier the shot at a fourth line role full time and let Thorburn find his place somewhere else.

Despite those nagging doubts in my mind as a Jets fan, Thorburn did impress at times.

The 6'3, 230 pound winger had 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 72 games to go along with 83 penalty minutes and a -6 rating.

After a 19 point season in Atlanta in 2010-11, Thorburn's 11 points was a bit of a drop off but under the new regime in Winnipeg, it wasn't to come as a surprise.

Thorburn's fall in the rankings go for his decrease in production both offensively and his role on a third line who needed to play as one because of the lack of a true third line.

But Thorburn did throw down the mits 11 times this season, winning (according to hockeyfights.com) six, losing four, and tying 1.

As far as grittiness goes, Thorburn is not the premier fist thrower but he's all the Jets have until they find another fighter.

Mark Scheifele's 2011-12 season was a busy one. (Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Mark Scheifele, 19, C, 6’2, 184 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: #21
Difference: +4

Surprising as this may seem, but Mark Scheifele's entrance into the Jets Top 25 players in the organization is more than earned.

Scheifele, who started the season in Winnipeg with only one goal in seven games, made his mark as the first Jets draft pick as the reincarnated team took him seventh overall in 2011.

Not only was his stock rising at that point, but it continued to rise all season, throughout his season in Barrie with the Colts, where he scored 63 points (23 goals, 40 assists) in 47 games, to the World Juinors and onto a playoff appearance with the St. John's Ice Caps, where he collected one assist in 10 games.

Not only was Scheifele the busiest Jets prospect, he was the busiest Jet period.

And to think that the Jets 19 year old pick was playing Junior B hockey only three years ago.  That's not a place where many top 10 draft picks come from.

However, Scheifele's development continues and the Jets will be patient with him as he may progress into an NHL spot if he competes hard in camp.

With less jobs open this camp, another year in junior may be beneficial as he would be a dominant player with another year under his belt as well as NHL experience.

Scheifele did explode onto the scene in the 2011-12 NHL pre-season, but quickly died down to a third liner in his seven games in Winnipeg.

There's still more than enough excitement for Scheifele to wear a Jets blue jersey in Winnipeg and for good reason - he is going to be an impact player for the Jets in the future.

Another year older and experienced and Mark Scheifele is looking to make another big step forward.

Machacek's great play earned him a new contract. (Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Spencer Machacek, 23, RW, 6’1, 200 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: #22
Difference: +3

Spencer Machacek made his mark on the new Winnipeg Jets organization towards the end of the 2011-12 season by scoring nine points (two goals, seven assists) in thirteen games on a fourth line role.

Because of Machacek's gritty, selfless play, veteran Tanner Glass was deemed expendable.

Adding to that, the Jets recently re-signing the 23 year-old right winger and you can see how the Jets brass liked what they got from the gritty winger.

Machacek spent three seasons in the Atlanta Thrashers organization after being the 67th overall pick in the third round in 2007.

He showed gradual improvement, but was, at best, a second line productive winger in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, scoring an AHL career high 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games in 2011-12.

That season made the Thrashers look at him for 10 games, in which he was held pointless.

But in his 13 games in the NHL with a new blue jersey on, Machacek made good on another full season of development in the AHL as he spent 61 games in St. John's collecting 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) and seeing his stock rise steeply.

For Machacek, despite having the new contract extension, he still has to compete with the likes of Patrice Cormier for a fourth line enforcer role.

He showed us last year he was willing to drop the mits and could also chip in offensively, so perhaps his ceiling is more than a fourth liner - maybe a third liner who can score 10-15 goals in a good season.

Whatever his ceiling may be, Machacek is another diamond in the rough the Jets have happily inherited.

Paul Postma has nowhere to go but up for the Jets. (Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Paul Postma, 23, D, 6’3, 184 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: #25
This Year's Ranking: #23
Difference: +2

Paul Postma's stock rose the highest this past season with an AHL All-Star appearance and a few games of NHL experience, not to mention a solid pre-season that had him vying for a spot of the Winnipeg Jets blueline to start the season.

For the Jets young, most promising defenseman and seventh round pick in 2007, it was a banner year on which he definitely built for his future success.

Now for the next step.

Postma completed his third season in the AHL (though the last two seasons have been intermittently put on hold with NHL call-ups) scoring 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) in 56 games.

His point-per-game production at the AHL level went up after he posted 45 points (12 goals, 33 assists) in 69 games in his sophomore AHL season and 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 63 games in his rookie AHL season.

But it's not his point-per-game production that is the most impressive - it's his ability to quarterback the powerplay and he did it very well in St. John's this season.

Of his 13 goals with the Ice Caps, seven game on the man advantage.  

Add to that his only goal in the playoffs was on the powerplay, which accounted for one of his ten points in 15 playoff games.

His prowess on the power play was on full display during the pre-season in Winnipeg last year and Jets fans were able to see how well their young defenseman could handle the pressure of the power play in the NHL - at least during exhibition.

For Postma, the next big step is to crack the top six and push someone out of the way en route to becoming a full time defenseman.  

Being behind the likes of Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom, Zach Bogosian, Mark Stuart, Ron Hainsey, and Grant Clitsome has it's challenges, but if Postma has a strong camp and continues to develop his defensive game, which has been at times lacking, Postma should have a legitimate shot at the Jets lineup come opening night.

Despite his great offensive numbers in the AHL, Postma has been a minus player the past two seasons, and dipped to -14 this season from -4 a year ago.

With defensive coach Charlie Huddy's work with Zach Bogosian this past season - taking Bogosian from a -18 and -27 in Atlanta to a -3 last season - Postma has only to improve on his defensive aspects.

Carl Klingberg played six games in Winnipeg this season. (Photo Courtesy Getty Images)

Carl Klingberg, 21, LW, 6'3, 205 lbs 
Last Year's Ranking: #24
This Year's Ranking: #24
Difference: 0

Carl Klingberg's first full professional season in North America was one that saw the young, hulking winger make a steady progression into the style of the game splitting time between the AHL and NHL.

Klingberg, 21, who played six games for the Jets, when the forward corps was decimated with injury, did not post up any points for the Jets through limited ice time on the fourth line.

For the young Swedish forward, perhaps recalling him was more detrimental to his development than helpful, in that, his 37 points in 66 games in St. John's with the Ice Caps saw him in the a top two line role most of the season.

The Jets have a diamond in the rough with Klingberg and will need to process his development thoroughly and systematically - that is, not rush him.

As with Mark Scheifele, Klingberg finds himself in the group of young Jets players who are seen as the big, up-and-coming stars.  Klingberg and Scheifele join players like Paul Postma, Zach Redmond,  Jacob Trouba, and Ivan Telegin among a few others as the players the Jets are relying on for their future.

With the Jets approach to development being patient and cautious, Klingberg's first season was more of a test to see how he would take to the North American game.

However, Klingberg took to it well enough to show he is improving his game and showing his Alex Ovechkinesque personality.

Though he virtually disappeared come playoff time for the Ice Caps (only two points in twelve games), Klingberg's size and raw skill are still being refined and honed in the Jets system.

Ranked 24th for the second straight season, Klingberg was seen as an outside chance to make the Jets, but if he has a strong season in the top six or top three in St. John's, his stock and ranking will ultimately rise.