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For Jets it's a matter of priorities with Exp Draft

June 16, 2017, 11:42 AM ET [14 Comments]
Peter Tessier
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Winnipeg Jets may have an evaluation problem, or to be more specific to the club's preferred terminology, a evaluation process challenge. Why write this? It's pretty simple there is still belief that Lowry is preferred over players such as Perreault and or Dano among others.

While this topic has been written about far too much and you won't see me defend either again, it' time to look at why and how the Jets may have arrived at this point.

Back in the their lone playoff appearance in 14-15 the Jets faced the Anaheim Ducks in the first round where they lost in 4 games, not close but they were spirited affairs. That following training camp entering his second year as an NHL player Adam Lowry was placed in the first unit PP and line. It was a curious move to say the least. I wrote This piece about the move when it happened.

Are the Jets still enamoured with size and grit that they think it's still necessary to win? Does the sting of how a big and hard-playing Ducks team took them to the woodshed still linger in their minds? Do they see the Central Division as hard physical battle that has to be won with equal size and 'grit'?

Why else would you weigh Lowry over Perreault or even other skilled players? Lowry had a career year for goals and points but the argument could be made about who he played with and where/how he was used as opposed to individual talent. That's on the coach for usage and is that usage being considered when evaluating his value?

That's where the process discussion/debates come in with the Jets- we simply do not know how they go about making their decisions as the cone of silence is so tight and encompassing. There are no leaks, there are no nuggets of information. There is simply nothing to measure and discuss about the organization in these times as it gives the media and fans nothing. This just leads to more and more questions. Should anyone trust the process given the vacuum it operates in.

Other News

Take the Enstrom NMC situation as an example. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reached out to the Jets who said there would be no comment and then reached out to Engstrom's reps after. They said any comment about the status of the NMC should come from the Jets organization.

The point with NMC's is that it's likely the team is not asking the player to move so it can manage the expansion draft rather it would go like this: "Toby, you are coming into the last year of your deal do you want the opportunity to play elsewhere? Would you want to go to LAs Vegas or be traded somewhere else that is of interest to you?" That's the ask, it's about what the player wants not the team. The team may benefit but the NMC, NTC is about the player having control and choice and if he chooses to stay that's his choice and issue dropped.

On Sunday it's Christmas day for the NHL fans and this is what I predict for the expansion draft protected list:

Scheifele
Wheeler
Little
Perreault
Lowry
Copp
Armia

Enstrom
Byfuglien
Trouba

Hellebuyck

As I mention in the last blog- Dano is taken and the Jets send something else to LVGK so that Myers is not picked. This is going to be fun and hopefully many deal to come happen.
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