Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Jets Critics are Probably Correct

August 12, 2014, 5:51 PM ET [30 Comments]
Peter Tessier
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It’s far too quiet and nearly the middle of August. Hockey fans know training camp opens soon and they can all but see and feel the first signs of fall. In Winnipeg it’s clearly status quo but not for the various media outlets who are making their rounds on what they see for the NHL’s 30 franchises. NHL.com had their 30 for 30 piece on the Jets with local correspondent Patrick Williams making a succinct and accurate summary of where the Jets stand in the league and probably the toughest conference.

Next it was JT Bourne from The Score who unloaded with his piece, surmising that the Jets may actually be tanking for McDavid. The shots at GM Kevin Cheveldayoff have come from a lot of directions this summer and there is almost no sign of him, at least if you look outside of Lake of the Woods and the Beer Store in Kenora ON. After he cleans the wounds with some alcohol he’s probably going to have to pound a few back to maintain his nerve. That has been the level of criticism Chevy has faced, one so harsh, so pointed, so direct that one could not fault him from taking a break from it all.

Criticism comes with the territory though. Try as hard as you want to ignore that simple, basic, fact but it will not matter. A GM eventually has to face the critics or prove them wrong. As the Winnipeg Jets stand right now, can Chevy or his boss, owner Mark Chipman, prove the critics wrong?

The words ‘plan’ and ‘process’ are buzzwords that seem to be used by the Jets, Chevy in particular, to describe or address the actions and tactics used to date. The problem is that no one is really able to make sense of them, at least in a way that can gather support and possibly time for the GM.

Last summer the Jets awarded over 70 million to three RFA players, if you add in Kane’s deal from the autumn before the lockout started that was over 100 million. Add in Pavelec and that amount goes north of $120 million in five players in about 14 months.

However it was not until after the lockout season that Chevy clearly admitted on record that the ‘evaluation period’ had been completed. Why did he then need to commit 50 million to two players before the evaluation? One had scored 30 goals before age 21. The other had a .906 save percentage.

Here is the link for goalies aged 24-25 playing more than 40 games with a save percentage equal or less than Pavs at the same age since 2000.

Here is the link for ages 26-27 with a save percentage equal or above Pav’s career best and similar games played. Only Denis and Fleury appear on both lists. How can the Jets justify not correcting this mistake with Pavelec’s deal, one made before they had concluded their ‘evaluation period’?

More troubling is why commit and hold onto Evander Kane if he did not work with the coach and had perhaps made it known that he would prefer to be elsewhere? Similar concerns can be had the handling of for former Jet Alexander Burmistrov.

Johnny Oduya was traded for a second and third round pick to eventually win a cup with the Blackhawks. His replacement came via waiver wire with Grant Clitsome who signed a 3 year deal at over 2 million per, not much of a discount from Oduya at 3.375 million. Ron Hainsey was let go last summer and signed for 2 million by the Hurricanes, yet this past March Mark Stuart was extended 4 more years at more than Hainsey’s 2 million.

Devon Stetoguchi was brought in, via trade, for a second round pick. A former 30 goal scorer in obvious decline, on his third team in 3 years, was traded for a high pick. The first word of the Jets building plan starts with ‘draft’, the second is develop. That is hard to do when you trade those picks away.

An obvious weak area for the Jets since the arrival from Atlanta has been the bottom six forwards. Yet Chris Thorburn has been extended for three years while adding TJ Galiardi and returning Matt Haslichuk, both signed to 2-way deals.

The signing of Mathieu Perreault is a promising move. He provides the Jets depth in the centre position and more options on the power play but does it compensate for weakness on defense and the 4th line? Is he stepping into a situation where he can make a difference and use his skills that make him a Corsi darling?

Part of being successful in any venture is consistency, cohesion, focus, and execution. At the very surface it appears most of the moves listed above are somewhat contradictory to draft and develop models if not damaging. If you care to look deeper, the total of all moves made in Chevy’s tenure as GM of the Winnipeg suggest something worse.

The simple philosophy of ‘plan your work and work your plan’ is a great motto for any business. It encompasses basic strategy and tactical effort. Take it further and suggests regular review to measure results. Smart business.

If the plan is not very good, and is not really adhered to, and the review process is somewhat arbitrary in nature, what kind of results do you have? The 2014-15 Winnipeg Jets is your answer. The problem is it’s no longer a vocal group of bloggers in a small market making noise. Across the NHL many pundits and observers are coming to the same conclusions about the Winnipeg Jets: Chevy’s plan and process might not be very good.

The club’s results to date say as much. The prospect pool may look promising but that’s like counting chickens before they hatch. Every deck of cards has a winning hand at some point and if Chevy can’t get some one or some thing to pull an ace this season there’s no reason to suggest the critics are going to be wrong.
Join the Discussion: » 30 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Peter Tessier
» Who are the Jets and time for me to let go...
» Jets bet Oilers in scoreless but exciting game.
» Digestion Problems: Jets edition
» Laine shines in 5-2 win over Wild
» Hellebuyck, Laine and Defense shine in 4-1 win over Penguins