'Twas the night before Christmas and all through house..."

Nope, that's not going to happen. I have no patience to re-write that story in a hockey manner, not at all. But I will suggest the kind of presents that players and coaches may need. Alphabetically or numerically? By importance or need or random order? How does one weave this all together?


Joel Armia: Some health (yeah, it's boring but what else does the guy need?) Seriously, get well soon and come back with the same flash and pizazz the fans remember from the end of last season and the start of this season.

Alexander Burmistrov: A trade to a team that will figure out how to use you and with whom to use you with. We know it's not working here anymore, you know it, let's just agree there's a better place for you and I hope you find it.

Andrew Copp: More ice time and better line mates. Oh that's bland too, how about a bit of a luck then. Copp has a great PDO, right where it should be, maybe just a bit of luck to help him get noticed more?

Marko Dano: Instead of an incredibly high on ice save percentage how about some luck around the net? Dano is a guy most Jets fans want to see succeed and get a chance to play with some frequency, whatever it is that will make that happen I hope he gets it.

Nik Ehlers: One would think Ehlers would need something similar to Copp and Dano but he's already shooting at 11.16% at even strength. Just imagine what happens if more of his scoring chances go in? How about some honest league wide respect on how good he is? Everyone loves the new flashy toy in Laine, but Ehlers in just his second year is proving that maybe he should have gone higher than 9th overall in 2014.

Patrick Laine: For the kid who has everything and hopefully will continue to do anything he damn well pleases with a puck there's nothing he needs. So for him he gets the right size of underwear. It's an inside joke and one day after Christmas I'll tell the story.

Bryan Little: Should the most stable player in Jets 3.0 history need anything. We’re not going to do respect, this Santa is all out of that now. I think some fanfare is in order because he does not get enough. Even yours truly has suggested he’s expendable in the right situation and that’s wrong. It’s time to celebrate Bryan Little and realize that he’s a player most teams would kill to have.

Adam Lowry: An aspect of the game that he can focus on and excel at. Are you a power forward, a scoring centre, a checking role player, a fourth line plug? Figure it out and be that player but be it really well.

Shawn Mathias: A role. Of course this comes with being healthy but simply put, a role that he can help this youth learn the game and he can earn another contract and keep his career going.

Mathieu Perreault: Health, goals, Corsi, Fenwick, anyone? Bueller? Bueller? In the last year of his current deal and on the cusp of a 4 year 16 million dollar deal next year Perreault has looked anything but the player that Chevy signed so quickly as a UFA back in 2014. Perreault needs something that he can grasp and get back to his game that made him so effective.

Nic Petan: Lowry’s position? Oh that’s mean. When you look at how Petan has played with the Jets this season there’s reason to be excited. Where he fits is another issue but perhaps losing Stafford this year and/or Thorburn is just what he needs for next year.

Mark Scheifele: Stronger legs? Oh that’s a tired old joke but the young centre needs to keep learning from Bryan Little and develop his defensive game. Having a .910 on-ice save % at even strength is not going to cut is as a number one centre for the duration of his 8-year deal.

Drew Stafford: I don’t want to be mean here but a trade to a team that can use him. Stafford provided value but that value is fleeting now. So come the trade deadline may he be sent to a team needing a scoring boost so he can chase the dream of a Stanley Cup in a better situation.

Chris Thorburn: Is there a nicer guy on the team? I make Thorburn jokes all the time and I don’t always feel good about them. If he is to stay with the team past the trade deadline I hope he goes on a Laine-like scoring run. If not may he find a home like Stafford could. It’s not Thorburn’s fault he’s who he is. So I just want him to have a graceful exit from the NHL if this is indeed his final run.

Blake Wheeler: The new Captain deserves some support and more so on the scoring front. Shooting 6.13% at even strength is not Wheeler-like so for him it’s a return to that form that made him the second best RW in the league last year.

Defence


Dustin Byfuglien: Buff isn’t going to change so let’s just hope he can gets some sense to rush more, hit more and find better shooting lanes. Wishing improved defensive awareness is a waste of a wish so let’s hope his game in the offensive zone improves.

Ben Chiarot: A sense of anything? Oh has the guy struggled. I’m not sure what he needs because he needs so much. Hopefully he gets some common sense.

Toby Enstrom: How about we give Enstrom some incentive to shoot the puck more. Yes he can move it up the ice but when in the O-zone just get the puck on net and through the bodies and let the forwards do their job.

Josh Morrissey: For the player who has been the most pleasant of surprises this season how about some offence. Yes, he needs to find some of his game from junior that made him so enticing back in the 2013 draft. For a rookie D he’s doing everything right in his own end most of the time, he needs more luck in the other end.

Tyler Myers: Good health and some ice-time. Oh yeah a return to his rookie form, or something resembling that would help too.

Paul Postma: See Chiarot, Ben.

Mark Stuart: See Thorburn, Chris. But add-in a future Reggie Dunlop role kind of like what the Flames did with Craig Conroy.

Jacob Trouba: The return of his mean streak. I’ve missed this so much since his rookie year it hurts. I think that part of his game opened up the ice for him in ways it does not now. A huge scoring run too because an on-ice save % of .928 is right where it should be, now about that shooting...

Paul Maurice: The list is long, practice time, new systems, understanding of his roster and mainly new assistants. I fear that Pomo may suffer an unfortunate fate because the coaches he relies on are not pulling their weight. I like Maurice but he needs to get as tough with himself and his coaches as he can be on players.

Kevin Cheveldayoff: Some ruthlessness with his roster. It’s time to see the forest from the trees now and really build this thing to what your owner wants. That requires being harsh and knowing who and what is driving this team, including the coaches.


For everyone else including all of the readers and people at Hockeybuzz a happy and safe Christmas and a wonderful 2017 because 2016 was not the best of years IMHO.

Join the Discussion: » 2 Comments » Post New Comment

» 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