Peter Tessier: Scapegoats Everywhere What's comes next after blame-stroming... scapegoating and it's alive and real in Winnipeg.

hey guys! I need your help for my pool ahah!

I have Jacob Trouba as a defender and Big Buff as a forward.

There is still some decent FA left to be picked of waivers and I am wondering if I should keep them even if they don't have a good start.

"I could make you cry in that f---ing room"

Holy chicken little! The sky isn't falling even though some media types would like everyone to think so. The way I see it and in my water cooler discussions people agree with me is something like this. The Jets now have 3 legit lines and need all 3 rolling to start to show progress. Unfortunately Kane got hurt a couple of shifts into game 1 and that threw the plan for a loop. The Jets haven't assembled enough depth to compensate yet. I am waiting to see a healthy line up implement Maurice's systems before making any judgments on where they are headed.

Also on Maurice's F-bomb the other day. It was nothing more than an attempt to get the focus on him and off the players. It was very well played!

Please send Kane or Wheeler to the Canucks, it'll make you feel better. Chevy has always maintained slow and steady wins the race, draft and develop from within...what you see is what you get

hey guys! I need your help for my pool ahah!

I have Jacob Trouba as a defender and Big Buff as a forward.

There is still some decent FA left to be picked of waivers and I am wondering if I should keep them even if they don't have a good start.
- Wu_Habs

I have Buff and use him in my pool as a D-man even though he is a forward. That frees up a forward spot and he has awesome stats for the D position normally.

If your pool is a keeper league, hang on to Trouba. If not, there may be better options for this year.

Holy chicken little! The sky isn't falling even though some media types would like everyone to think so. The way I see it and in my water cooler discussions people agree with me is something like this. The Jets now have 3 legit lines and need all 3 rolling to start to show progress. Unfortunately Kane got hurt a couple of shifts into game 1 and that threw the plan for a loop. The Jets haven't assembled enough depth to compensate yet. I am waiting to see a healthy line up implement Maurice's systems before making any judgments on where they are headed.

Also on Maurice's F-bomb the other day. It was nothing more than an attempt to get the focus on him and off the players. It was very well played!
- Muskwa

Absolutely! Jets fans and media need to chill out. Chevy can't come out and say " we aren't that good yet, we know that unless we have absolutely no injuries and everything goes perfectly we won't really challenge the better teams for 2-3 more years." He has a plan, it's just not splashy, fancy, or particularly interesting to talk about. As posted yesterday:

" Patrick Williams summed up the Jets build by saying they want to develop (the) current core group and one for the future. They ( the Jets) want it both ways and it's doubtful that it is a goal worth trying to achieve. Why?"

... Why not? In fact, it is the ONLY goal worth trying to achieve. To build a successful franchise that will contend for the long term you need to have a veteran core group and a "next wave" core group that hits their prime before the veteran core group starts to decline. You also need to keep both groups under contract for an overlapping time period. During this overlapping period you also need to have the right role players in place.

Chevy has identified his veteran core that remains from the Atlanta days and looks to have the " next wave" core of Scheifele, Trouba, Morrisey, Ehlers, Lowry, Petan, identified as well. The role players he has brought in ( Frolic, Perrault) are a major upgrade from the Wellwoods and Antropovs he inherited and have brought the experience from winning organizations with them.

Much has been made of Chevy's waiver wire pickups and league-minimum free agent signings - but they are what they are ... placeholders ... for another two years or so until the young core is ready, the veteran core is still under contract, and they are ready to make a serious push. That's when you'll see Chevy land a big name free agent and/ or goaltending help if Pavelec doesn't improve and none of the three young goalies in the system becomes elite.

This organization was a mess in Atlanta and had zero depth. The draft and develop plan will take time. Until then, be patient Jets fans. Chipman and Chevy know what they are doing. The Jets overlapping "cores" aren't ready to challenge Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas etc. ... yet.

Will this plan work? Will the two " core groups" be good enough to challenge for cups? Only time will tell ... but working toward developing two cores is the ONLY goal worth trying to achieve.

I'm sure if they could figure out a way to make the cap work, the Blackhawks would be happy to take Ladd off your hands.

I'm sure if they could figure out a way to make the cap work, the Blackhawks would be happy to take Ladd off your hands.
- scottak

As would the Flyers.
And a whole bunch of other teams.

I do think the Jets need a roster shakeup of reasonable proportion. Just not entirely sure who they should move.

Being Captain of the Winnipeg Jets is a lot like being the Quarterback of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

You're going to take a lot of abuse from media and fans trying to create stories where none exist. Lead your team as you see fit. Be cordial to the fans and the media, but do not actually listen to them.

You're either a legend or you're worthless. It's impossible to be viewed as anything else. So don't worry about it.

I'm sure if they could figure out a way to make the cap work, the Blackhawks would be happy to take Ladd off your hands.
- scottak

Who wouldn't? Ladd is a very good player.

He's not the most talented or the fastest or biggest or strongest, but he busts his ass for his team. When you need someone to be there, he'll be there.

Absolutely! Jets fans and media need to chill out. Chevy can't come out and say " we aren't that good yet, we know that unless we have absolutely no injuries and everything goes perfectly we won't really challenge the better teams for 2-3 more years." He has a plan, it's just not splashy, fancy, or particularly interesting to talk about. As posted yesterday:

" Patrick Williams summed up the Jets build by saying they want to develop (the) current core group and one for the future. They ( the Jets) want it both ways and it's doubtful that it is a goal worth trying to achieve. Why?"

... Why not? In fact, it is the ONLY goal worth trying to achieve. To build a successful franchise that will contend for the long term you need to have a veteran core group and a "next wave" core group that hits their prime before the veteran core group starts to decline. You also need to keep both groups under contract for an overlapping time period. During this overlapping period you also need to have the right role players in place.

Chevy has identified his veteran core that remains from the Atlanta days and looks to have the " next wave" core of Scheifele, Trouba, Morrisey, Ehlers, Lowry, Petan, identified as well. The role players he has brought in ( Frolic, Perrault) are a major upgrade from the Wellwoods and Antropovs he inherited and have brought the experience from winning organizations with them.

Much has been made of Chevy's waiver wire pickups and league-minimum free agent signings - but they are what they are ... placeholders ... for another two years or so until the young core is ready, the veteran core is still under contract, and they are ready to make a serious push. That's when you'll see Chevy land a big name free agent and/ or goaltending help if Pavelec doesn't improve and none of the three young goalies in the system becomes elite.

This organization was a mess in Atlanta and had zero depth. The draft and develop plan will take time. Until then, be patient Jets fans. Chipman and Chevy know what they are doing. The Jets overlapping "cores" aren't ready to challenge Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas etc. ... yet.

Will this plan work? Will the two " core groups" be good enough to challenge for cups? Only time will tell ... but working toward developing two cores is the ONLY goal worth trying to achieve.
- Victoriousecret

I think this is what the Jets leadership group has been saying ever since day one. It seems to me they are just sticking to their plan which at times must be difficult.

Being Captain of the Winnipeg Jets is a lot like being the Quarterback of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

You're going to take a lot of abuse from media and fans trying to create stories where none exist. Lead your team as you see fit. Be cordial to the fans and the media, but do not actually listen to them.

You're either a legend or you're worthless. It's impossible to be viewed as anything else. So don't worry about it.
- BINGO!

Yep.

I honestly think it's simply a roster issue with the Jets. Looking at the roster as it is today...I don't think that's a recipe for success in this league. It's inevitably going to get blown up and I would imagine you'll see Evander Kane be the first big piece to be traded away for picks/prospects. That's just a hunch, though. That said, I hope it works out for the Jets.

Pistol Pete - perhaps the delivery is clouding the response ... "blame-storming"

Let's back up a little - - ultimately, through gate, merchandising, and TV - it is we the fans that finance this game ... and the nature of pro sports is that the teams represent a geographical space - most often a city ... I pay gate to the tune of say a dozen games per year - I pay a bit through merchandising for the kids - I pay for my cable TV - and I live in this city

When I want - it is perfectly within my rights as a consumer to question non-performance in the product/service I am buying ... I can also quit spending, I suppose, and stop proving my "dollar votes" (Econ grad - sorry)

So - I am looking for root-causes not scapegoating

Was at the game last night - thank God for an even lesser foe (bad east division team missing some of their best players) ... I saw a win (which makes me and my 10 yr old happy) and I saw trouble:

CHIP-DUMP-CHASE ... REPEAT

SKATE BACK-CHASE-COLLAPSE ... REPEAT

Would we be having this conversation if they were winning - of course not - they'd be winning and we'd be discussing why they're winning (the good points)

So - ROOT CAUSES:

1. shallow war chest moving up from Atlanta
2. staffing with AHL level leadership
3. adoption of a development plan that does not return early benefits

From those three we dig deeper and come up with what looks like finger pointing:

1. what's the system ? identity ?
2. why isn't the GM making bolder moves to better the team ?
3. why did we wait so long to get an NHL caliber coach ?
4. why isn't ownership willing to spend more, now ?
5. why do we lock up Tier 2 or 3 players to long term contracts ?
6. why does the Captain not look like he's leading ?
7. what's with that goalie ?

And the infuriating thing about this - - I watch them win big (regular season) games and they just FLY !!

OK - 6 games in - 76 to go ... if we go even 6 and 4 next 10 then things are looking up .. but man something has to be done NOW