The loss of Drew Stafford is not one that will shift the needle so much for the Jets that it will make a noticeable difference but yesterday's practice skate hinted at something concerning. Nic Petan playing on the outside of the forward group while Chris Thorburn got fourth line time.
For a team that talks about youth, development, keeping the creativity of the forwards alive putting Petan on the outside over Thorburn again makes no sense. None. The knives came out on Twitter pretty quickly as the passionate alternate coaches and back-up GMs expressed their concern. It's a valid concern and one that came with a bit of humour too.
oh wow still playing old school smh pic.twitter.com/ieTkYpimCR
— Ryan Blight (@arby_18) March 2, 2017
.@NHLJets found something weird here pic.twitter.com/gdiGoDx11S
— Matt W (@EmDubWpg) March 2, 2017
Enhanced the @NHLJets drawing photo!!!#NHLJets pic.twitter.com/UMf2sV2WkK
— Hangar Hockey (@hangar_hockey) March 2, 2017
At least the passionate ones are taking it all in stride right?
The task at hand for the Jets is this St. Louis Blues tonight and the possibility of keeping the slim hopes of the playoffs alive. The rushes from yesterday looked like this:
Perreault Scheifele Laine Ehlers Little Wheeler Matthias Lowry Armia Dano Copp Throburn
Marko Dano could return to action tonight and that might be a welcome addition as moving Stafford did open up a spot for him. That however left Nic Petan on the outside.
For the defence the combos looked like this:
Enstrom Byfuglien Morrissey Trouba Chiarot Postma
It's believed Pavelec will get the start as he too returns from injury and has had a decent record against the Blues.
What is there to add? It's the same process with a similar roster of players as we've seen all year, or is it? The topics that hit the air waves yesterday where Gary Lawless at TSN expounded on my thoughts (not that he was aware of them) are important- does Maurice coach this group differently now to the team he wants them to be for the future? Is next season starting now?
That's been a theme for the Jets in five of their past six seasons as when March or mid-March rolls around most Jets fans are interested in NCAA basketball more than the team's faint playoff chances. The talk turns to next season and who the team prepares for the changes to come.
If winning is to matter to this team can that be reinforced now by working to correct the problem areas that exist? They are obvious to everyone it seems and during TSN's Trade Deadline broadcast when talking about the Jets the hosts were very clear about this too when it came to defence system, talent and goaltending. Winnipeg has a 3.8% chance of making the post season according to Sports Club Stats so why cling on to faint hope?
The task for next season starts this season and preferably right now, as in tonight, or yesterday at practice. It's time to hammer home the message and have players, not just the youth, but the veterans too, be held accountable. This is on Maurice. While an articulate and well-spoken person the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets is going to have to show something new, something we have not seen since he took over the Jets. Is it tough love? Is it accountability? Is it something else- yes that's it. He's going to have to get key players to buy-in to what comes next, and by key players we mean, Enstrom, Wheeler, Buff, Perreault and Scheifele, not just the youth on the team.
That can start now, and it should start now but there's one other question here. With the defensive holes being so big should the players be working to fix the execution of this system or is an entirely new system required. Perhaps that's what these final 19 games will tell the coach(es) and fans.