Aside from the fact that Jets GM has openly confirmed that he has begun talking to Mike Liut, agent for Alexander Burmistrov, the two Winnipeg dailies- Sun and Free Press both reported that Chevy has begun or will begin talking to agents for Ladd and Byfuglien. If you are a Jets fan do you want them back?
It seems like such an obvious answer- 'duh Tessier, YES!' but that's before you think about it for a bit. Perhaps you only want one of the two, or maybe you only want them on certain terms, or you want them for other reasons but every has to be considered, everything must be considered.
Think of these two players this way: close friends, cup winners together, core pieces of the team, fan favourites, stars on a bland-ish team. Now think of them in a rational business sense: experienced assets, trade-able, aging, performance value.
The first set speaks to the heart while the second set speaks to the logical mind- somewhere is a balance and before Chevy goes to talk extensions or deals with either of these two players he needs to find the balance.
Being fan favourites should not be an issue worth discussing- Jets will sell tickets regardless of who is in the uniform. The fact that they are close friends may only make it easier to keep them together or send them both away, if we can't play together here we'll play apart elsewhere.
The fact that they have three cups between them and have been the leaders of the team and core group is critical because where does a GM replace that experience? Trade the experienced assets and what comes next is a real concern.
Ladd and Buff may be the most recognizable and featured players on the team because they tend to do the most and draw the most attention via points and play. That reality is they are valuable but for how long? 3 years, 5 years or something else? The bigger picture here is that the Jets are not in 'win-now' mode but are edging closer to it so part of the balance for Chevy is building and knowing the transition plan from Ladd and Buff to the future. How does that happen and when because the next contracts for Buff and Ladd have to be a part of that plan and process of transition.
There will be inevitable decline in production from both because they are now out of peak performance years and getting older- how does Chevy account for this and value it? Will the agents for each player do so the same way or at all?
This is not a 'slam-dunk' process here and before numbers even get thrown around Chevy needs to know if these two Jets want to be here or want to be in a position with a team closer to winning or willing to pay more.
That's a pretty important question to know because it's unlikely that the Jets want to pay a high rate to and/or give a longer term to keep both if it's to compensate for shortcomings with team and city. At least it should be unlikely as that's the hard business part fans should want to see from management and ownership.
As reports come in about engagement between the Jets and agents for Buff and Ladd, fans need to be as pragmatic about the process as they want the Jets to be. If overpayment arises or extended term, two very real possibilities, fans need to understand why. If no deals are reached over the next 12 months, fans also need to understand why that might happen too.
It's the balance that is important for the team, now and in the future and the most difficult balancing act for Chevy to date will be the next deals for Byfuglien and Ladd either contracts or trades. Fans need to be aware that balance does not always mean right term and value for a player's contract it also means the every-changing transition as players age and/or deteriorate.
Should fans want both Byfuglien and Ladd back, yes, but only for the right reasons and on terms that fit a process of transition. That's the cold hard business reality facing Chevy...Buff and Ladd may be leaders in points and character but only for so long and the team can't get trapped for those attributes and neither should the fans.