You want to always dream, and dream big too, but you don't always want to chase unrealistic dreams. Thats the position the Jets find themselves in right now as they head into Nashville chasing the Predators and a chance at the post season.
They are seven points behind Nashville and closer to Edmonton, last in the conference than being the 9th seed. In fact the Jets soon could be the last place team in the Western Conference. This is a cold hard reality that few in the Winnipeg fanbase expected and I doubt the coaches and management saw this coming at the halfway point last season.
The question that everyone needs to ask, and hopefully Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is being asked by his owner in their daily talks, is this: what's better for the future of the team?
If by future you mean the next 43 games then I think you're looking at this scenario the wrong way.
The future was never now for the Jets but at some point it has to arrive and by most accounts fans believed things would be changing after 5 years, remember the five year plan?
You can't go back and find any reference to a '5-year plan', no quotes, not print articles, no nothing. Go google it. But that's rather irrelevant and here's why: every business worth something has one and 10 year and longer, as well as shorter plans.
Kevin Cheveldayoff was given a five year deal, the ticket packages for the bulk of the seats were 4 and 5 year commitments by the lucky fans who got tickets. The future captain was signed for 5 years before he had even played a game for the newly relocated franchise- to say there was no 5-year plan and vision is short-sighted and even ridiculous.
So here we are nearing the end of 5 years and the Jets are no closer to being in the playoffs or a contender than they were when they arrived. Fans are restless and there are more critics than ever coming out to dissect the Jets and the management of the team.
So what is the future? What should it be? The issue here is whether the Jets feel they can turn the ship around almost immediately or do they believe it will take until next off season. Before you answer that- ask the Sabres how fast you can turn the it around in one year.
If the decision is to be worse to get better for the future, a modus operandi that has much merit then it should start soon and that means cutting the line with one and or two pending free agents.
Andrew Ladd may not be having a season that makes you think that he has value but he does. Ask yourself this- you are coming to the end of your contract and the powers that be are not sure aabout what direction they are going and whether you will be back. Want to risk your body? Would you go into battle with the same ferocity knowing that if you get a season ending injury it affects what could be the biggest payday you will ever see?
For the layman, like myself, that's a ridiculous notion but in Ladd's world and that of professional athletes it's a real issue. We may not be able to relate but it doesn't mean we can discount it. The same can be said for Byfuglien too if you want to be fair and that same scenario can also be tacked on to Trouba, Scheifele and Lowry but to a lesser extend due to age.
The issue of 'tanking' is not about deciding to be bad, that's just one variable at play, it's more about choosing the route to which you want to begin becoming good. The Jets are not good right now, they haven't been for any stretch this season and how good do they have to be to make the post season and have a chance at winning a round?
Tanking is about starting fresh, building a team from the ground up and realizing that what you currently have is not enough to get the job done in a consistent manner. If the Jets do choose that route they better know who is prepared for the rocky road that comes with being bad on purpose and how willing they are to wait around until the good times come.
The next issue after the decision to tank is made is how do you go about doing it. That's the tough one because the GM still has to ice a team and the players have to want to play through the growing pains. How many current Jets are already tired and worn down from growing pains?
So do you want to tank or can this crew turn it around and be better not just this season but beyond building toward something better and bigger?
Take the poll
To Tank or Not to Tank- it an option: https://t.co/nzHT6geUJS
— Peter Tessier (@Teddier) January 5, 2016