So where do we stand as the training camp dawns?
You've by now had enough of the whole Kane and Wheeler debate and you won't get anything from me on the silliness. I will say one thought, that Kane's hashtag at the end of his tweet to Wheeler was brilliant. #youcanfindmeatthetopofthecircle
It's a very clever bait and troll move by Kane as he has long been seen by many to simply shoot from the top of the circle and end the play. That's the wrong assumption by a long shot. As you can see below- he plays the left side and shoots from the circles a bit but that's not his bread and butter.
The fact is the players are quite aware of how they are perceived and the insecurities that have dogged Winnipeg as a city and population need to get dealt with as a whole. It's times like these that the undercurrent of fear and disrespect take grasp of the unrelated and force people to act all 'goofey'.
But aside from that what is likely to happen come camp?
The biggest and probably most impactful story that could happen is rookie defenseman Josh Morrissey making the team. It would be the second straight year that the Jets have had a drafted defenseman make the jump from junior/college ranks to the pros. While Morrissey went on the AHL Calder Cup run with the Ice Caps and has a bit of professional experience it is still similar to Trouba making the leap last year.
In fact the situation might prove more of a challenge if some one like Adam Lowry makes the team. For the Jets Morrissey presents a snapshot into the future, a draft and develop player being a cornerstone with Trouba and Scheifele. Three consecutive draft picks all playing for the Jets. But should that happen now what becomes of the defense? Would the second pairing be Morrissey and Trouba behind Enstrom and Bogosian? Where does that leave Stuart, Clitsome, Pardy and Postma? Aside from Postma do any of those players have much trade value? Would Stuart be moved after signing a 4 year extension- of course not.
It's a problem a GM wants to have but for Chevy he has not positioned his defense with contracts much like some forwards. Galiardi and Halischuk both have 2-way deals should they be sent down through waiver to St. John's. Not a big deal to move them as there is no NHL salary to be paid in the AHL unlike the defensemen. To complicate things more Morrissey would have to go back to Prince Albert in the WHL as he is not eligible yet to go to AHL until the Raiders are out of WHL playoffs.
In the case of Lowry the speculation is all about how many places and chances he will be allowed to make an impact. Does he start on left side of third line along Perreault and another? He can also play centre and where does that put him in the depth chart? That is the interesting variable in his skill set.
Last season the Jets were exposed as being woefully thin down the middle once Scheifele was injured. Jokinen could not keep up or play to second line pace last year when called upon- would Slater be able to keep up to the third line after a hernia and then hip surgery last year?
This is where the depth of the organization has to at least start to being realized even in small sample sizes. Lowry needs time as do the Jets, to see what he can bring in the right situation, not one like that of Zach Redmond. Up with the big club but stapled to the press box seats for nearly the entire season.
The verdict may not be in on Halischuk or Galiardi yet but there is enough evidence to make some general conclusions, safe place holders for the short term. Players like Lowry, and even Kosmachuk are the keys to seeing how short that term is. The latter draft pick had a 108 points for the Guelph Storm lats season in the OHL and is another player fans should be interested in.
You can forget about how Kane looks, or whether Wheeler is starting strong as storylines. They're recycled news from training camps gone by. The real meat and potatoes is in the youth and what they do to the chemistry and balance of the team. Start with Lowry and Morrissey but look around further and see what else is intriguing. If change is going to come to this organization keeping a few vets on their toes with a push from the bottom of the organization depth pool is about the best news a Jets fan can hope for.
Why? It's really never been able to happen before now. At least that's a bit of progress.