Do you? Why? If we’re basing this off of last year:
Matthews>>Scheifele
Marner>>>Connor
Tavares>Laine
Nylander=Ehlers

That’s not to mention Toronto having two top tier defensive prospects coming through in the next year or so, the lack of any problem contracts on their books (I’d take Tavares on his deal over Wheeler right now instantly), and the fact that you wouldn’t even have a realistic comparison for our best defenceman right now (DeMelo) until you got past Rielly and Muzzin to TJ Brodie.

Hellebuyck is a god, so obviously he wins us 1 category, but Toronto’s core absolutely demolishes ours
- Rexypoo

Sorry Rexy I mean no disrespect or to be rude but this comment is so ridiculously lacking an overall view of hockey or intelligence I will not address it.

I’ll see your twitter post, and raise you one of my own: https://twitter.com/jfres.../1267164092088881153?s=21

The Jets were out-shot, out-chanced, and out-scored more often than not. They were near (or at) the bottom of the league in every category that wasn’t powerplay or Hellebuyck related
- Rexypoo

These categories you rank so dearly what have they done for your Newley crowned favourite team in Toronto? I guess they have a few cups to show for it, or I mean at the very least a few trips to the conference finals right?
Or are you going to use bad luck, goaltending and a boomer as a GM for an excuse??
Don’t criticize anyone ever for making whatever excuse they want for Winnipeg when you make excuses for other teams that do not have anything to show for the stats you religiously believe in.

Excuses are Excuses and I’ll repeat
Toronto and winnipeg are the same.

The Leafs defense core of Reilly, Brodie, Muzzin, Dermott, Holl, Lehtonen, Bogo is better then Morrissey, Pionk, DeMelo, Forbort, Beaulieu, Poolman, Sbisa and it's not really close and if we think the Jets might have an advantage with Samberg, Heinola or Niku being in the mix well the Leafs have Sandin and Liljegren so the Jets don't have them beat with prospects either.
- JetFuel

Sandin and liljegren are NOT better than Samberg and Heinola.

It’s nice to see James Tanner spirit is alive and well in this Winnipeg thread.

I appreciate the banter on this thread but I’m out, won’t be back on this one to read the replies. Sorry if that upsets anyone, just being honest.

Sandin and liljegren are NOT better than Samberg and Heinola.
- Ross77

Sandin is really good, was drafted with the Jets 2018 1st round pick too!..

Meh, either way it's close when it comes to the young D prospects both teams have plus Samberg is overrated and it doesn't change the fact the Leafs top 7 dmen are much better then the Jets.

Really ? Common you are using the one off that was the 2015 team? So you honestly thought we were going to build off our 2015 team and develop that team into a championship team ? Seriously, that’s your stand? Lol
- Ross77

Did the Jets sell off any of their players from that team and tank besides Ladd? and that was more a contract dispute

Face the facts if the Jets weren't building off of that team they should have sold off Little, Wheeler, Buff, Enstrom, Myers, and even Perreault.

I appreciate the banter on this thread but I’m out, won’t be back on this one to read the replies. Sorry if that upsets anyone, just being honest.
- Ross77

Post 7 comments in a row then tell everyone that you are done with the thread. How will we ever manage.

Barry trotz does not have as many cups as Lou

Toews had a great year but was severely exposed in the playoffs was arguably their worst D in the playoffs

They have over 20 million coming off the cap in 2 years

They are actually fine and you sound like a whiny Leaf fan who’s still mad you over paid Taveras and are now watching e islanders do more without him.
- Ross77

I like Trotz, he's a good coach but he makes some questionable decisions like most coaches do, would much rather have him as a coach then Maurice though.

Pionk, Morrissey and DeMelo got exposed against Calgary too!!
Jets should've traded for Toews!!

They still have Barzal to sign and have Beauvillier, Sorokin and Pelech to sign next offseason, two years can't come fast enough for the Islanders!!

Idk if I'd say the Islanders are fine, they've got some ugly contracts on the books, some that were signed by Lou and some that weren't and this cap crunch has already cost them Toews and will likely cost them more good assets to dump Boychuck, Ladd, Komarov, etc., at least they got decent picks for Toews which I read were rumored to be used to then dump Boychuck but then whoever was taking Boychuck upped their compensation request and the trade fell through.

Totally agree about the Leafs overpay for Tavares, that signing is what really screwed them imo, any cap flexibility they had disappeared when they signed pajama boy, great player but they didn't really need him.

Barry Trotz* has had success there. Barry Trotz has gotten the most out of an Islanders lineup that is now heavily in decline.

They are in cap hell, with no visible end in sight, and just lost arguably their best defender. Barzal, Beau, and Pulick are the only three players on their roster right now that aren’t heading into their decline years, or have time to improve.

The Islanders are super f*cked
- Rexypoo

Come on Rexy you're exaggerating it a bit here, guys like Nelson, Pelech, Mayfield, Dobson aren't heading for a decline anytime soon and guys like Bailey, Lee, Eberle aren't likely to have sudden massive dropoffs, they'll still be decent for another year or two and in that time the Islanders might have prospects coming into their own like Wahlstrom and Bellows which would hopefully offset the declining years of those three.

They are a little f*cked though, the Ladd, Boychuck and Komarov deals are such deadweight, gonna be interesting to see how
Lou navigates this mess.

Come on Rexy you're exaggerating it a bit here, guys like Nelson, Pelech, Mayfield, Dobson aren't heading for a decline anytime soon and guys like Bailey, Lee, Eberle aren't likely to have sudden massive dropoffs, they'll still be decent for another year or two and in that time the Islanders might have prospects coming into their own like Wahlstrom and Bellows which would hopefully offset the declining years of those three.

They are a little f*cked though, the Ladd, Boychuck and Komarov deals are such deadweight, gonna be interesting to see how
Lou navigates this mess.
- JetFuel

Could easily see the Isles dealing Casey Cizikis (3.35) and Nick Leddy (5.5) which would give them quite a bit of breathing room. They might not get a whole lot in return (especially for Leddy) but think it's doable.

Lou is cagey, he'll find a way.

Not sure why you keep saying that Wheeler is in "steep decline." He's not - he's still an elite NHL player.

Put up almost a point per game while playing a lot of games out of position - for the good of the team - and being an inspiration to every Jets player. He is still the heart and soul of the Jets. A 100% player!

Now Wheeler may decline sharply at some point - although he keeps himself in tip-top shape - but it hasn't happened as we speak!
- grahamzky

His underlying numbers have sewered since 17-18. Mind you, some of it is due to how bad he is as a centre (which is not his fault), so it’s maybe not as bad as it looks. The issue is his rate if production at 5v5 is significantly lower than it used to be. He’s a powerplay man through and through now.

Barry trotz does not have as many cups as Lou

Toews had a great year but was severely exposed in the playoffs was arguably their worst D in the playoffs

They have over 20 million coming off the cap in 2 years

They are actually fine and you sound like a whiny Leaf fan who’s still mad you over paid Taveras and are now watching e islanders do more without him.
- Ross77

Lou hasn’t won in the salary cap era, not without a hall of fame caliber lineup.
He’s done nothing in the last 17 years.

Also, a lot of people were exposed in the play in round. That’s due to randomly varied conditioning levels among the players, not due to anyone’s actual skillset. The sample size is also incredibly tiny, so I’ll go ahead and take Toews’ entire previous body of work over the play in

Sorry Rexy I mean no disrespect or to be rude but this comment is so ridiculously lacking an overall view of hockey or intelligence I will not address it.
- Ross77

If you aren’t willing to explain yourself, you aren’t really saying anything here

These categories you rank so dearly what have they done for your Newley crowned favourite team in Toronto? I guess they have a few cups to show for it, or I mean at the very least a few trips to the conference finals right?
Or are you going to use bad luck, goaltending and a boomer as a GM for an excuse??
Don’t criticize anyone ever for making whatever excuse they want for Winnipeg when you make excuses for other teams that do not have anything to show for the stats you religiously believe in.

Excuses are Excuses and I’ll repeat
Toronto and winnipeg are the same.
- Ross77

Toronto got goalie’d by Columbus. That’s literally it. We experienced this with Fleury.

Come on Rexy you're exaggerating it a bit here, guys like Nelson, Pelech, Mayfield, Dobson aren't heading for a decline anytime soon and guys like Bailey, Lee, Eberle aren't likely to have sudden massive dropoffs, they'll still be decent for another year or two and in that time the Islanders might have prospects coming into their own like Wahlstrom and Bellows which would hopefully offset the declining years of those three.

They are a little f*cked though, the Ladd, Boychuck and Komarov deals are such deadweight, gonna be interesting to see how
Lou navigates this mess.
- JetFuel

Brock Nelson is about to turn 30, which is usually the cliff, so that’s a danger.
Pelech and Mayfield are both replacement level players carried by the system, so while not likely to fall off, they aren’t difference makers.
Dobson is getting screwed in his development so far, so that’s a wait and see.
Bailey and Eberle are reasonably safe in terms of decline, but Lee seems the type to nose dive ALA Lucic

Brock Nelson is about to turn 30, which is usually the cliff, so that’s a danger.
Pelech and Mayfield are both replacement level players carried by the system, so while not likely to fall off, they aren’t difference makers.
Dobson is getting screwed in his development so far, so that’s a wait and see.
Bailey and Eberle are reasonably safe in terms of decline, but Lee seems the type to nose dive ALA Lucic
- Rexypoo

I think Nelson will be okay for a few years before a major decline sets in and even then I doubt he'll ever be fall off a cliff bad, he's too good a skater and creative to fall off terribly imo.
Pelech isn't replacement level, idk what stats say that but there's no way he is, maybe Mayfield but if it was so easy to replace these replacement level players the Jets should of been able to improve their D core a lot easier.. Lol
Dobson likely gets in the lineup regularly this season and never comes out, he's gonna be a stud on that D core for the next decade!
Yeah of all the Islanders in the top 6 that are at that 30 or older age I could see Lee having the quickest and steepest drop off in play.

I think Nelson will be okay for a few years before a major decline sets in and even then I doubt he'll ever be fall off a cliff bad, he's too good a skater and creative to fall off terribly imo.
Pelech isn't replacement level, idk what stats say that but there's no way he is, maybe Mayfield but if it was so easy to replace these replacement level players the Jets should of been able to improve their D core a lot easier.. Lol
Dobson likely gets in the lineup regularly this season and never comes out, he's gonna be a stud on that D core for the next decade!
Yeah of all the Islanders in the top 6 that are at that 30 or older age I could see Lee having the quickest and steepest drop off in play.
- JetFuel

I have to take issue with the comment about the Jets. They absolutely, and quite easily, could have improved their D core. Even just in this offseason.

2 2nd round draft picks, and maybe 7 mil gets you Toews, Joakim Ryan, and Tim Heed.
Toews would immediately be our best defenceman, and Ryan and Heed are both high level 3rd pairing defencemen who actually defend without sacrificing much offensively like Kulikov would.

Toews-DeMelo
Morrissey-Pionk
Ryan-Heed

I have to take issue with the comment about the Jets. They absolutely, and quite easily, could have improved their D core. Even just in this offseason.

2 2nd round draft picks, and maybe 7 mil gets you Toews, Joakim Ryan, and Tim Heed.
Toews would immediately be our best defenceman, and Ryan and Heed are both high level 3rd pairing defencemen who actually defend without sacrificing much offensively like Kulikov would.

Toews-DeMelo
Morrissey-Pionk
Ryan-Heed
- Rexypoo

Oh you don't have to convince me, idk why Chevy didn't get in on the D.Toews trade, I was mostly kidding but a guy like Pelech isn't a replacement level player, Beaulieu and Poolman are replacement level players but the key is if you need to replace them don't replace them with a guy like Bitetto.. Lol

I think the 3rd pair is fine so dont see a need for Ryan and/or Heed but the Jets are still missing two top 4 dmen, I'm not gonna go in circles with you as we see it differently cause I don't think DeMelo is a top 4 dman but had they acquired D.Toews I think this D would be at least passable.

I wasn't expecting much cause Chevy has Dayoff built into his name and I felt some size was needed on the backend so the Forbort signing is alright imo, I think he'll make a fine partner for Pionk.

There's still some time before the season starts, maybe there's another move coming to improve the defense core yet.

Oh you don't have to convince me, idk why Chevy didn't get in on the D.Toews trade, I was mostly kidding but a guy like Pelech isn't a replacement level player, Beaulieu and Poolman are replacement level players but the key is if you need to replace them don't replace them with a guy like Bitetto.. Lol

I think the 3rd pair is fine so dont see a need for Ryan and/or Heed but the Jets are still missing two top 4 dmen, I'm not gonna go in circles with you as we see it differently cause I don't think DeMelo is a top 4 dman but had they acquired D.Toews I think this D would be at least passable.

I wasn't expecting much cause Chevy has Dayoff built into his name and I felt some size was needed on the backend so the Forbort signing is alright imo, I think he'll make a fine partner for Pionk.

There's still some time before the season starts, maybe there's another move coming to improve the defense core yet.
- JetFuel

Forbort in a vacuum is a good signing at that price.
Forbort-Pionk is an overpowered 3rd pairing.
Forbort-Pionk as a 2nd pairing isn’t very good, and it gets even worse if Morrissey doesn’t recover.

The thing that pisses me off here is that we likely have two ready made, top 4 talents right here and now in Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg. We know Heinola can get the most out of Pionk, and Samberg would fit well in Mo’s system with his “slow the game down” style.
But of course, as soon as these bright lights appear at the end of the tunnel, the Jets make sure to have eight 1-way, waiver eligible defencemen on the roster, with the extra d*ck kick of Niku still being ranked 8th.

As for DeMelo, what makes you lack confidence in him? He makes a good “first pass”, he’s never out of position, and he’s a visible example of high hockey iq.
Also an analytics darling, so naturally I Stan

RE: Devon Toews - giving up 2 - 2nd round picks and then having to pay him $4 million plus per season, when you have prospects like Heinola and Samberg, does not make a lot of sense to me. Not denying that Toews has some talent, but he has played not even 2 full seasons (116 games) in the NHL. I think that Colorado may have overpaid.
Just one man's opinion.

remember when the blue and gold tried selling jerseys without gold on them?

RE: Devon Toews - giving up 2 - 2nd round picks and then having to pay him $4 million plus per season, when you have prospects like Heinola and Samberg, does not make a lot of sense to me. Not denying that Toews has some talent, but he has played not even 2 full seasons (116 games) in the NHL. I think that Colorado may have overpaid.
Just one man's opinion.
- bennythehat

Agree, there is no way that I would give up two 2nd rd picks for Devon Toews. He is not any all-star or anything.

Like you say, we have some kids coming, kids who may soon be just as every bit as good as Toews. Not saying Toews is terrible or anything, he certainly played decent late last season, but with Sandberg and Heinola arriving soon, we hope, we don't need Toews - at least for that price.

Really, I wonder, will there even be an NHL season, with Covid running rampant? All arenas here in Manitoba shut down until at least Dec. 11 I believe. What do you people think?

Agree, there is no way that I would give up two 2nd rd picks for Devon Toews. He is not any all-star or anything.

Like you say, we have some kids coming, kids who may soon be just as every bit as good as Toews. Not saying Toews is terrible or anything, he certainly played decent late last season, but with Sandberg and Heinola arriving soon, we hope, we don't need Toews - at least for that price.

Really, I wonder, will there even be an NHL season, with Covid running rampant? All arenas here in Manitoba shut down until at least Dec. 11 I believe. What do you people think?
- grahamzky

Good question. The NHL demonstrated in the summer that they can maintain a bubble so any petition they have to governments has a little added weight. I don't see it as increasing public health risk to have teams form a mini bubble to operate within a Canadian bubble. It can be at least as successful as baseball and football.

Politically there will be people in support of and people opposed. No government wants to cancel hockey in Canada and see their team operate out of a city in the US for the season so ultimately (in my opinion ) the politicians will be on board when the NHL shows up with a good plan.

Good question. The NHL demonstrated in the summer that they can maintain a bubble so any petition they have to governments has a little added weight. I don't see it as increasing public health risk to have teams form a mini bubble to operate within a Canadian bubble. It can be at least as successful as baseball and football.

Politically there will be people in support of and people opposed. No government wants to cancel hockey in Canada and see their team operate out of a city in the US for the season so ultimately (in my opinion ) the politicians will be on board when the NHL shows up with a good plan.
- 2.0

Problem, as I see it, is that football and baseball are played outdoors. Even then the Blue Jays played in the States.

Certainly the government will want to see an NHL season, with hockey being Canada''s sport. Just wonder if they can swing it?

Presently the talk has been a January 1 start-up. This, of course, would mean players reporting around December 15. Right now can't see that happening.

Big news is that there is vaccine on the horizon that would change things. Hopefully, for all our sake, is that it is out there for taking sooner than later.

Maybe with the various shut-downs in effect,, that we can open up before Xmas.

I think all of us, while wanting to stay safe, desperately want an NHL season. Maybe a 50-game season starting Feb 1? Would be better than nothing!