Seeing this makes me wonder what Harkins did to deserve taxi squad purgatory. He definitely played well enough to roll in occasionally at minimum.
- Jetlag

Harkins probably did something that upset Wheeler. You know Maurice, he's good as long as Wheels is happy.

Well it's the Maurice way. He makes young guys get cold and then expects them to come into the line-up and produce. He's essentially Potma'ing Harkins. It's funny then afterwards, Maurice wonders why some players confidences are shattered.
- TheUltimateJet

It is pretty terrible development and usage of young talent especially guys who you hope are going to be offensive contributors at some point, it's a pleasant surprise Appleton has regained the offensive side of his game.

There's no reason to not rotate guys in on the 4th line occasionally and even the 3rd line depending on how it's doing, seeing how little Copp has been doing putting Harkins in Copp's spot is worth trying imo.

Seeing this makes me wonder what Harkins did to deserve taxi squad purgatory. He definitely played well enough to roll in occasionally at minimum.
- Jetlag

Very much agree and it's weird cause Maurice has spoken highly of Harkins in the past so you'd think he'd rotate him in once in awhile at least.

It is pretty terrible development and usage of young talent especially guys who you hope are going to be offensive contributors at some point, it's a pleasant surprise Appleton has regained the offensive side of his game.

There's no reason to not rotate guys in on the 4th line occasionally and even the 3rd line depending on how it's doing, seeing how little Copp has been doing putting Harkins in Copp's spot is worth trying imo.
- JetFuel

This is precisely how I feel. As much as Copp hasn’t done anything offensively, he’d be a ways down my list to rotate in and out, Vesalainen I really think could provide a bit of offence in the bottom 6 many of the current guys have proven incapable of.

This is precisely how I feel. As much as Copp hasn’t done anything offensively, he’d be a ways down my list to rotate in and out, Vesalainen I really think could provide a bit of offence in the bottom 6 many of the current guys have proven incapable of.
- Jetlag

Sorry I should've been clearer, I didn't mean take Copp out of the lineup, I meant put Harkins in Copp's spot and drop Copp down to 4C, take Thompson or Lewis out of the lineup, preferably Thompson, the bottom six would then be
Harkins-Lowry-Appleton and Perreault-Copp-Lewis.

Sorry I should've been clearer, I didn't mean take Copp out of the lineup, I meant put Harkins in Copp's spot and drop Copp down to 4C, take Thompson or Lewis out of the lineup, preferably Thompson, the bottom six would then be
Harkins-Lowry-Appleton and Perreault-Copp-Lewis.
- JetFuel

At least giving opportunity to those up and comers. Just watched Thompson do a whole lot of nothing on Oilers last goal, kinda ugly.

On the positive side of things the Jets really did not play at all badly in either game and just as easily could have won both if not for missing some wide-open nets and hitting a multitude of posts and crossbars. In a playoff series with the Oilers, it would be hard to pick a winner because it will ultimately just come down to who gets more breaks. The Leafs and even Canadiens also fall into this same discussion.

As for guys like Harkins getting a chance. I think you'll see that rotation start to come into play very soon as the schedule gets very busy.

On the positive side of things the Jets really did not play at all badly in either game and just as easily could have won both if not for missing some wide-open nets and hitting a multitude of posts and crossbars. In a playoff series with the Oilers, it would be hard to pick a winner because it will ultimately just come down to who gets more breaks. The Leafs and even Canadiens also fall into this same discussion.

As for guys like Harkins getting a chance. I think you'll see that rotation start to come into play very soon as the schedule gets very busy.
- jetsnation

I don’t think so. Maurice does not even like a rotation when he has the line-up he wants. I don’t understand how he continues to play Scheifele 20+ minutes/game when the schedule is super condensed. All he has to do run 4 lines with centers being Scheifele, Dubois, Stastny and Lowry (in that order) and he would minimize the chances of any of his forwards getting injured and could dictate the flow of the game. Maurice has essentially turned what would have been an immense strength into whatever you want to call it.

I don’t think so. Maurice does not even like a rotation when he has the line-up he wants. I don’t understand how he continues to play Scheifele 20+ minutes/game when the schedule is super condensed. All he has to do run 4 lines with centers being Scheifele, Dubois, Stastny and Lowry (in that order) and he would minimize the chances of any of his forwards getting injured and could dictate the flow of the game. Maurice has essentially turned what would have been an immense strength into whatever you want to call it.
- TheUltimateJet

Not true. Maurice has been rotating those lives much more evenly as of late. Last game it may have swayed a bit in the last 10 min because we were down a goal but otherwise the fourth line was over 10 minutes and the top line under 20 minutes over the past few games.