The youth movement never should have started. The only rookie we couldn't afford to not have on the Jets was Ehlers, simply because he had to go back to Junior or go overseas if he didn't make the squad. Putting Copp and Petan in as well? Exactly 1 game pro NHL experience between the two of them? Terrible ****ing idea. No idea if it was Chevy's idea or Chipman's, but they need to be flogged for that.
But wasn't the entire Jets board screaming for the youth movement to be put in place from the minute the Jets were ousted from the playoffs last season?
Not every of course and I'd have to go back through the threads since I drink and am getting up there but I don't remember a major outcry to go after any big name FA's really hard when the consensus was that up front all we needed to do was shore up the 4th line really.
Lowry is having a sophomore slump, not unheard of or might have a minor nagging injury he's not disclosing for fear of coming out of the lineup(which he now is anyway) but we shouldn't kid ourselves but if we were expecting a 20 goal season out of him I think we were shooting for the moon.
Burmistrov is what he is, a slightly more experienced version of what he was before. Valuable to an offensively explosive team but not if that offense is expected of him.
Don't think we'll ever see 20 points out of Andrew Copp and IMO he could have been sent down as well or instead of but I think the management expectation for Lowry was higher that for Copp, so he goes down for what likely is a short stint and it's not going to kill him.
As far as Ehlers it's the Jets or Juniors, correct so he's staying with the Jets. Shown flashes and has maybe been snakebit a little but maybe having a hard time trying(too hard) to live up to the expectations of management and the fanbase and it's getting to him. Tries to be a one man show.
Guaranteed though had we signed some of the free agent mooks out there that under performed while the children continued on playing in the minors or juniors the fan base would be catatonic, especially if results were the same as they are now.
Pretty sure that a regression of sorts had to be expected this season since last season the Jets were plainly and simply playing over their heads at times and every team in the toughest division in hockey improved at least on paper.
Doesn't mean that PoMo should have people screaming for his head or comparing him to the prior regime. It was apparent that when he took over he instilled actual systems that worked and sometimes slight personnel changes affect the overall success of those systems.
PoMo isn't on the ice and if he tells the players to do si do and instead the skip to my lou, what is he supposed to do. If players make bonehead plays and take bonehead penalties his only recourse since it can't be blamed on him is to sit their fat ***** on the end of the bench or make them eat cheetos in the press box. Don't imagine the latter is well received anywhere across the NHL but we've seen how it's turned out here.
If the hope is to sign Ladd or Byfuglien, parking either of them in the press box for even a game would likely ensure they didn't sign. Not saying it might not be deserved and surely some time sitting at the end of the bench is in order but how many guys can you fit at the end of the bench. PSS and Thorburn might be the only forwards not in need of some sit down time. LLW has been ok in spurts but then dismal for others. Thorburn really should be on the 4th line but no one from the 4th line deserves to move up and we can't even fall back on AP is a waste get him out of here because he hasn't been horrible. So we have one scoring line on fire right now and one that chips in occasionally and our secret weapon CHRIST HORBURN.
Don't feel like talking about the D really but maybe Postma actually needs to draw in and Morrissey isn't ready.
On a positive not Pavelec hasn't given up a bad goal in awhile and Hellebuyck has looked pretty darn good. When Pavelec gets back Hutchinson might need to go find Starsky to have something to do.
Maybe Halischuk, Pardy, Postma and whoever need to play and have some guys sit a game here or a game there. If players are underachieving because they are lazy, stupid or whatever their skates not touching the ice in a game is the only sure fire wake up call.
I think the team will be fine and won't get my jimmies in a jam if we miss the playoffs because the future looks bright and we're all gonna have to wear shades.