Speculation: Harkins vs Vesalainen

[surixon]

You are assuming that nothing could have been negotiated with VGK other than what was done. There would have been many other possibilities.

Of course we could have negotiated something else. I just don't feel we handled the draft all that badly.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Of course we could have negotiated something else. I just don't feel we handled the draft all that badly.

Rating it would be a matter of opinion. Could it have been worse? Sure. IMO, it also could have been better. Due to the number of key players on the Jets roster who were exempt, the Jets were in a better position than any other team going in. So our total cost of the XD was probably the lowest of any team. And so it should have been.

With the Jets drafting record, I'm pretty confident Chevy would have picked one of the right players at 13. Of course, there is no way to know that for certain. He might have taken Liljegren.

 

[JetsFan815]

^^ After the 2017 draft, I believe Garret had hinted that Liljegren was going to be their guy at #13 if they had not traded down, the Jets liked him and would have taken him if he fell.

I don't think Liljegren would have been a bad pick, ok not as good as Suzuki but he is coming along nicely and could be a 2nd pairing guy. I think people just assume that being a Leafs prospect who doesn't get much hype these days must automatically mean he is on a bust path considering how much Leafs prospects tires are pumped on this board.

 

[surixon]

^^ After the 2017 draft, I believe Garret had hinted that Liljegren was going to be their guy at #13 if they had not traded down, the Jets liked him and would have taken him if he fell.

I don't think Liljegren would have been a bad pick, ok not as good as Suzuki but he is coming along nicely and could be a 2nd pairing guy. I think people just assume that being a Leafs prospect who doesn't get much hype these days must automatically mean he is on a bust path considering how much Leafs prospects tires are pumped on this board.

I dont mind him at all and he is a solid prospect. I just don't think he is a much better prospect then Ves is at this point.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Harkins kind of reminds me of Ryan Kesler or Anthony Cirelli. I believe he'll be very solid for the Jets in the coming years.

Vesalainen I think still has potential, thought he did well in the NHL and feel Maurice should give him a genuine chance but he never gives young guys a chance unless their potential is too high. He held Scheifele back until Little got injured. After that Scheifele showed his true colours.

 

[heilongjetsfan]

This is a pretty tough question.

Harkins has pretty solid pedigree himself as second round pick in a deep draft. He has good size, smarts, solid hands and above average vision and playmaking. Couple that with his work ethic and much improved skating and I see him having a long career as an above average third line center/winger.

Vesalainen has great size, good hands, a terrific shot, and is a very good skater. He also seems to have come to the realization that he needs to work his ass off in order to make and stick in the NHL. I think there is a path for him here to grow into a second line winger slot over the next couple of seasons if he applies himself.

I like both players but ill say Harkins work ethic and probably greater degree of versatility will carry him to a longer career.

I've had a thing for Harkins since before we picked him. My number one wish was that we'd trade up to the top 8 or so for Connor. Number 2 was that we pick Harkins at 17. Had to wait a day, but got them both!

Clearly I voted Harkins AINEC IMHO. I think both are unlikely to play as high in the lineup as they could though, given the talent ahead of them and a coach with a crippling fear of the unknown.

 

[Al Camino]

The ket

Harkins kind of reminds me of Ryan Kesler or Anthony Cirelli. I believe he'll be very solid for the Jets in the coming years.

Vesalainen I think still has potential, thought he did well in the NHL and feel Maurice should give him a genuine chance but he never gives young guys a chance unless their potential is too high. He held Scheifele back until Little got injured. After that Scheifele showed his true colours.

Sadly as long as Maurice is in charge it safe to say that won’t be happening any time soon. Just wait until Chipman promotes him to GM after this year (bold 2021 prediction)

 

[rubikscube]

The ket

Sadly as long as Maurice is in charge it safe to say that won’t be happening any time soon. Just wait until Chipman promotes him to GM after this year (bold 2021 prediction)

Promotes Maurice to GM? This is an absolutely awful take.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

The ket

Sadly as long as Maurice is in charge it safe to say that won’t be happening any time soon. Just wait until Chipman promotes him to GM after this year (bold 2021 prediction)

Oh god... he should just be a player advisor.

But Maurice will not be a GM as Chevy has that job locked up.

 

[Al Camino]

Oh god... he should just be a player advisor.

But Maurice will not be a GM as Chevy has that job locked up.

I'm not sure. I could be wrong but Chevy doesn't have a contract after this season. The team has gotten worse not better in the last three years. Also it was Chipman not Chevy that announced the Maurice extension last year. Plus promoting Maurice would be the most TSNE thing ever.

 

[Al Camino]

Promotes Maurice to GM? This is an absolutely awful take.

Don't get me wrong it would be absolutely a terrible decision. But is it really a stretch to think it wouldn't happen? Maurice moves upstairs and Lowry is the new bench boss. TSNE loves to hire and promote from within. Noel, Zinger, Vincent, even Chevy was an old AHL/IHL guy from back in the day. Loyalty is kind of their unwritten guiding principal for better or (usually) worse.

 

[Teemusalami204]

As long as Lowry is 3c both will top out as a grinder shut down 3rd line player.

 

[rubikscube]

Don't get me wrong it would be absolutely a terrible decision. But is it really a stretch to think it wouldn't happen? Maurice moves upstairs and Lowry is the new bench boss. TSNE loves to hire and promote from within. Noel, Zinger, Vincent, even Chevy was an old AHL/IHL guy from back in the day. Loyalty is kind of their unwritten guiding principal for better or (usually) worse.

yes.

 

[surixon]

Don't get me wrong it would be absolutely a terrible decision. But is it really a stretch to think it wouldn't happen? Maurice moves upstairs and Lowry is the new bench boss. TSNE loves to hire and promote from within. Noel, Zinger, Vincent, even Chevy was an old AHL/IHL guy from back in the day. Loyalty is kind of their unwritten guiding principal for better or (usually) worse.

You have to wonder what Maurice's career aspirations are at this point in his life. He has coached for a very long time but is still fairly young. I have to think coaching is a pretty tough gig and can wear on you. I wonder if he has been thi lnking about moving up into a management role in which he wouldn't have to travel as much. I doubt he'd move right into a GM role but he could take a AGM role and learn that side of the business.

 

[JetsUK]

You have to wonder what Maurice's career aspirations are at this point in his life. He has coached for a very long time but is still fairly young. I have to think coaching is a pretty tough gig and can wear on you. I wonder if he has been thi lnking about moving up into a management role in which he wouldn't have to travel as much. I doubt he'd move right into a GM role but he could take a AGM role and learn that side of the business.

I agree that moving directly into the GM role is likely out of reach at this point. Given his skillset, I can see him moving into the management ranks, picking up his old work as an analyst or making the switch into player representation -- where his strengths might really shine.

 

[kcin94]

Harkins kind of reminds me of Ryan Kesler or Anthony Cirelli. I believe he'll be very solid for the Jets in the coming years.

Vesalainen I think still has potential, thought he did well in the NHL and feel Maurice should give him a genuine chance but he never gives young guys a chance unless their potential is too high. He held Scheifele back until Little got injured. After that Scheifele showed his true colours.

Held him back by having him be the 2nd line center at age 22?

 

[voyageur]

In a skating league Harkins worked hard on this aspect to become a pro. Vesalainen still has time. I thought playing in the K brought in some bad habits to his game, like Burmistrov. I think Vesalainen has more PP point potential, as he has good hands in close. Harkins skating will probably make him more of a regular on a Maurice team, that generates speed form the wing. I'm optimistic though that Gustafsson and Vesalainen can be a pretty effective combo, and could be a force on the cycle as they develop.

 

[Hunter368]

Very interested in seeing Harkins take a bit of a step forward this year. Hard to not like the guy, worked his butt off, ...just a hard working young man.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

Quite the promotion for Vesalainen!

Line rushes from practice today:

Forwards:
Copp-Scheifele-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Stastny-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Lewis
Perreault-Lowry-Appleton

Extras: Gustafsson & Toninato

Defense:
Forbort-Pionk
Beaulieu-Morrissey
Stanley-DeMelo

Extras: Niku-Poolman

Powerplay:
PP1: Scheifele, Wheeler, Connor, Stastny & Morrissey.
PP2: Copp, Dubois, Ehlers, Perreault & Pionk. (Lowry gets reps).

Reporters gushing over Vesalainen's last game "His best game as a Jet"



Settle down he played 5 minutes on Thursday. Here's his career TOI in his 9 NHL games sorted by date.

Once Harkins returns from his LBI, it will be interesting to see what transpires. Assuming all remains the same Vesalainen might simply be a place holder on L2

If there was ever an opportunity, this is it for K-Ves.

 

[truck]

I expect that Stastny line to be deployed like a 3rd or 4th line, with the two vets playing a key role on the powerplay.

That said, I'm excited to see Ves deployed with skill players.

 

[kcin94]

Quite the promotion for Vesalainen!

Line rushes from practice today:

Forwards:
Copp-Scheifele-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Stastny-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Lewis
Perreault-Lowry-Appleton

Extras: Gustafsson & Toninato

Defense:
Forbort-Pionk
Beaulieu-Morrissey
Stanley-DeMelo

Extras: Niku-Poolman

Powerplay:
PP1: Scheifele, Wheeler, Connor, Stastny & Morrissey.
PP2: Copp, Dubois, Ehlers, Perreault & Pionk. (Lowry gets reps).

Reporters gushing over Vesalainen's last game "His best game as a Jet"



Settle down he played 5 minutes on Thursday. Here's his career TOI in his 9 NHL games sorted by date.

View attachment 393806

Once Harkins returns from his LBI, it will be interesting to see what transpires. Assuming all remains the same Vesalainen might simply be a place holder on L2

If there was ever an opportunity, this is it for K-Ves.

Considering Harkins will likely be out for at least a week (Maurice categorizing it as more that day-to-day), KVes will get his shot as that line will not play less than 10 minutes.

 

[Benjamin Doveridge]

Vesalainen I think still has potential, thought he did well in the NHL and feel Maurice should give him a genuine chance but he never gives young guys a chance unless their potential is too high. He held Scheifele back until Little got injured. After that Scheifele showed his true colours.

Did Maurice hold back Scheifele? Or was he sheltered and allowed to develop? I seem to remember Scheifele being called “Bambi” because he was always falling. Maybe Little being hurt was the exact right time for Scheifele to blossom. Either way it is hard to argue that the Jets didn’t develop Scheifele well considering how he turned out.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Harkins in a heartbeat. Quite frankly, I've like his game far more than Vesalainen's game. I would like to see him get a crack at the top nine once again.

 

[Jet]

I really like Harkins but I just see Vesalainen's ceiling as higher - I think Harkins is more of a safe bet to become a solid NHL'er, but Vesalainen could be a high impact guy.

 

[kanadalainen]

Tough to pick one, I like the ceiling for both players. Different roles for each. Vesa had a strong game last week.