News Article: The Athletic agents poll (Winnipeg edition) - paywall

[Mortimer Snerd]

I thought Hayes put it well, there's just not a lot to do if you like the big city life. He didn't trash the city or anything but after playing in NYC your whole career coming to Winnipeg would be a drastic change. Some guys don't mind the small city vibe Winnipeg has but there will always be more 25-30 year olds that are attracted to big city life.

Unfortunately, that is true. Especially for under 30's. a lot of it is not even real. It is about reputation, hype, image. There is really no way to overcome that.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

When I say Maurice, I mean things like system PK/PP etc. I don't see an FA not playing here because of the coaching. Maurice is usually pretty high on those "coaches you'd love to play for" lists that the players do each year.

Winning solves a lot. Edmonton isn't top 2 on this list anymore because they're getting better and have the best player in the world on their team. It's still going to be tough even if the team is good.

I agree in the sense that we won't have players refusing to come here because they don't want to play for Maurice. But if we need to be a winner to attract talent and he is preventing us from being a winner, then it is on him.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I don't know if we really know how hard it is to get good ufas added to the Jets when they are good. Obviously in general according to these polls it is harder than most places but you're only looking for a player or two that values winning over weather.

For the past few years the Jets couldn't fit UFAs under the long term cap. First it was the unknown of the Trouba situation/protecting him from an offer sheet. This year it was Buff. Now they have to project Laine's contract in 2021. We really haven't seen Chevy with an opportunity in free agency with cap space to get a UFA. It's tough to punish a GM for drafting good players and preferring to sign them instead of UFAs.

The better teams tend to be closer to the cap, so less room for UFA's anyway. So you need to be a winner to attract UFA's but if you are a winner you don't have room for them. OTOH, if you are a winner you don't need them.

So where is it that the UFA's tend to sign? Weaker teams trying to look half decent while they are rebuilding? Bubble teams trying to take that one last step to becoming contenders? I'd guess the latter is the most common. We are that bubble team. We may or may not have cap space but we are that unattractive city that can't sign them, until we are actually a winner and don't need them.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Can't exactly contradict that - but winter gets a bad rap.

There are lots of things to do and enjoy in Winnipeg in the winter, unless your ability to have fun is limited to playing on the beach. Outdoors there are XC skiing, curling, snowmobiling, ice-fishing. Indoors, there are museums (yup!), concerts, plays, bars, casinos, lots of small live entertainment venues. I don't know what it is that people think they are going to do in those larger cities. The attraction of warmer is obvious, but I think it gets overrated. In Wpg winter you can't golf and the beach is no fun. I'm not sure what else is missing. Drinking on the patio I guess.

It is what you make of it for sure.
The aesthetic appeal of the city would be fairly poor in the eyes of a young player who’s likely interested in the night life and party scenes.
I think Cheveldayoff is at a big disadvantage for certain players because of their personalities that aren’t conducive to this climate and let’s face it Winnipeg is one of the least clean cities in my opinion and I have been to most major cities in Canada.
If memory serves me correctly Mario Lemeiux very seldom played here back in the day.

 

[Howard Chuck]

Interesting take.

Notably, the agents quoted in the article praised the Jets for being a very classy organization from top to bottom, and said that the Jets were really dedicated and effective in developing players. So the evidence suggests that agents disagree with your perspective about the organization.

I agree that it's a classy organization, and I've mentioned that above. I also think that Maurice did a great job of helping some players develop before last year and this.

What I was specifically saying is that a winning team will attract more FAs more that weather will. And we aren't doing that. Not only are we not winning, we look like we don't know how to use some of our team. As a matter of fact we don't know what we have or don't have because we don't even try anything new. If I was outside looking in and up for a trade, I wouldn't touch this team right now.

 

[Howard Chuck]

I'm trying to remember who coached the Jets when the Jets and their players were close to the top of the NHL. Can you remind me?

The same one who took that same team to being a terrible team the following year

 

[Howard Chuck]

Yup, blaming the coaching is the low hanging fruit. All the hockey elite are praising the job Maurice has done, yet the HFJets self proclaimed experts are having none of that! Fire the coach derp derp.

Yes, and I'm going to stick by that until I see some indication that Maurice is willing to try something/anything to make this team better. Yes, I'm aware of what our D looks like, but that has nothing to do with his other decisions.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

It is what you make of it for sure.
The aesthetic appeal of the city would be fairly poor in the eyes of a young player who’s likely interested in the night life and party scenes.
I think Cheveldayoff is at a big disadvantage for certain players because of their personalities that aren’t conducive to this climate and let’s face it Winnipeg is one of the least clean cities in my opinion and I have been to most major cities in Canada.
If memory serves me correctly Mario Lemeiux very seldom played here back in the day.

What, Mario just picked and chose games to play? I guess I could see that since he wasn't physically up to a full season - and he owned the team.

Maybe the Jets should start bringing visiting teams downtown to their hotels by helicopter so they don't have that aesthetically challenged ride from the airport.

The old barn could not have done anything to improve the perception of Winnipeg.

Yikes! Just looking up Marios stats. In his draft year in the Q he played 14 PO games. 29 goals, 52 pts. Just one highlight. Incredible player. Imagine what he could have done with better health.

 

[Whileee]

The same one who took that same team to being a terrible team the following year

You mean when he lost 4 of his top 5 D and his 2C?

 

[Teemusalami204]

Yup, blaming the coaching is the low hanging fruit. All the hockey elite are praising the job Maurice has done, yet the HFJets self proclaimed experts are having none of that! Fire the coach derp derp.

The hockey elite are blaming Chevy without saying it. They blame the roster that was assembled

 

[TheDeuce]

Not even close. That always has been and always will be Vancouver.

I don’t think travel is even close to being a factor. I love Winnipeg, but it’s freezing and there isn’t a whole lot to do here when compared to most NHL cities. It’s simply not a prime destination for twentysomethings with millions of dollars.

I don't understand the 'there isn't a whole lot to do here compared to most NHL cities' motif that infests HF.

I look at it from the other angle: what do other cities offer that Winnipeg doesn't? We have a solid live theater scene, solid museums, top-notch parks, any number of nightclubs, world-class dining, great access to winter sports in the cold and water sports / cabin country in the summer.

What am I missing out on by living in Winnipeg?



m.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Yes, and I'm going to stick by that until I see some indication that Maurice is willing to try something/anything to make this team better. Yes, I'm aware of what our D looks like, but that has nothing to do with his other decisions.

It’s all fine and good praising the job Maurice has done , but what about last year when we were leaking oil and there was an obvious disconnect in the dressing room?
It’s been a linear progression downward since the Vegas series and it’s not looking better.
I truly think Maurice had his pinnacle moment in the magical season of 114 points.
I can’t fathom another 2-3 years of this style of hockey.... can you?
Why is Winnipeg so afraid of change?

 

[Howard Chuck]

You mean when he lost 4 of his top 5 D and his 2C?

No, I meant last year, the year after our one good year. We made it to the playoffs, but only because we were somehow winning games in the first half of the season when many pointed out that we really shouldn't have, and then their play caught up with them in the second half of the season. Much like this season.

You don't have to agree, but my opinion is that Maurice isn't getting the most out of the roster he has.

 

[tbcwpg]

The hockey elite are blaming Chevy without saying it. They blame the roster that was assembled

I don't think they're even blaming Chevy. They're blaming the Buff situation mostly.

 

[Spock]

I don't understand the 'there isn't a whole lot to do here compared to most NHL cities' motif that infests HF.

I look at it from the other angle: what do other cities offer that Winnipeg doesn't? We have a solid live theater scene, solid museums, top-notch parks, any number of nightclubs, world-class dining, great access to winter sports in the cold and water sports / cabin country in the summer.

What am I missing out on by living in Winnipeg?



m.

How many times is someone going to go to the museum or to the park?

Keep in mind that some players go "home" in the summer no matter where they play hockey, so getting a cabin here isn't a huge draw, especially when you can afford to buy a cabin anywhere you want.

The arts and music scene here is definitely present, and stacks up quite well to other similar sized Canadian cities, but the variety of venues, the scale of the artists and groups, and overall quantity doesn't compare to that of larger US cities.

I'm not into nightlife, I occasionally go to a pub for a drink or two. Winnipeg clubs and pubs vs the rest of the NHL cities? I'll let someone else make that comparison.

And the weather...

 

[Whileee]

No, I meant last year, the year after our one good year. We made it to the playoffs, but only because we were somehow winning games in the first half of the season when many pointed out that we really shouldn't have, and then their play caught up with them in the second half of the season. Much like this season.

You don't have to agree, but my opinion is that Maurice isn't getting the most out of the roster he has.

The Jets season went downhill when Ehlers, Buff and then Morrissey were injured. They never really recovered, and neither Buff nor Morrissey were healthy in the playoffs. Even so, they actually outplayed the Blues in their series but had the 2nd best goalie.

 

[Howard Chuck]

The Jets season went downhill when Ehlers, Buff and then Morrissey were injured. They never really recovered, and neither Buff nor Morrissey were healthy in the playoffs. Even so, they actually outplayed the Blues in their series but had the 2nd best goalie.

Ok, I'll just leave it that I don't think Maurice is getting the best out of our roster.

 

[Whileee]

Ok, I'll just leave it that I don't think Maurice is getting the best out of our roster.

Perhaps not, but I'm not sure what could really have been expected of a roster with that D, and without Little, Lowry and Perreault (now).

 

[Yukon Joe]

What, Mario just picked and chose games to play? I guess I could see that since he wasn't physically up to a full season - and he owned the team.

Lemieux didn't own the team until '99,.

From what I remember (with the help of google) Mario missed all of 94-95 because of cancer. He would take games off as he was dealing with radiation, and Winnipeg in particular was a spot he would usually choose to miss.

 

[TS Quint]

Perhaps not, but I'm not sure what could really have been expected of a roster with that D, and without Little, Lowry and Perreault (now).

Little being gone is a blessing in disguise. The top 6 with Wheeler at 2C is far better. Maurice had to be forced into that decision. Previously we got "we know what it looks like with Wheels and Scheif apart. I'll just leave it at that".

Now we can at least hope for a bottom 6 of:

LITTLE -LOWRY-COPP/ROSLO
APPLETON-SHAW-PERRAULT

but who knows. He might be more pig headed than I thought and put Little back at 2C.

 

[TheDeuce]

How many times is someone going to go to the museum or to the park?

Keep in mind that some players go "home" in the summer no matter where they play hockey, so getting a cabin here isn't a huge draw, especially when you can afford to buy a cabin anywhere you want.

The arts and music scene here is definitely present, and stacks up quite well to other similar sized Canadian cities, but the variety of venues, the scale of the artists and groups, and overall quantity doesn't compare to that of larger US cities.

I'm not into nightlife, I occasionally go to a pub for a drink or two. Winnipeg clubs and pubs vs the rest of the NHL cities? I'll let someone else make that comparison.

And the weather...

So I ask again: “Other cities have so much more to do” - what does Denver or Columbus or Raleigh have that we don’t?

m.

 

[jetsforever]

The NHL Agent Poll: Agents have their say on GMs, Gary...

The Athletic survey's 22 NHL player agents anonymously, then puts together these results.

Some tidbits from a Winnipeg Jets perspective:

-Kevin Cheveldayoff did not rank on either the most reasonable, or most unreasonable, GMs to deal with

-Winnipeg just edges out Ottawa as the team most likely to land on a player's no-trade list. Top 4 rounded out by Buffalo and Edmonton. Which should be nobody's surprise.

Most interesting though were some of the comments from the agents about Winnipeg:



So I think we all pretty much knew where the Peg stands, it still kind of hurts to see it there in black and white. I guess it's nice to see the organization get some love (some of the other comments just savage the Senators organization).


[Note: I only pulled a few quotes from the entire article, which is allowed under Fair Use doctrine. Please don't anyone copy-paste the entire article

Pretty much to be expected, can't imagine a lot of the American guys would come here over LA, NYC, etc., all else being equal. I like this part: "The players I’ve had there love it. Love it." I think if people care about playing in a market where hockey is understood and appreciated, then it's a good place. If you want a big bustling city, maybe not so much.

 

[Gm0ney]

So I ask again: “Other cities have so much more to do” - what does Denver or Columbus or Raleigh have that we don’t?

m.

Those are far more millionaire-pissbaby-friendly cities...and also Queensryche is playing in Denver on Friday night.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Pretty much to be expected, can't imagine a lot of the American guys would come here over LA, NYC, etc., all else being equal. I like this part: "The players I’ve had there love it. Love it." I think if people care about playing in a market where hockey is understood and appreciated, then it's a good place. If you want a big bustling city, maybe not so much.

Again to each their own.
A young single player isn’t likely to be wowed by Winnipeg.
It’s just the way it is and several player polls have confirmed that.
Winnipeg just doesn’t have a lot of curb appeal to most people not born here.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Those are far more millionaire-pissbaby-friendly cities...and also Queensryche is playing in Denver on Friday night.

Exactly. It comes down to more stuff for filthy rich people to do. I don’t know that your average NHL player particularly cares about a vibrant arts scene or lots of good mom and pop ethnic restaurants. It’s more like can you fit in 18 holes in the middle of January.

And a place like Denver as an example, we’re still talking 3-4x the population of metro Winnipeg. Which means 3x-4x more young millionaires, and more stuff geared to them and (maybe more importantly) their SOs.

Denver’s LoDo district is cool as well. Like the Exchange District multiplied by about 20. Not a city that would be on Hank Chinaski’s NTC list.