Wheeler: "It's gotta be this year"

Festinator

Registered User
Apr 6, 2016
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Calgary
So, you would prefer it if I'm even more negative and complain about others? Yeah, I can do that. Wheeler is my pet peeve at the moment simply because I expect more from him, especially after all the talk about this team has to step up this year. If the young-uns continue acting out, they will probably get a stern lecture from me at some point but I'm trying to be a bit more patient there. Mason I am complaining about. Enstrom is like winter to me. No use for it, but it will go away soon enough. Can't be bothered to complain about it.
It's not you being negative that was the problem, it was the spew of complete nonsense you posted.
 

10Ducky10

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Statistically, Wheeler is one of the top RWers in the league. Has been for awhile. I can't see us affording him and signing him to the length of contract he will want. He will also command a large payday. He should have been moved last summer but if he gets another 70ish points this season, he will bring back a fortune. I'd sooner keep him but I don't think Chevy is gonna like his offer.
 

Gm0ney

Unicorns salient
Oct 12, 2011
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...
This just further reinforced my view that if the coach goes some of the veteran leadership needs to go too. Hiw many coaches do we need to go through before we say the players are partly to blame too?

Well we've gone through one coach so far: Claude Noel. We've gone through about 36 players, though. There are 6 players on the roster that were here when Maurice arrived: Scheifele, Wheeler, Little, Byfuglien, Enstrom and Trouba...everyone else is new and hasn't played under any other head coach here than Paul Maurice.

6 seasons and 1 playoff appearance (zero playoff games won) and there's only been one coach fired from the organization? It's f***ing ridiculous.
 

ERYX

'Pegger in Exile
Oct 25, 2014
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Ontario, Canada
Well we've gone through one coach so far: Claude Noel. We've gone through about 36 players, though. There are 6 players on the roster that were here when Maurice arrived: Scheifele, Wheeler, Little, Byfuglien, Enstrom and Trouba...everyone else is new and hasn't played under any other head coach here than Paul Maurice.

6 seasons and 1 playoff appearance (zero playoff games won) and there's only been one coach fired from the organization? It's ****ing ridiculous.

That's a fair point about the roster turnover. I honestly hadn't realized that so many players had come and gone during that time frame. And yet, the ones who I was directing my criticism at the most -- the core players and especially Wheeler and Trouba who I've been the most disappointed with lately -- are still here.

That said, it does put it into perspective that Winnipeg has one of the longest tenured coaches, and yet one of the worst playoff "records" in the league over the same timeframe. To an extent I like the conservative approach of TNSE and I think that sometimes the trigger is pulled on coaches too fast. Yet on the other hand, it's starting to smack of accepting failure.
 

nobody important

the pessimist returns
Jul 12, 2015
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That's a fair point about the roster turnover. I honestly hadn't realized that so many players had come and gone during that time frame. And yet, the ones who I was directing my criticism at the most -- the core players and especially Wheeler and Trouba who I've been the most disappointed with lately -- are still here.

That said, it does put it into perspective that Winnipeg has one of the longest tenured coaches, and yet one of the worst playoff "records" in the league over the same timeframe. To an extent I like the conservative approach of TNSE and I think that sometimes the trigger is pulled on coaches too fast. Yet on the other hand, it's starting to smack of accepting failure.

It's starting to smack of not being able to recognize the cause of your failure. And this is my biggest worry about firing Maurice while Chevy is the guy who will hire his replacement. There is no question that Chevy does some things well. I don't think coach evaluation is one of them, and that is a critical part of the job. He's hired two bad coaches, he should not get a chance to hire a third. Don't even bring up the speculation that Noel was Chipman's guy. Chevy either agreed with that hiring, or he sold his soul to keep his job. Either way, the stink still comes from his armpits.

Failure this year to me means a three pronged attack is required. GM, coaches and some core players. This team will have to be blown up like the dam on FTWD. Sorry if that's a spoiler but come on. If you haven't watched the season finale by now, you can't really call yourself a fan. :laugh:
 

JetsFan815

Registered User
Jan 16, 2012
19,119
23,871
This team will have to be blown up like the dam on FTWD. Sorry if that's a spoiler but come on. If you haven't watched the season finale by now, you can't really call yourself a fan. :laugh:

Knowing the Jets the real spoiler ending to this season would be another winstreak in meaningless games in March/April. WPG media flooding the internet with articles and tweets about the Jets "finally putting it together", "playing the right way" and how "next season will the year". The tank thread on here being full of angst and handwringing at the Jets improving their draft position while some of us try to convince ourselves that there's "not that much of a difference between having the 5th seed in the draft lottery and the 11th seed" as we eagerly refresh hockeyprospect.com and other draft websites while pre-ordering our favorite draft guides. :sarcasm:
 

Eyeseeing

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It's starting to smack of not being able to recognize the cause of your failure. And this is my biggest worry about firing Maurice while Chevy is the guy who will hire his replacement. There is no question that Chevy does some things well. I don't think coach evaluation is one of them, and that is a critical part of the job. He's hired two bad coaches, he should not get a chance to hire a third. Don't even bring up the speculation that Noel was Chipman's guy. Chevy either agreed with that hiring, or he sold his soul to keep his job. Either way, the stink still comes from his armpits.

Failure this year to me means a three pronged attack is required. GM, coaches and some core players. This team will have to be blown up like the dam on FTWD. Sorry if that's a spoiler but come on. If you haven't watched the season finale by now, you can't really call yourself a fan. :laugh:
Chipman has allowed this but he can because he owns this club.
He needs an intervention.
There are only so many die hards to support this circus.
 

kelsier

Registered User
Aug 17, 2013
4,280
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It's got to be this year.... to tank? :D

He's the soft spot of Maurice and as long as Maurice is behind the bench this man is not going anywhere, not with all the luxuries he's enjoying. Basically endless amount of ice time. What happens if the team finally gets it's act together and shuffles PaMo off to Bahamas is another question. Luckily at that point Wheelers' best years should be behind him as well and if he was asking for the moon, they wouldn't need to hand it.
 

Tom ServoMST3K

In search of a Steinbach Hero
Nov 2, 2010
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What's your excuse?
It's starting to smack of not being able to recognize the cause of your failure. And this is my biggest worry about firing Maurice while Chevy is the guy who will hire his replacement. There is no question that Chevy does some things well. I don't think coach evaluation is one of them, and that is a critical part of the job. He's hired two bad coaches, he should not get a chance to hire a third. Don't even bring up the speculation that Noel was Chipman's guy. Chevy either agreed with that hiring, or he sold his soul to keep his job. Either way, the stink still comes from his armpits.

Failure this year to me means a three pronged attack is required. GM, coaches and some core players. This team will have to be blown up like the dam on FTWD. Sorry if that's a spoiler but come on. If you haven't watched the season finale by now, you can't really call yourself a fan. :laugh:

Was Noel a bad coach? I'm not 100% convinced. Inexperienced, sure, but if you look at the first couple years, he had that team playing way above the sum of it's parts. Kane-Burmi-Wellwood 2nd line in year one. GST as a third line. And we actually competed night in night out.

He did a good job coaching the roster, but if I had to guess what his downfall was, he let the room get a little out of control. I hope he gets another chance somewhere.
 
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Eyeseeing

Fagheddaboudit
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Was Noel a bad coach? I'm not 100% convinced. Inexperienced, sure, but if you look at the first couple years, he had that team playing way above the sum of it's parts. Kane-Burmi-Wellwood 2nd line in year one. GST as a third line. And we actually competed night in night out.

He did a good job coaching the roster, but if I had to guess what his downfall was, he let the room get a little out of control. I hope he gets another chance somewhere.
Chevy didn't hire Noel
I agree Noel got way more mileage with less
 

nobody important

the pessimist returns
Jul 12, 2015
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Chevy didn't hire Noel

This must be viewed in the context of the Three Laws of General Management.
  1. A GM may not screw up a team or, through inaction, allow a team to be screwed up.
  2. A GM must obey the orders given it by meddling owners except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A GM must protect its own existence by firing coaches as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws
:D
 

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