Fueled by Passion and Delusion?

[Jet]

Make it happen, Chevy.

I would love to pry the SchennS out of Philly.

 

[wpgsilver]

B. Schenn and Coburn pretty please.

 

[Guardian17]

I think we are right where we should be and it sucks.

We are just good enough to just miss the playoffs.

Therefore, we are not close to being a Stanley Cup Contender, nor are we bad enough to pick first over all in the draft.

 

[buggs]

I think the team has been ok for the most part this season and has likely outperformed the professional pundit's expectations.

They've laid a couple of stinkers out there at home (Anaheim; Dallas) but they've also played a couple of games where they won and probably shouldn't have.

My issue with the team remains the compete level across the board. I recognize everyone has an off game now and then, but 90% of the time the team (not just some individuals) has to have a high compete level. I think Kane brings that. I think Little brings that. Enstrom. Trouba. Ladd? Not sure about everyone else, sometimes they are on, sometimes they aren't. And I'm going to lay that at Noel's feet. I don't think he has the respect in the dressing room. Look at Colorado...they're playing lights out and while they have offensive talent galore, they're still light on D and I'm not a believer in Varlamov. But it sure looks like Roy is a fire and brimstone kind of guy. Intimidation, motivation, fear...I'm not sure what it is but this is largely the same team as they had last year that ended up picking first overall. I don't think they sustain, but clearly they did something well.

Do we have the talent?
D: yup, it's there and we're getting smacked hard by injuries/issues again (don't lead with your face, Jacob) but it's a solid core.
F: we have a pretty legit top six right now. No superstars but a good breadth of talent that when they play their game can compete with anyone (see: home opener, L.A. Kings). The bottom six isn't so bad either, Jokinen has played much better, Frolik is a fine addition. Can it be better, yeah, sure it can but it's not awful.
G: a weak spot to be sure but it is what it is for now. Pavelec has played well this year for the most part, costing us maybe 1-2 games only, the rest are not on him. His playing time continues to be mismanaged to an extent though and that's not on him. So improvement is needed here.

We're a bubble team at the moment but we could be very frustrating to play in the playoffs if guys step up and we make it. Chevy has done a good job of building a team. But they have to want to win and they don't seem to do that under this coach. They have to play consistently, not to the level of the team they are facing. And they could use some luck which they really are on the short end of right now.

 

[buggs]

I think people are just tired of not seeing much progress. A lot of the same things that we'd blow off in Year 1 as "well, they're not a great team - let's give them some time..." are now "IT'S BEEN 3 YEARS FERGODSAKE - QUIT IT WITH THE 5-MAN BOX!"

It's a bit like we're treading water - Oduya, Hainsey, Antro, Burmi, Wellwood, Stapleton out / Clitsome, Jokinen, Trouba, Scheifele, Seto, Frolik in...and we're still pretty much in the same boat.

This.

 

[Aavco Cup]

My expectation for this year was 4th in the central. Not unrealistic. Could still happen.

 

[PaperRockChamp]

Whynotboth?

I am passionate and delusional when it comes to this team.

I only have one expectation between now and 2015-2016. Play hard. I have faith in Chevy and believe he still needs two more years to draft, trade away, and acquire whatever fits his plan.

The honeymoon's not over. Not even close.

 

[Analyst365]

Yes, generalizing the group I think we over rate the ability of this roster of players, causing us to blame Noel while we scrabble around to find the odd whipping boy from day to day.

This team is not that good. They are not beasts, when compared to teams who are above the line.

And no I am not saying I expect us to go out and sign Crosby or else we suck. We have what we have, and they're a cobbled together, mistake prone, rudderless ship.

 

[scelaton]

For sure we overrate the Jets--all fan bases do so with their teams. Sports is fantasy for most of us, a place where we can can be irrational, even delusional, and not be locked up.
Here was my recipe for playoff success, from a pre-season 'Dump Noel' thread:

If only it were so simple.

If Pavs has a save % >.915, and
If LLW stay healthy and maintain their pace, and
If our top 3 D stay just healthy enough to miss less than half a season of games combined, and
If this is the year that Scheif breaks out and centres an effective scoring line,
then the Jets make the playoffs.

Noel's role in the above is modest and his impact in the team making the playoffs this year, while important, is exaggerated IMO. More important than Noel are goaltending, injuries and the development of our young stars, who are just on the cusp.

Thus far,
Pavelec has not achieved .915,
LLW have not quite regained top form,
Our top 3 D are healthy, but #4 & 5 are injured, and
Scheif has not yet become an effective scoring/setup centre

All this could change in the second half of the season, especially if Trouba makes an early return, but for now, we are at least 3 ingredients short of a playoff team, not counting the coach.
No reason to despair, unless you confuse 'healthy delusion' with reality.

 

[viper0220]

I think we are right where we should be and it sucks.

We are just good enough to just miss the playoffs.

Therefore, we are not close to being a Stanley Cup Contender, nor are we bad enough to pick first over all in the draft.

This is the worst place to be in.

 

[viper0220]

I think people are just tired of not seeing much progress. A lot of the same things that we'd blow off in Year 1 as "well, they're not a great team - let's give them some time..." are now "IT'S BEEN 3 YEARS FERGODSAKE - QUIT IT WITH THE 5-MAN BOX!"

It's a bit like we're treading water - Oduya, Hainsey, Antro, Burmi, Wellwood, Stapleton out / Clitsome, Jokinen, Trouba, Scheifele, Seto, Frolik in...and we're still pretty much in the same boat.

This is very true and for some reason we cannot shake off the Thrashers stink off this team. It seems like the same stuff that is happening, happened in Atlanta.

 

[viper0220]

I would love to pry the SchennS out of Philly.

The question should be will the Schenns turn this team around? No, you will likely need to change coaches then maybe you have a better luck. Schenns by themselves will not turn this team around.

 

[BigZ65]

I think the expectation of playoffs is unrealistic from the point of view of a fan, organization and players should have that expectation and belief though. I would be happy if we could finish 5th in our division ahead of Nashville and Dallas. I believe those are the teams we should be better than (Dallas for sure) or close to (Nashville). I would have put Colorado in that group at the beginning of the season too. 4th in our division would be a great finish, potentially a playoff contender, 5th and 6-10 points short of the playoffs is more realistic IMO.

 

[Gnova]

I refuse to have a "fire the coach" "bench Pavalec" "Chevy is a moron" meltdown until I see how the team is looking at the Olympic break.

The Jets have been close to winning a lot of games so far this year. They aren't getting blown out.

 

[Grind]

I refuse to have a "fire the coach" "bench Pavalec" "Chevy is a moron" meltdown until I see how the team is looking at the Olympic break.

The Jets have been close to winning a lot of games so far this year. They aren't getting blown out.

while thats true, they looked lik hot garbage for 4 games strait, and have now looked better for 4 games strait.

Well they haven't been blown out I personally do not feel the score has been overly indicative of the games. We even one a couple on bounces alone.

That being said, the last 4 games have been good and i share your sentiment (close games, seem to be making progress, etc) but I'm still nervously expecting the wheels to fall of as soon as I exhale...

 

[Hobby Bull]

Poll added.

I could write several paragraphs on this subject, but I'll keep it succinct: no, I don't believe the expectations for this team are unrealistic at this point.

The expectation for the 2013-14 Jets has been to make the playoffs, and considering how close they came last season, I don't think that's unrealistic at all.

I hear you saying that it's reasonable to expect them to make the playoffs.

Just for what it's worth, they were 4:1 against making the playoffs. That was the betting line when the season started.

As far as the gamblers of the world go, I would say that was an expectation from outside the Jet's boards that they would not make the playoffs. Considering the way that betting lines are built, with some limited research and by monitoring money placed, that would be one measure that the playoffs are unrealistic as an expectation.

So, the betting line calls your expectation unreasonable.

 

[moosehead81]

Great for both the team and the fans to have high expectations. Unfortunately, at this stage of the season, when one looks at the teams that the Jets must beat out for the 8th spot in the conference, it's unrealistic to expect a play-off position. The Colorado fast start has really thrown a monkey wrench into the thing cause this would have been one of the teams expected to finish behind the Jets. Then you have San Jose, Anaheim, LA and Vancouver in the Pacific and Chicago and St Louis in the Mid-West; the Jets will not finish ahead of any of these teams. This leaves all of Phoenix, Dallas, Minnesota and Nashville to finish in the rear and I don't think that's going to happen. I am hopeful that the Jets will, at least, finish ahead of Edmonton and Calgary.

Unfortunately, there's no quick fix- the core of the team is what it is, given the signings this summer. I do think the core is fairly strong (not a Stanley Cup contender though) but there's a fundamental issue with the inconsistencies in play shown to date. That I put down to the head coach who doesn't seem to be much of a motivator. Nice that he's generally supportive in public of his team's play but hey, you're paid to win, not just be competitive and still lose. Although the nights they're not competitive makes me want to pull my hair out.

 

[pcanuck]

Fans on here and in Winnipeg have higher expectations. No doubt about it!

We/ they see NHL hockey as a sport and not entertainment. Include me in that category. They want to win and there are no other real sports franchises in Winnipeg. The CFL is a semi-pro league with 8-9 teams. Enough said. The Goldeyes will one day be a AAA team but not anytime soon. So the Jets are all people in Winnipeg have to really cheer for.

Year 1 -

No one expected anything. Everyone was happy to have a team. Unfortunately that includes TNSE! TNSE didn't have a name. TNSE didn't have a logo. TNSE didn't have an jersey or colors. TNSE didn't need a president of hockey ops. So Chipman (with his AHL experiences in hand) simply chose a GM - a rookie one at that and then the GM chose another rookie coach (from a losing organization).

Since ... year 2 ... now year 3 ... we've done nothing. No significant trades. Where is the draft and develop? All I see is the development of the NHL Thrashers. We've done nothing to move veterans for picks and reduce salary and/or change the culture. Instead, we've kept the culture of losing. We resigned everyone who weren't consistent. We are using the waiver wire like it's the NHL draft. What does that say? Yeah, we'll be consistent all right.

I've said all along to right the ship we need a president of hockey ops with NHL experience. We need them to hire a real GM. Then we need a head coach who can control the room and the ice and develop a system of D play D and F score. Hockey is a simple game. Unfortunately no one at TNSE played it. That's the problem. The players? They'll play any way you want but they need leadership at the top.

 

[KingBogo]

I voted no. Most posters are hopeful, but I can't remember reading anything that is totally out to lunch regarding expectations. Most seem to believe we will be in the hunt for a playoff spot but it could go either way. There is nothing so far to suggest we won't be a bubble team so IMO this matches most peoples expectations.

 

[ps241]

I hear you saying that it's reasonable to expect them to make the playoffs.

Just for what it's worth, they were 4:1 against making the playoffs. That was the betting line when the season started.

As far as the gamblers of the world go, I would say that was an expectation from outside the Jet's boards that they would not make the playoffs. Considering the way that betting lines are built, with some limited research and by monitoring money placed, that would be one measure that the playoffs are unrealistic as an expectation.

So, the betting line calls your expectation unreasonable.

Yea I think "realistically" we have about a 1 in 4 shot on paper, meaning we will be chasing the last playoff spot with at least 3 other teams neck and neck like last year if we are lucky because we are in the west now and the competition is tougher. I sense allot of our fans feel we should be a playoff team now based on an arbitrary time line, hope, entitlement, or something other than our actual talent today compared to the other teams in the west.

I am not saying we can't make it.....I am not saying we suck.....I tend to be optomistic by nature and I am a fanboy......I just think with our strengths and weaknesses the Vegas odds have it about right.

 

[Savagestevo]

I think this board has gotten more negative this year because the euphoria of getting a team back has worn off and now people are expecting results from the team. Not only are we not getting them, the team might actually have gotten worse.

 

[arby18]

I voted yes, because expecting this team to do anything in the West was wishful thinking all along.

The Jets are 2-4-1 in the Central and they've yet to play Chicago yet. They're next four games are St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Chicago.

I have no problem with them missing the playoffs. I just wish the team would look like they're improving. After 2+ years, I'm not sure they are, though the last few games have shown promise.

BTW - moving the 2014 2nd for Setoguchi still confuses me. Are we still aiming for the future? If so, why give up a top-40 (which is where I expect it to be) pick for a pending UFA?

 

[pucka lucka]

Just missing the playoffs for a 3rd year in a row is bordering on incompetence. You can't get a lot better drafting 15th every year. I despise mediocrity, especially after seeing the previous NHL team do it for 20 years.

Edit:
I'll rephrase, just missing the playoffs for 3 years straight without making any changes is bordering on incompetence.

 

[fatschoonerrat]

Tl;dr. I've been watching this franchise for more than a decade. Somehow, we got stuck in the doldrums. We are still there. From a Thrashers fan's perspective, is it unrealistic to think your team could make the playoffs more than once in 13 seasons? We do have a lot of talent. It'd be great to see a coach that recognized we could play a possession game. But the honeymoon in Winnipeg drags on... I'm not expecting any changes soon.

 

[angrymnky]

I despise mediocrity, especially after seeing the previous NHL team do it for 20 years.

Making the playoffs their third season entering the NHL and being the 4th best team in the league in their 6th season. I'd be really happy if we matched that mediocrity.