TorJet
Registered User
- Jun 27, 2016
- 313
- 201
During my relatively brief time on this board, I have been surprised by the inordinate amount of anti-Chevy talk. As with the news, it’s pretty normal that negativity is more likely to be voiced than positivity. But, that’s a shame because I believe the Jets’ front office has done an admirable job, particularly given the bucket of broken parts that was the Atlanta Thrashers when they arrived.
The Jets have set themselves a monolithian task – build a perennial contender in hockey’s smallest market. The San Antonio Spurs/Green Bay Packers plan. A “process†that takes incredible patience, near perfection at the Draft, a little luck and nailing the really important decisions.
To me, Chevy has had three key sets of decisions that he’s had to make. I’m not talking about the “resign your 4th line right wing†type decisions- you can always recover from those. I’m talking decisions that, if not handled correctly, would stall or reverse the forward progress of the team and their lofty, contending goals.
To me, the three key sets of decisions he’s faced, in no particular order:
1. Andrew Ladd vs. Dustin Byfuglien – who to resign, at what cost and term?
- Chevy of course chose Big Buff. Ladd is on track for a grand total of eight (8!!!) points this year. It looks like the lightning quick pace of the modern NHL may have ever so slightly passed him by. Buff, while having made a few mistakes this year, is being tasked with 30 minutes a game and we managed to keep the term to a reasonable length. I think Chevy absolutely nailed this decision. Getting Dano back also didn’t hurt, nor did a bagging a late 1st rounder for our troubles.
2. The Evander Kane saga
- Pretty clear that Chevy pulled off one of the most one-sided trades of recent memory. Beyond Myers, it’s the Roslovic + Armia + Lemieux aspect of this trade that makes it a huge win. It’s difficult to pull off a player-for-player trade in today’s league; Chevy waited for the right offer and crushed it.
3. First Round Picks
- The one thing that Chevy needed to get right to build a contender in a small market with minimal free agent potential. Scheifele, Trouba, Ehlers, Morrissey, Connor and Roslovic….. A few of these were slight surprises which makes it even clearer that Chevy and the scouting staff did an exceptional job of talent evaluation. I’m not even including Laine, who was almost assured to go 2nd regardless of the team there. It is nigh impossible to fault the Jets’ talent evaluation in the first round….
Sure we can point to not bringing back Frolik and Stempniak (role players, each). Signing Stu, Pavs, Strait and Thorburn (to be fair, outside of Pavelec, none of them are expected to play in our top 9 or top 4). Perhaps some small part in the Trouba saga. But I would suggest each of these decisions are far less important than the three above to builder a winner. When it has absolutely mattered, Chevy has consistently knocked it out of the park.
So, let’s give the man a little love rather than thinly veiled contempt for a change!
The Jets have set themselves a monolithian task – build a perennial contender in hockey’s smallest market. The San Antonio Spurs/Green Bay Packers plan. A “process†that takes incredible patience, near perfection at the Draft, a little luck and nailing the really important decisions.
To me, Chevy has had three key sets of decisions that he’s had to make. I’m not talking about the “resign your 4th line right wing†type decisions- you can always recover from those. I’m talking decisions that, if not handled correctly, would stall or reverse the forward progress of the team and their lofty, contending goals.
To me, the three key sets of decisions he’s faced, in no particular order:
1. Andrew Ladd vs. Dustin Byfuglien – who to resign, at what cost and term?
- Chevy of course chose Big Buff. Ladd is on track for a grand total of eight (8!!!) points this year. It looks like the lightning quick pace of the modern NHL may have ever so slightly passed him by. Buff, while having made a few mistakes this year, is being tasked with 30 minutes a game and we managed to keep the term to a reasonable length. I think Chevy absolutely nailed this decision. Getting Dano back also didn’t hurt, nor did a bagging a late 1st rounder for our troubles.
2. The Evander Kane saga
- Pretty clear that Chevy pulled off one of the most one-sided trades of recent memory. Beyond Myers, it’s the Roslovic + Armia + Lemieux aspect of this trade that makes it a huge win. It’s difficult to pull off a player-for-player trade in today’s league; Chevy waited for the right offer and crushed it.
3. First Round Picks
- The one thing that Chevy needed to get right to build a contender in a small market with minimal free agent potential. Scheifele, Trouba, Ehlers, Morrissey, Connor and Roslovic….. A few of these were slight surprises which makes it even clearer that Chevy and the scouting staff did an exceptional job of talent evaluation. I’m not even including Laine, who was almost assured to go 2nd regardless of the team there. It is nigh impossible to fault the Jets’ talent evaluation in the first round….
Sure we can point to not bringing back Frolik and Stempniak (role players, each). Signing Stu, Pavs, Strait and Thorburn (to be fair, outside of Pavelec, none of them are expected to play in our top 9 or top 4). Perhaps some small part in the Trouba saga. But I would suggest each of these decisions are far less important than the three above to builder a winner. When it has absolutely mattered, Chevy has consistently knocked it out of the park.
So, let’s give the man a little love rather than thinly veiled contempt for a change!
). The peripheral stuff seemed to be shuffling of deck chairs, while the "shiny new players who haven't done anything yet" matured to the point where they could actually do something.
