Confirmed with Link: Leon Gawanke 1 year 2ways

[gojetsgo]

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[GeorgeJETson]

The Calder Cup is as good as ours.

The Jets roster is allowed to play in the AHL, right?

 

[puck stoppa]

Good depth player. Looking forward to him getting a cup of tea maybe this year.

 

[MardyBum]

Has to clear waivers, btw.

 

[snowkiddin]

Has to clear waivers, btw.

I sincerely doubt that’ll be an issue FWIW

 

[Guardian17]

Glad to see him back.

 

[voyageur]

Has to clear waivers, btw.

At least 4 of the d-men likely headed to the Moose will have to clear waivers, in Kovacevic, Gawanke, Capobianco and Sauntner. Of all of them I think Kovacevic has the best chance of being snapped up. Maybe the amount of d-men currently signed is a buffer in the eventual case one is lost. Because on the right side there is still Lundmark and Bauer signed, who need some playing time for development.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Who says Chevy doesn't do anything in the off season.

 

[Jets4Life]

Gawanke scolds NHL team: "I ripped my ass open"​

National defender Leon Gawanke made the leap to North America a few years ago. He returns for the new season and criticizes ex-club Winnipeg Jets in clear words.

After four years with the Winnipeg Jets, Gawanke clearly had a lot of frustration that he was venting. "I'm definitely not going another year there. That's it now," said the 23-year-old at the World Cup in Finland and Latvia.


Gawanke was drafted by the club from the Canadian province of Manitoba, but has only been used in the Manitoba Moose farm team in the second-rate AHL since 2019. "You never accept something like that if you perform year after year and sacrifice yourself and then aren't even rewarded," said Gawanke.

In the past AHL season, he scored a strong 20 goals as a defender and scored 45 points in 68 main round games. "I worked my ass off there for four years, to put it in German, and wasn't rewarded. That's obviously frustrating, especially when I see who gets a chance."

"There is still hope that they will trade me"​

For the new season, Gawanke signed with the Adler Mannheim , no other NHL team should take notice of him. "There's still hope that they'll trade me," Gawanke said, referring to the Jets who continue to hold the NHL rights to him.

At the World Cup, Gawanke has the chance to draw attention to himself in the next few games with Germany. After the three narrow defeats at the start of the tournament, the defender is determined: "Now there are no more excuses."

source: Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers | Illegal Curve Hockey

 

[hockeyarena]

Gawanke scolds NHL team: "I ripped my ass open"​

National defender Leon Gawanke made the leap to North America a few years ago. He returns for the new season and criticizes ex-club Winnipeg Jets in clear words.

After four years with the Winnipeg Jets, Gawanke clearly had a lot of frustration that he was venting. "I'm definitely not going another year there. That's it now," said the 23-year-old at the World Cup in Finland and Latvia.


Gawanke was drafted by the club from the Canadian province of Manitoba, but has only been used in the Manitoba Moose farm team in the second-rate AHL since 2019. "You never accept something like that if you perform year after year and sacrifice yourself and then aren't even rewarded," said Gawanke.

In the past AHL season, he scored a strong 20 goals as a defender and scored 45 points in 68 main round games. "I worked my ass off there for four years, to put it in German, and wasn't rewarded. That's obviously frustrating, especially when I see who gets a chance."

"There is still hope that they will trade me"​

For the new season, Gawanke signed with the Adler Mannheim , no other NHL team should take notice of him. "There's still hope that they'll trade me," Gawanke said, referring to the Jets who continue to hold the NHL rights to him.

At the World Cup, Gawanke has the chance to draw attention to himself in the next few games with Germany. After the three narrow defeats at the start of the tournament, the defender is determined: "Now there are no more excuses."

source: Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers | Illegal Curve Hockey

Lol. Another nikuesque narcissist.

 

[bustamente]

Somebody needs to tell some of these guys AHL talent doesn't mean you have NHL talent

 

[Channelcat]

I have no doubt he is capable of playing in the NHL. Although perhaps not in Winnipeg. I can't blame him....hes right!

 

[John Agar]

There is a running theme here...

 

[surixon]

There is a running theme here...

Gawanke may or may not have a case but the org really should be starting to take some of this to heart. Players will get fed up if not given the opportunity they deserve.

 

[GJF]

Gawanke scolds NHL team: "I ripped my ass open"​

National defender Leon Gawanke made the leap to North America a few years ago. He returns for the new season and criticizes ex-club Winnipeg Jets in clear words.

After four years with the Winnipeg Jets, Gawanke clearly had a lot of frustration that he was venting. "I'm definitely not going another year there. That's it now," said the 23-year-old at the World Cup in Finland and Latvia.


Gawanke was drafted by the club from the Canadian province of Manitoba, but has only been used in the Manitoba Moose farm team in the second-rate AHL since 2019. "You never accept something like that if you perform year after year and sacrifice yourself and then aren't even rewarded," said Gawanke.

In the past AHL season, he scored a strong 20 goals as a defender and scored 45 points in 68 main round games. "I worked my ass off there for four years, to put it in German, and wasn't rewarded. That's obviously frustrating, especially when I see who gets a chance."

"There is still hope that they will trade me"​

For the new season, Gawanke signed with the Adler Mannheim , no other NHL team should take notice of him. "There's still hope that they'll trade me," Gawanke said, referring to the Jets who continue to hold the NHL rights to him.

At the World Cup, Gawanke has the chance to draw attention to himself in the next few games with Germany. After the three narrow defeats at the start of the tournament, the defender is determined: "Now there are no more excuses."

source: Winnipeg Jets Morning Papers | Illegal Curve Hockey

There is a full discussion about Gawanke and the status of D-prospects going on for those who are interested. Starting here.

Gawanke may or may not have a case but the org really should be starting to take some of this to heart. Players will get fed up if not given the opportunity they deserve.

True. To me, this is kind of a "dodged a bullet" situation for the Jets because it happend with Gawanke and not with Heinola. I said it in the prospect thread: If Leon Gawanke is sitting in that Moose locker room thinking like that, what is Ville Heinola thinking?

 

[UFO]

To be fair I know where he is coming from. The mentality is much different over here in Europe when it comes to Pro Sports. In Europe the management/coaching staffs tend to talk to (younger) players more often and explain their place on the roster. If you don't play you get an explanation why exactly. Also if you aren't good enough for the next step you are told.

Besides, one of the worst aspect, especially in Switzerland, is the way young skilled players get treated. If you can pass a puck two times you'll get hailed as the next Roman Josi. People start treating you like a king (far too early and too soon). They do everything for you to make you feel comfortable. Then you go to North America and all of a sudden you don't get a good night kiss anymore, you are just one player among many. No special treatment anymore. The warmth and security of a happy club life is suddenly gone. That's a major shock for many. You get told how awesome you are for several years and in North America coaches don't even talk to you. You just don't play (anymore), without explaining.

Europeans, especially Germans and Swiss clubs, have to stop spoiling younger players and give them a reality check. Prepare them for competition instead. Prove yourself. Only ultra competitive Swiss players last in the NHL long enough.

For every Hischier, Meier, Niederreiter, Josi there is a Hofmann, Brunner, von Arx. They all came back to be in their comfort zone in Switzerland.

 

[GJF]

Sure but Leon Gawanke has chosen the NA path and is playing in NA since he was 17. He moved from Berlin U19 to Cape Breton. It's not like he was hailed as the next Uwe Krupp or Dennis Seidenberg here and then had a rude awakening the following one to two years. Therefore, the Jets drafted him while playing in the QMJHL, not in Germany. He knows the system, he knows the grind, he knows the path he chose. He was playing most of the season next to Ville Heinola, a guy that has a really tough time trying to make it in the NHL as well and he was a first round pick, WJC gold medal winner, WJC all-star team pick.

I get what you're trying to put into perspective, it just doesn't hold up in the particular case of Gawanke. It's particularly curios if you think about the situation right now he's in: the upcoming season would be the first one in which the Jets would make a decision anyway since he'd need to go through waivers. It's gonna be play him or trade him and if he really deserves to have a spot on some NHL roster, he'd get picked up. Just like Kovacevic and Eyssimont last season.

That's how thinks work in the NHL and I don't get why he thinks NOW he's fed up and NOW he needs to bolt to Europe. To me, next summer would be that year (if he still wouldn't have been called up), not this year. It doesn't make much sense to me but what do I know.

I know from the Adler Mannheim insider bubble as well (as I posted in my original post in the prospect thread) that Gawanke and the Jets fron office left on bad terms which is the reason why he signed in Europe "over night" as it felt like. Bridges have been burned. If you add that to the entire dynamic, I see Gawanke's chance slim to zero of now having a chance of making the NHL.

 

[UFO]

You are right. Younger players usually make the move to NA way earlier than they used to. One would think they could adapt to it's rules and mentality. However, it still takes effort, patience, perseverance and a little bit of luck. I might add I have always found German players to be mentally way stronger than Swiss players - no matter whether it's football or hockey etc.

I haven't followed his path to be frank. Sometimes you are just on the wrong team. Time will tell.

 

[John Agar]

Gawanke may or may not have a case but the org really should be starting to take some of this to heart. Players will get fed up if not given the opportunity they deserve.

Yes... in the immortal words of Dr. Evil...

 

[macmaroon]

If Leon Gawanke is sitting in that Moose locker room thinking like that, what is Ville Heinola thinking?

 

[Orrrules]

That's obviously frustrating, especially when I see who gets a chance."

I agree with him on that point.

 

[Channelcat]

Nobody is saying Gawanke is a top 4 NHL D, but he's probably better than alot guys who are playing right now. That being said there's a number of teams that are stacked with middling d.

And he's RHD! I had mistakenly called him LHD earlier.

 

[macmaroon]

 

[Buffdog]

That's obviously frustrating, especially when I see who gets a chance."

I agree with him on that point.

Who do you slot him in over? Capobianco?

I wonder who he's talking about. Maybe Stanley

I'm starting to think that there's a real culture issue on thr Moose, not just the Jets. Do these guys sit around the locker room and talk shit about the guys on the big club and how they deserve a shot over them?

Who do these kids think they are to bitch about opportunities and demand trades?

 

[JetsUK]

Who do you slot him in over? Capobianco?

I wonder who he's talking about. Maybe Stanley

I'm starting to think that there's a real culture issue on thr Moose, not just the Jets. Do these guys sit around the locker room and talk shit about the guys on the big club and how they deserve a shot over them?

Who do these kids think they are to bitch about opportunities and demand trades?

I suspect that the common denominator between any culture issue on the Jets and the Moose is... the org.

The Moose have been singled out for years -- and not just by Jets beat writers -- as a team that has an unusual degree of investment in each other and in team over individual success. Players don't show up to each others' NHL debuts on their days off for nought.

I suspect that there's a deep divide in how top prospects are treated within the org and that this divide, while understandable in terms of the division of scarce dev resources means that the Jets risk alienating talent they already have talent they haven't identified yet.

And before someone trots out the old "Show me a Jets cut who ever played well anywhere else amirite!!!!???" I think that list is growing -- Johnny K and Mikey E (not a Jets pick, but still) and will continue to grow until the brain trust can agree that it makes the odd mistake in identifying and bringing along talent and then integrating it in a timely manner.

Throw them a bone -- play Gawanke against COL instead of Pionk, who has been shyte for most of the season. Play Ville for Dillon or whomever, so he has a taste that motivates him over another offseason before what is almost certainly another year on the Moose because "seasoning."

Sure, maybe Leon doesn't make it. Sure, maybe Kovacevic never becomes more than a steady 5/7 RHD who plays a tough, mobile game -- but maybe he does turn into a RH Ben Chairot, and anchors your 3rd pairing, or grabs you a nice pick.

We know that the Jets have a hard time recruiting talent. Maybe they should think about optimizing the talent they have -- and, at times, instead of over-coddling the talent they're gonna lose.