There's no need to be condescending... You're not the guru of hockey buddy... Geez... Breathe or something.
You keep talking about some amazing development but who are you talking about exactly?
The majority of their top players didn't even play in the AHL!
So what development are you talking about!?
Scheifele has Zero AHL games!
Trouba Zero AHL games!
Ehlers Zero AHL games!
Laine Zero AHL games!
Give me a break man!
Development doesn't start or end at the AHL level, it's an organisational philosophy.
I've seen people assume here that a players development path somehow becomes unaltered and impossible to influence the moment he gets drafted (i.e. at 18). How shortsighted is this ? It goes against all factual evidence and real world experience.
An example would be Finland which revampled its development philosophy in 2009. They centralized development, helped hire
coaches and
skills coaches for their teen players and hired a full time team for their national team program. That program keeps tabs with both players
and their teams all the way up to the NHL: meaning well past even their draft year. Look at the results they've had. Look at the results american hockey has had with their national team + NCAA programs. For some reason, mid-late firsts up to even 7th rounders like Evans somehow benefit from added development even during their early 20s. And now the US has seen the most growth in % amongst NHL players out of any nation. Weird. It's like player development could be influenced by environmental factors, even past their draft year.
This brings me to Winnipeg. They have one of the most well structured development programs in the NHL. Their AHL is
just one part of it. It's a means to and end. One step their players go through, if they have to. That said, their players, regardless of where they play (CHL, NCAA, AHL, whatever) are in contact with the Jets
after every single game. They have to file structured game reports and objectives on how to improve their game every single time.
Interestingly, it seems like the most talented players (1st rounders), benefit the most out of a well structured program designed to get the most out of ones talent. It's actually not as interesting as it is expected.
That said, you may disregard my fan fiction and swallow up anything the team says about why it keeps failing at producing players. I'm of the mind that if management started becoming accountable (i.e. had the threat of losing their jobs instead of unwarranted promotions), their prospects would magically start hiring proper skating coaches and maintaining a steadier improvement pattern. They probably would have more potential to start with as well because a guy like Timmins with a decade of barren drafts would be fired and replaced by someone better. And, we wouldn't have to hear Martin Lapointe come on the radio, say how limited what he can offer players is while at the same time singing Timmins' praises.