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TSN Off-Season Game Plan: Winnipeg Jets


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Actually when you look at the final 4 of this year's NHL playoffs (elite teams) you can easily make the case either of the Jets so-called 1 or 2 lines would be 2b to 3 lines on those four teams! So we can fool ourselves to think we've got #1 lines but in reality when confronted by superior checking they're just frustrated players who can't get the job done!

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I think our top six is good.  I mean sure, I'd love to have a line-up where our 3rd line is something like Ladd-Richards-Frolik (and even then, Richards is a 4th liner in LA right now, is he not?) but our top six is good with the potential to be great.  Wheeler is a legit top line guy and Kane is a legit top line guy who has the potential to be an all-league top line guy.  Scheif is the X factor and looked like a top line centre but needs to play the entire season in that role.

 

Ladd-Little-??? is also a question mark.  When Wheeler is on the RW, I think thats a legit second line on most teams (especially on teams that dont have a lot of defined 1, 2, 3 etc, but just roll wave after wave of quality).  We need a top six RW.  Frolik fit in there and could continue to do so but ideally, he's a really really good 3rd line RW.  I know Buff has been pencilled in there but it seems most people forget Maurice flipped Buff to LW and he seemed to play even better.  So in reality, we have a "glut" at LW and are lacking at RW though I guess Buff ends up in the RW spot.

 

Thats why Buff should be traded, to be honest.  He just doesnt fit the needs of this team and yet is such a talented, unique player that has specific skills that *do* fit the needs of other teams.  And as someone on HF Boards stated, when the Jets are in a position to compete, do we want a 29 year old Buff?  Absolutely.  Do we want a 33 or 34 year old Buff?  Not really. 

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Ladd is the x-factor on the Jets imho. He's a great team guy, good interview, great in the room (according to reports), durable and he can score 2nd or 3rd line goal production. However, he's plodingly slow, his decision-making in the neutral zone is suspect and he takes more than his fair share of stupid penalties. I think his above average production is boosted by always playing with the best players (ie. Wheeler, Little, Kane). 

Team Canada didn't even want any part of him when they sent that 'B' or 'C+' squad to the worlds. One would think a guy with Ladd's superior resume would have been welcome on that squad.

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I think Ladd had a poor stretch where he took bad penalties but Im not sure I'd hang that around his neck as a constant.  He's a very smart player with a strong effort.  And he can certainly score top line goal numbers.  Its also true that line combinations are more than just putting the top three point getters on one line etc.  But generally speaking, if Andrew Ladd is your top LW, then you have a depth problem.  If Bryan Little is your top centre, you have a depth problem.

 

Chevy has done a good job through trades, waiver wire and drafting to address depth but it continues to be a problem though every season it improves.

 

Im not sure if O'Dell will be a regular.  I know Gary Lawless considers him a permanent bubble player, in that no-mans land between being too good for the A and not quite good enough for the NHL.  But you need guys in the A that can fill in on the big club and then go back down.

 

I'd like to see Adam Lowry make the Jets this year.  Ideally, if Klingberg can push for a spot and if Telegin comes back, our depth is much better. 

 

If our 4th line is Halishchuk - Slater - ??? (Peluso), its a step in the ring direction.  I'd like to see Lowry and Klingberg push for 3rd line minutes on the Jets.  I know Lowry converted to centre but it might be asking a lot for him to fill that role initially.

 

I dont think Chevy has a choice but to be active.  And I think there is a decent chance we trade a core member.  Chevy said there were deadline day offers that were sufficient to require ownership input.  If those sorts of offers came in on deadline day, there be better deals to be had on draft day.

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i'd probably debate if kane scheif wheeler is our number 1 line, i'd say its ladd little frolik actually.

If Ladd-Little-Frolik is out number 1 line, we're in trouble.

 

That's our number 2 LW, our number 2 centre and our number 3 RW.

 

Kane - Scheif - Wheeler is #1 across the board.

 

If I looked at those players individually and not as a set, other teams, depending on their needs, may see Little as a 1st line centre, Ladd as 2nd to.3rd line left winger and Frolik predominatly a strong 3rd line right winger. I'm not giving Frolik much love but too inconsistent for me. Based on limited information, out of all the three, I think Ladd wins (Little a close second) for the intangibles he brings off the rink (e.g., Leadership, community work, hard working, comfortable to be around etc) 

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Team Canada didn't even want any part of him when they sent that 'B' or 'C+' squad to the worlds. One would think a guy with Ladd's superior resume would have been welcome on that squad.

Or he wanted to be home with his newborn.  How incredibly selfish.

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Marchand interests me a lot. He's the ultimate rat. Don't know how a rat would fit into a new group of guys, thats the only problem. I know he had more goals than Mighty Kane so he not only can agitate he can be downright productive. Thats enticing. But I'd want Boston's 1st and 3rd rd picks, too. 

 

P.S. What line would you team Ratchand with? Certainly not Kane!!!

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Marchand interests me a lot. He's the ultimate rat. Don't know how a rat would fit into a new group of guys, thats the only problem. I know he had more goals than Mighty Kane so he not only can agitate he can be downright productive. Thats enticing. But I'd want Boston's 1st and 3rd rd picks, too. 

 

P.S. What line would you team Ratchand with? Certainly not Kane!!!

I know i said buff, but i'd suspect that kane would actually be the guy moving in that deal, so essentially the lw marchand replaces the lw kane.

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Marchand interests me a lot. He's the ultimate rat. Don't know how a rat would fit into a new group of guys, thats the only problem. I know he had more goals than Mighty Kane so he not only can agitate he can be downright productive. Thats enticing. But I'd want Boston's 1st and 3rd rd picks, too. 

 

P.S. What line would you team Ratchand with? Certainly not Kane!!!

I know i said buff, but i'd suspect that kane would actually be the guy moving in that deal, so essentially the lw marchand replaces the lw kane.

 

OK, then I'd go for Marchand and B's 1st round pick (28th or 29th overall) and maybe one of the B's developmental players (goalie or stay at home d-man). The ironic thing is that Kane will continue to be a flunky should he stay in Wpg but only gets better if he's traded to a major program.

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Im not sure about KANE, eventually you have to show more than just potential, he's been in the league a few years, is he a good player? i guess, can he be a very good player? probably but im not sure the dedication or heart is there completely. I'm not convinced kane is this can't miss prospect anymore, i think he is what he is and he might get a bit better but im not sure how much better he will get actually.

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Im not sure about KANE, eventually you have to show more than just potential, he's been in the league a few years, is he a good player? i guess, can he be a very good player? probably but im not sure the dedication or heart is there completely. I'm not convinced kane is this can't miss prospect anymore, i think he is what he is and he might get a bit better but im not sure how much better he will get actually.

The Jets have to fish or cut bait on Kane. If he goes another year as Jets top mope he won't fetch a 3rd or 4th rounder. Now is the time to get somethin' for the guy and trade him to another conference. I think Kane fans are truly in the minority for the first time.

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Im not sure about KANE, eventually you have to show more than just potential, he's been in the league a few years, is he a good player? i guess, can he be a very good player? probably but im not sure the dedication or heart is there completely. I'm not convinced kane is this can't miss prospect anymore, i think he is what he is and he might get a bit better but im not sure how much better he will get actually.

The Jets have to fish or cut bait on Kane. If he goes another year as Jets top mope he won't fetch a 3rd or 4th rounder. Now is the time to get somethin' for the guy and trade him to another conference. I think Kane fans are truly in the minority for the first time.

 

I don't think so actually. Kane is a good player, he actually is, his numbers and corsi says he is... go check out hfboards.com

 

Kane is very much a well liked player here and most those "nerds" don't want to trade him. 

 

I'd say it's probably 75/25 in favour of keeping kane.

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Just for the record, i do think Kane is a good player, i'm just not sure he has the character the jets are looking for, i'm not sure he's worth the headache that he brings at times.

 

I'm not in the locker room so i don't know what he's like as a team mate but... IF the players on the team don't like the guy, there is no real indication they do or don't, just saying if they don't, it's probably best to get rid of him.

 

and really, for all we know, kane has asked to be traded.

 

If the guy dont want to be here, it's best to move on.

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I follow a lot of Penguins reporters on twitter, & they all seem to think the Pens will try to make a move for Kane. Neal being the obvious asset to get it done.

 

I didn't realize, but it sounds like Neal's not the most popular guy in the dressing room or with team staff. Malkin loves him, but a lot of other players don't. It'll be interesting to see how much trade value he has.

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I follow a lot of Penguins reporters on twitter, & they all seem to think the Pens will try to make a move for Kane. Neal being the obvious asset to get it done.

 

I didn't realize, but it sounds like Neal's not the most popular guy in the dressing room or with team staff. Malkin loves him, but a lot of other players don't. It'll be interesting to see how much trade value he has.

That's an awful trade and won't happen.. kane for neal doesn't have any legs to stand on at all...

 

for one, we really don't have a need for neal, he's a rw, kane's a lw... buff for neal? sure but kane? i don't think so. Pens would have to add significant pieces to make that one happen.

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I follow a lot of Penguins reporters on twitter, & they all seem to think the Pens will try to make a move for Kane. Neal being the obvious asset to get it done.

 

I didn't realize, but it sounds like Neal's not the most popular guy in the dressing room or with team staff. Malkin loves him, but a lot of other players don't. It'll be interesting to see how much trade value he has.

That's an awful trade and won't happen.. kane for neal doesn't have any legs to stand on at all...

 

for one, we really don't have a need for neal, he's a rw, kane's a lw... buff for neal? sure but kane? i don't think so. Pens would have to add significant pieces to make that one happen.

 

Neal can play both sides.

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