Atomic

We were close two seasons ago. We were in the race last season too until Scheifele got hurt. I don't think we're as far away as you do. With the exception of our current starting goalie, I don't mind the team we have. We're by no means great, but I think we're improving. Of course Chevy could do more. Only Dean Lombardi did enough with his team to win a Cup last season. I agree with you that we could be a bit more active in FA. I think a guy like Downie, for example, would have really helped us. We could stand to have a little crazy in the lineup, and he can play some hockey. He could play on any line. Man I don't think we're that far off either. That is Goalie that made that comment, not me. I believe we are close, I liked the team with Scheifele healthy after Maurice arrived. I just think we could use a couple more pieces to put us over the top. Downie is a great example. Really, ANYONE would be better than Tangradi. Anytime anyone criticizes Chevy, the response is "We're trying to build something, we can't mortgage the future on free agents." Like a couple free agents will totally cripple the team. It is absurd. Chevy has tried to add players and failed. He needs to do a better job of selling Winnipeg. Everyone knew that would be the case when the Jets came back. No, you can't force a player to sign here. But I refuse to believe that Chevy has done everything he possibly can to improve this team. The problem with exclusively building through the draft is that 29 other teams are doing the same thing. You have to find a way to be better than them. And so far, I haven't seen it.

He played tackle all season that year. Ryan Donnelly was our backup centre but I'm pretty sure Khan played there all year.

It is certainly mathematically possible that all 5 western teams could have more wins than the second-place eastern team

And you still think Chevy is doing a good job?? Wow. 3 years on the job and hasn't given us a team that is even close to the playoffs. Wonderful.. Don't worry, I already know the response. "It would have been impossible for Chevy to turn this team around in 3 years." What an absolute loser mentality. Anyways, you are totally missing the point. A couple free agents would make this team better. Its not about winning in the playoffs or not, it's simply about making the team better. What argument do you have against making the team better by signing a couple players?

Yeah you're right, there isn't much available out there now. Because it's the end of July and Chevy spent the whole month doing nothing while other teams signed up the good players. I still think we should sign Dustin Penner. He is a flawed player, no doubt, but he is far better than guys like Tangradi, Halischuk, and Thorburn... he can at least contribute offensively. And he is Manitoban. We have literally no depth at left wing right now. We have Ladd, then Kane, then nobody. We're looking at Tangradi or a call-up like Klingberg filling that role. WTF? You can't win with depth like that. I don't know why you can't see the difference between signing a couple pieces to fill-in the holes in the line-up, versus being like the Leafs and signing everyone available. You don't have to go to one extreme or the other, there is a middle ground there. Signing a couple free agents isn't going to prevent us from being a good team in the future, it isn't going to cripple the team. As for your last statement about making the playoffs, or winning in the playoffs... care to explain to me how signing a couple free agents will prevent us from building a team that can win in the playoffs? That is lost on me.

Brandon Whitaker

1. Can you tell us what routes he was supposed to be running? Were you in the huddle? What was the play call? Thanks in advance. 2. He was getting open, not sure what you were watching. 3. He doesn't have a catch, but he also doesn't have a drop. If the guy is getting open and the ball is getting underthrown, what more is he supposed to do??? Romby will make some plays for us this game, I'm sure of it. It's just a matter of chemistry. Clear to me that he can still play.

I’m tempted to say the most underrated offensive player in the league this year is Steve Morley at centre in Winnipeg

For those who don't know Turk Schonert, he was in the NFL for years as a QB coach and briefly an OC, but has been coaching in the UFL since 2009. No history in the CFL.

Jets re-sign Halischuk to a one-year, two-way deal for 725K. Huge move by Cheveldayoff. He is really earning his salary this off-season.

Wow. Didn't think I'd ever see Don Matthews back in the CFL.

lol... Dwight Anderson just got traded to Toronto for pretty much nothing... Suber will bring back a 7th round pick at best. Worth more to us to keep him.

8 starting Canadians listed

Their OL is truly awful. Worst in the league right now. What are the changes on oline from last year? They lost their starting left tackle, Ben Archibald, to retirement, and are really struggling to replace him. I believe they have started 4 different guys there so far, and the latest is a Canadian rookie named Hunter Steward, who has actually looked okay considering the circumstances. They lost Patrick Kabongo, who also retired. Ottawa took their 6th OL, Matt Albright, who is now starting for the RedBlacks. BC acquired Steve Myddelton last season from Calgary but he bolted to Hamilton in free agency. Dean Valli is way past his best-before date and Matt Norman is a decent player but still young and going through some struggles.But this is nothing new. Lions fans have been complaining about their OL for years. Offensive line troubles are definitely not confined to Winnipeg.

Well I hope you're right. We'll see.

I think that's a little extreme! One right-winger making an extra million is going to cripple our team? I don't think so. Maybe I could see if we had some players knocking on the door making their way into our top 6, I could agree. But we don't have anyone like that. Our best forward prospects, Petan and Ehlers, are still a couple years away. If Lowry or Lipon come up, they are not top 6 players, not right now and probably not for awhile. I just don't see the downside of signing Frolik to a five-year deal. He is going to be worth it. How far apart could they really be? Is it worth risking losing him altogether to save 500k, or even 1M?

As opposed to what, a one year deal and he's gone after the season anyway? How is a one deal and he's gone after the season worse than a one deal and hes gone after the season? Use some common sense. I don't even get what you're trying to say here. Get your thoughts straight and get back to me. I would have liked to see a deal LONGER than one year. What is so hard to understand about that? Ill type it slower for you. If Frolik wasnt going to sign a long term deal, then this isnt on Chevy. He cant make a player sign. So the alternative is to go into arbitration which everyone says is usually nasty and gets a one year deal anyway. So instead of that, Chevy agrees to a friendly deal with both sides retaining the option to keep talking. According to Lawless, they were negotiating a five-year deal. So lets presume that means both sides wanted to sign a long term deal but ran out of time. Now Frolik has the leverage because the closer we get to next season the more likely he is to want to test free agency. But if Frolik likes Winnipeg and the opportunity here then its the devil he knows. If he has a poor season, he hurt himself. if he has a great season, he helped himself. That stuff is just money. What we dont know is why they didnt sign a five year deal. Ofcourse I wanted a long term deal. But do you really think long deals just happen because you want them to? be emotional if you want to but your anti-Chevy bias is showing. The five-year deal was on the table, so why didn't it get done? That's all I'm saying. You're absolutely right that Frolik now has the leverage. If he wasn't going to sign a five-year deal now, what is going to change to make him want to sign it in January? What if he is still unsigned by the trade deadline? Now we're in a tricky spot... do you move him or risk losing him for nothing? Are we expecting Frolik to have a bad year (where he will almost certainly be in the top 6 and producing points)? That's the only way I can see us giving him LESS money than what he was asking for right now... and I just don't see it happening. As far as an anti-Chevy bias goes, I actually liked him in the first couple years, but this off-season has really soured me on the job he is doing. I just look at what he has accomplished and think "Ugh", because I know we're in for another year out of the playoffs. I know he is trying, and I know it is probably hard to attract players to Winnipeg. But he has to do more to improve the team. Every team in the league is drafting good players every year... that can't be the only way to build your team.

Yup, Chevy hasnt been able to sign any players. Not Ladd. Not Bogo. Not Wheeler. Not Kane., NONE! Hey you forgot Thorburn... wow, Chevy is really on a roll! I guess his vision for the team is "Keep as many Thrashers here as possible, for as long as possible." Nobody else can have a long term deal. So signing Ladd, Wheeler, Kane, Bogo etc were bad ideas? Good God some people shouldnt be allowed to be hockey fans. Yeah you're right. When you want to improve a team, the best way is to keep all the same players as the team that was no good the year before.

As opposed to what, a one year deal and he's gone after the season anyway? How is a one deal and he's gone after the season worse than a one deal and hes gone after the season? Use some common sense. I don't even get what you're trying to say here. Get your thoughts straight and get back to me. I would have liked to see a deal LONGER than one year. What is so hard to understand about that?

Yup, Chevy hasnt been able to sign any players. Not Ladd. Not Bogo. Not Wheeler. Not Kane., NONE! Hey you forgot Thorburn... wow, Chevy is really on a roll! I guess his vision for the team is "Keep as many Thrashers here as possible, for as long as possible." Nobody else can have a long term deal.

The bad news is that it is a one-year deal and Frolik will be gone after this season. Unless you believe that they are actually going to continue negotiating and work out a long term deal during the season

Kulemin just got over 4M per year and Frolik puts up the same point production and far better defensive play. Derick Brassard just got 5M per year and his best season is 47 points... in 2010-11. He put up 45 last year. So you can either look around the league and say "OH, well those are just bad deals!", or you can recognize that this is the new reality of the league. We are sitting on 10 million+ in cap space and the cap is only going to go up. But feel free to continue making excuses for why it is IMPOSSIBLE for Chevy to sign players.

He didn't sign Frolik to a long term deal. Bungled.

One year??? Come on. Of all our players, Frolik was one that is worth overpaying to keep around long term. Chevy bungled this one hard. With a one-year deal, Frolik will be gone at the deadline or we will lose him for nothing after this year. What a waste.

Well done, great video!