The Unknown Poster

In a market like Winnipeg, likeability will always play a factor. Teemu was likeable. Keith Tkachuk wasn't. Imagine if twitter and facebook were around when Tkachuk was prowling Wise Guys. Yikes. And he matured, became a great player. The ONLY reason I'd trade Kane is if he *has* to go. And he *has* to go if he's a "cancer" in the locker room and/or if he intends to bolt when his deal is up. If he likes Winnipeg and this team and is "apart of the team" then you keep him. Far too much talent. I do agree he plays the game in a sometimes "selfish" manner which I chalk up to him having pretty untalented line mates most of the time. When he streaks into the zone, he looks over and in that split second he knows the best chance at a scoring opportunity is keeping the puck. If our #1 line next season is Kane-Scheif-Wheeler, look out. Also...Enstrom is not over-rated. Very, very good D man. Guys like Wright are also good and fill the right role if the other bottom six guys are better. If we upgrade bottom six, I still like James Wright on this team.

Personally, I look at like this. If its the Playoffs and a player misses a game to be with his wife during the birth of their child, I'm "even" on that decision because I think thats the expectation and what you *should* do. If a player races back or plays because he wants to help his team win, then I consider that a pretty heroic sacrifice for the team and fans. But absolutely no negative feelings for a guy that goes.

This is something that often gets misunderstood by people who are overly negative about everything (some media types). We can debate the role of government all we want to. But much like the argument of the province "giving" True North money every year, you can either take the position its a gift or you can take the position its an investment. If the Province "gives" the Bombers $4 million to secure the Grey Cup and it generates $100 million in economic spinoff, thats a good investment. Especially if the Province gets their "gift" back from the direct Grey Cup profits (not to mention taxes).

Yes and no. They take criticism but all they is talk rumours all day everyday. How many rumours or talked about deals actually happen. Some of their writers are good. Either way it makes for some good talking points. Aside from Tavares who do the islanders have that we would want that would also fit I to a Buff and/or Kane deal?

Agreed with just about everything you wrote. I don't mind the Olli deal because we needed a #2 centre. Last season was bad but he's been good this year.

Hockeybuzz.com "According to a source in NY, the Islanders have strong interest in Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien and are looking towards the draft to put a deal on the table. I was not told what could be offered up for such a trade, but I am looking into it."

I dont mind the heat but I agree, a beautiful summer evening football game is absolutely tremendous.

Why isnt the Banjo Bowl on a saturday so Sask fans can come in friday night, enjoy themselves, spend some money and go back sunday?

if you assume they will spend to the cap. They wont. They have space but they have to be smart.

I dont think i will ever forget the statsline: 76 goals. 132 points. Seared into my memory.

Someone has to go. We're up against the cap and badely need another top six winger, bottom six depth and blue line help. Lets put it this way, as good as Buff is, if it takes five years for the Jets to compete (and by that I dont mean make the playoffs because I believe they will next year, but I mean be able to win a couple of rounds), where is Buff in five years? If he doesnt want to play forward then he isn't re-signing here anyway so why lose him for nothing? If he stays, he's older (and that age is enhanced with a guy of his size and fitness) and isnt contributing to a playoff run in five years like he can contribute now. Thats why you trade him.

They need far more than just one player. Obviously, current goal-tending is just average. Even a giant cereal box would block 85% of shots in typical NHL contests so a guy with a 89.5 avg. like Pavelec isn't gonna get it done. How many years can we still keep calling Evander Kane - the next one or The Natural? Bogosian has regressed under the current regime. Paul Maurice is a very good coach but I'm not so sure he wants to be locked up for the next 4 or 5 years trying to work the whip on a deficient AHL/sub NHL roster. Also don't like Jets coaching staff w/ Huddy and Pasquale Dupuis. I do like Keith McCambridge on the rock. Love Schiefele and Trouba but surrounding them with AHL quality players isn't gonna get it done. The Jets have nothing left in the tank and the only good thing is they may drop enough in standings to give their GM a better 1st round pick - maybe #4 to #7 instead of #9 to #12. But I suspect they'll win enough games once officially eliminated to pick #7. Like iso I'm also really miffed about Kevin Chevyldayoff. Clean cut, really good verbiage to the public, gets along well with owner. Arrow smooth and ram-rod straight. Just not doing much. A slicker version of Joe Mack if you will. Which instantly spells trouble! Disagree. Comparisons to Joe Mack are ludicrous. As Mike said, this was in many ways a crappy expansion team when TN bought it. They literally had almost nothing in the cupboard for prospects. He's drastically improved our prospect pool. he signed every single core guy to long term deals when everyone said no player would every sign here. He's brought in bottom six guys for depth that have been effective. Yes, we certainly need BETTER bottom six depth but with nothing available, to go out and get Wright, Peluso, Tangradi...he has done a good job of keeping our heads above water. We need a top six winger. We need bottom six depth and we need #4-#6 level D men. We *maybe* need a new goalie but Im not sure yet.

You over estimate his value around the league. The same reason you'd trade him are the same reasons other teams won't pay a premium for him. Is he a defenceman? Is he a forward? Is he going to show up in shape? He is inconsistent, he has a big contract... He's the kind of guy teams would take a chance on for the right price, but no one is going to pay big to get the guy. Honestly, I disagree. I've had this debate before. In Winnipeg we are always of two minds: we can trade bottom six guys for top six guys or no one wants our players. All things being equal Buff is a superstar player. He's really settled in as a very good forward, top six for sure with a propensity for taking over games at will. But I dont believe his style/age/fitness fit in with *this* team. He's a "missing piece" type of player. He's the guy a top team gets to put them over the top. We're not there yet, so his talent is wasted here. I believe he's easily nets a top six winger, pick and prospect. We maybe throw in a higher pick and a less desirable prospect to make it all work but we're net positive on any trade at this point.

How is it a good deal exactly?? If the Bombers had gone through the proper process of hiring the proper firm, one with experience in designing stadiums, like the Riders are doing, instead of hiring Asper's buddy Ray Wan (he of no experience in designing stadiums) to design IGF, then they wouldn 't have needed to spend an additional $350,000 to build a proper pressbox - it would have been designed and constructed correctly the first time around. Hiring Ray Wan instead of a real firm with experience like HKS has cost the taxpayers millions of additional dollars when you factor in other mistakes that had to be corrected (like lack of proper access to the field level for concerts). Plus I'm sure there is more to come in the future. Great that we have the big game coming back to Winnipeg. Hope the Convention Centre expansion is completed by then. Can't put the genie back in the bottle. The Press Box was made poorly. But this is a good deal to fix it. I recall Joe Mack was insistent to Bombers brass that the open air press box was not going to fly and he was ignored. So a rare bit of insight from Joe.

As an aside, the first pool I was in was Teemu's rookie year. I took him early and no one knew what I was doing. I got Mario first over all and while he missed time due to cancer and back issues, he still won the scoring title. Had Pat Lafontaine too. Man, scoring was off the charts back then. Perhaps this warrants its own thread, but I believe Mario was the most God-gifted hockey player of all time and had he been healthy would have broken many of Wayne's records. That cancer season, had he played I believe his PPG were very close to Wayne's season points record. In fact, just checking, he was on pace for 219 points.

While I heard that same rumour from different sources, who knows. There was certainly a time this season when Kane and Wheeler were in the penalty box together and looked like two guys who couldnt wait to get away from each other...lol I agree with most of you. Family first. If the baby was born Sunday, I'd have preferred he come back. But thats assuming all things are equal, which we have no idea if they were. Either way, it should be a point of pride for the rest of the team to rally around and pick up the slack. They didnt. And thats not Andrew Ladd's fault.

The one trade we heard the Jets were working on at the deadline was Gooch and Thorburn to San Jose for three players that would have been helpful depth pieces. I would have made that move. I think it didnt happen because San Jose ended up with a better player and Thorburn got hurt the night before the deadline. Jokinen likely could have been traded to a contender but with the Jets fighting for a playoff spot and Scheif hurt, they simply couldnt have let him go. Chevy had very little to work with at the deadline without giving up significant assets. And as stated, we might not like to say this, but should the Jets have traded assets for a chance to make the playoffs now only to get ousted in 5 games? Yes, anything can happen in the playoffs but you dont gamble at this stage of the Jets' development. You get far more suiters and far more leverage if you trade in the summer. Chevy has drastically increased the prospect pool of the Jets. He signed our "core" to long term deals. He brought in Jokinen, Gooch, Frolik and a host of bottom six depth players. Frolik was probably his best buy. I agree in patience. But I believe we have to trade a core piece this summer to give us the pieces we need to win, not only next season but for the next ten seasons. Buff: My choice for the guy to trade. Here's why. His value is extremely high to other teams. He might have the most value on the Jets (between him and Kane). Teams salivate at the prospect of adding a player like Buff. There is no other player like him in the league. That might be a reason to keep him but I disagree. Unless he has a major change of heart, he doesnt want to play forward. There is no place for him as a D-man on the Jets outside the power play. If he doesnt want to play forward, he isnt going to re-sign here. As good as he is, if he doesnt fit in to the Jets way of thinking, and his value is so high and his contract is good, trade him. By the time the Jets are a top team through the draft, Buff will be long in the tooth. You get a top six, a prospect, a pick and maybe a depth guy for him in the summer. We also would free up money. While the Jets make a profit and are near the cap now, Buff's money might buy us 2-3 good players that will help us. Kane: I'd hate to see him go. Far too much skill and potential. But he seems to be having trouble advancing on this team. Its not all his fault - he hasnt had the talent he needs. Jokinen and Kane have zero chemistry. Scheif and Kane were very good together and there's reason for optimism with that pairing especially as Scheif gets better. Rumours are rumours but *if* Kane is not a good team guy and *if* Kane would prefer to play somewhere else, cash in his value while its still very high. A good deal would likely be to a team with their own highly touted young player that needs a change of scenery plus a pick and/or prospect. Bogo: Struggled a lot this year. Really took a step back. Possibly due to playing the off-side with rookie Trouba to start the season. In an uncomfortable position possibly over-compensating to help Trouba might have tripped him up and he's had trouble recovering. His youth and contract would bring in a strong return including possibly a top six (or mid six) and 3/4 D man. Despite defensive struggles, Jets are strong on D. Enstrom, while small, is a very smart, very effective player. I liken him to Teepo in that no one really talks about him and he isnt flashy but you feel better with him back there. Trouba is going to be a #1 D man in this league. Stuart is either a good 3/4 or a #2 with a guy like Trouba. Josh Morrisey is likely a top two D, though it might take a couple of years. With Buff on forward and if Bogo is traded, we're left with more hard-working journeymen type D with potential coming up. Not an enviable position but not bad. I wouldnt trade Bogo though. I think in a better system he rebounds big time next year and he and Trouba will anchor this D for the next 10-15 years. Pavs: I was a devout "NO" to thoughts that he might need to go. I believed in him. But the numbers dont lie. I dont think his contract is bad but Im also not sure what teams would target him. Im intrigued by James Reimer who really needs a change of scenery in Toronto. He's an RFA I believe and Im sure TO would trade his rights. His situation probably results in a cap friendly contract. We have a couple of excellent goalie prospects working their way up. Just my two cents.

Way earlier than me. I grew up in a non-sports household (although my grandfather was a big Bombers fan - played Rugby and Cricket in England and really took to the CFL when he came here). I think my first Bombers game was 1993-ish. The game Matt Dunigan shouldnt have been playing, stepped back and tore his achilles. First Jets game: Probably late 1980's. Jets lost to Rangers something like 7-2.

My opinion is the Jets need to trade a major asset to bring in the kind of pieces that can help them now and in the future. We can have this core play together for ten years and win nothing. If we "build through the draft" (which is 90% of what we should be doing), time will run out on a guy like Buff. I lean towards trading Buff but Im open to trading Kane. And the "trade Bogo" peeps are beginning to have merit.

Good article by Peter Tessier from the sometimes questionable Hockeybuzz.com http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Peter-Tessier/Another-Loss-yet-Same-Old-Questions/161/58910 Old questions still remain You can dissect the loss to Dallas all you want. A friendlier crossbar to Kane, a better stop on the first PP goal, some puck luck here, a bounce there... all of it could have changed the course of the game. It could have changed the Jets fortunes for this season but in reality the writing was on the wall after Saturday; this was going to be another post season miss for the franchise, the seventh consecutive one. First the positives. Eric O'Dell was probably the best Jet on the ice and did a lot of things that had twitter buzzing about his play. In this writer's opinion he has earned a longer look with the club and if the Jets are true to developing the future it's worth looking at that future now. Bryan Little was positive in the face off circle. Dustin Byfuglien once again showed what kind of dynamic player he can be. His value may be the highest it's ever been to this team, and in the trade market. Al Montoya had a good game after the first two goal while fighting the puck. He came back and made the saves when necessary and gave the Jets a chance to get back in it, which they did on Little's power play marker late in the third. Now the Questions. When looking at this season in comparison to the previous three it appears the Jets cannot consistently get something going they desperately need, luck. Is it true 'hockey god' luck, no it's general puck luck, variance or chance. At the root level, as has been written about in many places by folks smarter than yours truly, it's about having a better quality of player through the roster. Which leads to the question that seems to arrive this time every season, what can Chevy do to make this team better? Is it too early to answer than question? Yes, but it's not too early to at least cut open the corpse that is the Winnipeg Jets 2013-14 season. The fork is in the meat and it's saying 'done' even though there are a few more games to play. You have to consider the long term because that is where the trends are. If you go back and look at the Jets/Thrashers seasons in a month by month view you will see that the team rarely puts together any string of success above .500 longer than a month. That's what the collective story says after 7 seasons of not making the post season. In recent Jets history players such as, Glass, Oduya, Antropov, Wellwood, Hainsey, Stapelton, Miettinen, Fehr and Brumistrov have all been moved away. In came Jokinen, Frolik, Tangradi, Setoguchi, Pardy, Ellerby, Clitsome, Haslischuk and Peluso. It's hindsight now but that's how we judge, by what's happened, the results. The results have not changed. This team is in the exact same position it was in last year, the year before, and before that and so on. As has been pointed out numerous times, Jets GM Kevin Chevaldayoff has yet to make a one-for-one or player for players deal in his tenure. While he has had some success with players such as Scheifele and Trouba being foundation players, one wonders if he is going to 'draft' his way to success, the Oilers model. That's his right to do so and the future may be much brighter that way but something with his moves does not add up to that strategy. Acquiring Setoguchi and not selling anything at the trade deadline to recoup something, no matter how small, for another lost season. Adding Grant Clitsome for 3 years at quite the premium and of course, those three big extensions to his key RFAs last summer. Is this planning for the future or hoping for the best while the future comes? So here they are, the Jets and their GM, at another cross roads but this time just a bit earlier than previous seasons since moving to Winnipeg. Here we are looking at the still fresh corpse asking the same questions again. At some point Jets fans are going to get tired of the status quo, the continued lack of 'apparent' direction. The off-season now sets up for something a bit different than many had hoped. It's one of continued lingering doubt and that's probably not a safe place for any GM, especially one without a signed coach for next season. The goalie tandem is of paramount concern and no longer a statistical discussion point amongst the more hearty bloggers and fans. The depth of the forwards is challenged openly as is that of the defense, not to mention the 'core' of the team. Even the idea that Evander Kane may be dangled on the draft floor come June seems to be something media accepts as reality, with fans reluctantly accepting if not agreeing. A move/option some thought of as so radical, that move out of mediocrity is taking a 30 goal scorer off the team. Think of this scenario, what if the return for Kane does not pan out? Why is the idea of moving him any less risky than buying out Pavelec? Kane is stepping into his prime and with a rookie centre who kept his name in the Calder conversation until his injury. Is it that there would be an immediate return for Kane and only a hope of improving on Pavelec in the open market? It's about weighing risk and one question which has not been asked is how does the return on Kane (should he be on the market) measure to not having a 30 goal scorer? It's really no different than what happens if you can't replace Pavelec? Yet the fear of a void seems to hold many back from saying there could and can be a plan without Pavelec in place. Would there not be one in the event Kane is not a Jet? Is there a plan if Paul Maurice does not elect to come back to Winnipeg? What about Michael Frolik, a player who is best friends and shares the same agent as Pavelec and Halak- a goalie some say Chevy should target? In fact there may be more and larger questions this off season than in the past two for this team. Now we, and everyone else, can say with some confidence the Jets are not more than the sum of their parts, nor are they going to be soon. Change the coach, switch out the accessories, add two promising draft picks to the roster, and the song remains the same. The questions are a bit harder and in number, but more troubling is the ones that matter seem to point to a specific place. That place is what many feel is the heart and soul of this team. Is Chevy able to perform surgery this off season, and make give this group a new vital organ or two? It's the same old questions again. Probably time some one at least answers for that.

yup. Could players and their wives also not time these things a bit better - ie use birth control so that your kid is born during the off season? If you play for Winnipeg, you know you are free from mid-April until September so that's a prime time to target for kids to be born. HAHAHA I was thinking the same thing! Like why wouldnt you plan births for August? lol

because the game was "too important to miss". There were hints (but again I havent been in depth enough to know for sure) about potential complications. I also heard something about the baby having been born a few days ago and he took 3 days off rather than one and done. But Im not entirely sure. Personally, I blame the rest of the team for letting down their Captain rather than their Captain letting down the team. Thats his wife and baby. That comes first.

I prefer Super Contra. Up down up down left right left right B A Start.

First post in the first thread of the new Jets/NHL forum! ;-) I hate to admit I didnt know much about this until the Big Show this morning. Ladd missed last nights game due to the birth of his second child and apparently some people on twitter were critical of this decision. Quite the debate raged on TSN1290 this morning. Thoughts?

Yes I am sure the forum will be pretty quiet until next season.