The Unknown Poster

People get very emotional. The people who bash chevy need to explain exactly what they would do if they were GM. "Duuuhhhh, I'd trade for Crosby..." "Duuuhhhh I'd sign the three best free agents no matter what it cose..." "Duuuhhhh I'd draft the top five players in the league..." Dont just whine if you cant offer a different perspective. The Halischuk signing is actually a good signing. They let his contract expire and didnt offer a qualifying, then picked him up on a two-way deal. So when people say our bottom six depth is an issue, this is a smart move to add that depth and help out St Johns and be financially prudent. I'd rather have this player than Tanner Glass for $1 million or whatever he got. I would have liked us to be in on Peter Mueller. And maybe we were. I think the idea that no one wants to play here is a bit overblown but I think there are a few teams that have to pay a bit more to attract guys, Winnipeg being one of them. And that probably has less to do with any one thing like Weather or location as it does with the team on the ice which, when winning, can make the weather and location seem a bit less rough. I think the Jets are willing to spend money when the time is right. We can sit back and say we're wasting Ladd, Little, Wheeler but really, is that the group that is going to get us over the top with the addition of a few big players? Yes, we have a few good guys around 30 years old, but we have a few better guys in their early 20's. Thats the "core" we should be focusing on and I think we are. They want to see Kane, Scheif, Bogo, trouba, Hutch, Morrissey, Lowry etc continue to get better and then you will see more complimentary trades. I also think Jets management has a very specific vision which is why it sometimes seems to us that nothing is happening. Whereas other teams might be in on every player, the Jets want to stick with their plan. And that plan might be to rely on a guy like Lowry rather than sign a journeyman who will win that spot and relegate Lowry to the Rock for another year. As for Penner, I'd be interested in him. Im not sure he fits the Jets' effort/speed desires but as a depth move, I'd be happy with it. I think Buff is playing the LW this year though. In fact I think our forward group is: Ladd-Little-Frolik Buff-Scheif-Wheeler Kane-Perrault-??? (maybe Lowry) Halischuk-Slater-Tangradi Not exactly world beaters but for talent on ice, it's an improvment over last season assumuing Perrault is better than Jokinen and better for guys arund him (ie. Kane), that Scheif continues to improve, that Wheeler plays the whole season, that Frolik is now comfortable and playing for a contract and we get a couple of big performances from young guys. I expect us to compete for the Playsoffs the same way we did last year..maybe in tough, but pushing. Jets have been in on big free agents so you cant say they havent tried.

The optimist in me looks at Frolik signing this deal as evidence he wants to be here and good faith that the Jets will make it up to him. Since they cant extend until January this gives Frolik all the power to control his destiny. If he stumbles, then the numbers they talked about in the long term negotiation will be closer to what the Jets want to pay. If he lights it up, he's going to get the money he wants.

i think the hold up is probably Frolik's agent wanting to get paid like the player is being used. So in that sense, yes a top six player. On the other hand, as stated, in a perfect scenario, Frolik is an excellent third line player, special teams etc. the Jets probably accept the reality of Frolik as a top six but over 4-6 years they dont want to pay him like that because they hope he moves down as the team gets better. Thats probably what complicated things. Additionally, Frolik has to be mindful of what he wants. He wants that opportunity to contribute more and not just be an excellent bottom six player on a loaded team. In Winnipeg he gets every opportunity to be all that he can be. And I suspect that appeals to him very much. Both sides have said they want a long term deal. I would bet they get that done in the new year.

Have you ever negotiated a contract? It can take time. And they didnt have any more time left. It was either sign a one year deal with a positive agreement to keep talking or go into a potentially nasty arbitration hearing with the chance of hindering the relationship for good. Frolik's agent has said talks were very positive. They simply ran out of time.

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.

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.

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.

Usually Im not into these things because bad acting and bad scripting aggravate me, especially when put on by people who think they are a lot more clever than they are. But I saw Bloodsuckers this past weekend and it was great!

Yup, Chevy hasnt been able to sign any players. Not Ladd. Not Bogo. Not Wheeler. Not Kane., NONE!

So did Chevy tell you himself that Frolik asked for what Kulemin got and the Jets said no? Of did Frolik tell you that? I havent seen it reported anywhere what the terms were other than Lawless (I believe) said both sides were talking 5 year deal but ran out of time before arbitration deadline. So whats the bad news year? That we didnt over-pay? That we didnt get a one year arbitration deal after a nasty hearing?

Exactly. Some hockey fans really dont get it. It's Chevy's fault when guys are signed to long term deals because we gave up too much money or term or both. It's Chevy's fault when guys sign short term contracts. Apparently its even Chevy's fault when Atlanta signs Buff to a contract and he ends up as a 3rd line winger and hybrid D man on the Jets. People need to get a grip. Assuming the Jets and Frolik were apart on money/term enough that it wasnt going to get resolved before arbitration, then whats the alternative? That they go into a nasty hearing, get a one year deal anyway and then the relationship is soured? I want Frolik signed for four years as much as the next guy but Chevy is far more knolwedgable about these matters than I am. He's got the player to a contract and bought time for negotiations.

I imagine Chevy calling Frolik in for a friendly meeting. The lights in his office are dimmed. It's late at night. Frolik walks into the office and Chevy swings around in his chair slowly and leans across the desk, pushing a contract towards his player. Frolik looks at it and immediately rejects it. "Im sorry you feel that way Michel" as four goons appear from the shadows and overwhelm the young hockey player. When he regains conscious, Frolik is somewhere in the bowels of MTS Centre, strapped to a chair, electrodes on his genitals. Chevy circles him omminously. "What do you want?" Frolik asked nervously. Chevy smiled "You know what I want. I want a long term contract. And you will sign." I guess Chevy could have done that. Thats how deals are done. Players sign long term contracts because fans demand it.

Did you just get off the phone with Chevy? Good. Please explain how he bungled it.

Avoids arbitration. Frolik will be UFA July 2015.

I have a long time friend who lives tnere so I've visited a couple of times. I do appreciate their ring road which should have been an inspiration to kenaston but wasn't. I don't mind Regina. Saskatoon is much nicer though.

Drafting has been good. Resigned entire core. Repaired depth quickly. Used waiver wire effectively. Good trade to get Frolik. Smart signing in Perrault. How he handles Kane and buff will be the big test.

Why do you care? You dont want to talk rumours. For the rest of us, I'd love to see Peter Mueller but I suspect that isnt going to happen. Also Clitty only played 32 games last year,.

its in keeping with Lawless' position that the Bombers are not very good and wont compete for a couple of years.

Jets bring back Ellerby on a one year $700,000 deal. Sign Chariot to a one year $600,000 deal. Can't say I'm overly impressed with the D. I don't mind Ellerby as the 7/8 option but if the goal was to improve the D to properly evaluate Pavs all we've done is brought back all of last seasons squad. Yes Trouba will be better. Yes we will be better without Buff back there. And assuming Clitty is healthy that's probably a net gain though I know some question that situation. Is the hope really that Morrissey makes the team? I don't know.... Are the jets really in a holding plan pending 2015 draft?

Any guesses on who goes ? I'm not insightful enough about football to be certain. But Cotton struggled. Sherman was awful. O-line had a tough night.

Reilly's run ability was enhanced by the complete failure of many bombers to tackle. I always though tackling was a prerequisite to being a pro football player.

That was atrocious. There is a very good chance that the team we saw today is much closer to the team we have than the team of the first two games. Yikes. One thing is certain, the line up should look a lot different next game. Some guys played themselves off the field.

I doubt the guy cared about the retention. He maybe was just an ******* enjoying the fight. Or hoping the called would disconnect and have someone else get the disconnection. I'm not sure anyone at convergys cares. It was hard to care at that place. During training our trainer lectured us about how much we should love the place because if convergys didn't give us a job we'd be flipping burgers. When I landed my next gig I told him and he said oh that place pays well doesn't it? Yup twice as much as this place pays you. He walked off in a huff. I think the worst thing I did to a customer was a particularly busy day so the customers were all pricks. I answer a call and the customer immediately stats yelling "do you know how it ******* feels to be on ******* hold for a fuckong hour?!" "Yes" I replied. "Thank you for calling" and hung up.

Just awful. If it is indeed Pro-Russian militants in Ukraine I can't see how Ukraine doesn't strike back. Already have some US politicians angling for war. Russia will look dreadful on this one.

In those situations where there were gaps like that, I believe MTS now has a solution as a friend of mine had the same issue. I briefly worked for Bell Express Vu years ago when they contracted their services to Convergys (it was a "bridge" job I had for a handful of months, dont even get me started on that place) and while our service was generally okay, Bell took a big hit because Convergys was penny pinching. Long wait times to get through and off-loading calls over-seas so it was a crap shoot as to whether you'd get a Canadian rep or a foriegn rep with a language barrier.