It's Time to Bring Up the Kids

the jets have become too old and too slow. it's time for a change

It’s time to bring up the kids.

The Winnipeg Jets are now 15-21-4, last in the National Hockey League. They have lost nine in a row (0-6-3). They can’t score. They aren’t even fun to watch. I mean, listen, the 1980-81 Jets who went 9-57-14 (39 points behind Toronto for the final playoff spot) and set an NHL record by going winless (0-23-7) in 30 straight games were, at least, fun.

This version of the Jets is just old and slow. It’s a one-line team full of aging journeymen who have developed stone hands to go with their lead feet.

Eight months ago, the Jets were the best team in the NHL. However, in real time we’ve watched the oldest team in the NHL get slower and less skilled. After the big line of Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor, the Jets have absolutely no offence. They couldn’t score on a soccer net.

Vladislav Namestnikov hasn’t had a goal since Nov. 1. He is the team’s No. 2 centre, and he has one point in 27 games and that point, an assist, came on Nov. 29.

It’s obviously time for a change. This experiment with geriatric hockey should be put down immediately.

And let’s be honest, I can’t say the Moose kids are any better or will be any better. I look at their AHL numbers and I have no delusions. But this season is DONE! Just finish last, get the No. 1 draft pick and see if some of the kids can play.

Now is the time time to see if David Gustafsson, Brad Lambert, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Danny Zhilkin, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager, Parker Ford and Colby Barlow can play for any length of time at the NHL level.

 It’s time to bring up the kids.

The Winnipeg Jets are now 15-21-4, last in the National Hockey League. They have lost nine in a row (0-6-3). They can’t score. They aren’t even fun to watch. I mean, listen, the 1980-81 Jets who went 9-57-14 (39 points behind Toronto for the final playoff spot) and set an NHL record by going winless (0-23-7) in 30 straight games were, at least, fun.

This version of the Jets is just old and slow. It’s a one-line team full of aging journeymen who have developed stone hands to go with their lead feet.

Eight months ago, the Jets were the best team in the NHL. However, in real time we’ve watched the oldest team in the NHL get slower and less skilled. After the big line of Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor, the Jets have absolutely no offence. They couldn’t score on a soccer net.

Nino Niederreiter, hasn’t had a point in 16 games. Jonathan Toews hasn’t had a goal since Nov. 11. Cole Perfetti hasn’t had a goal since Nov. 29 and has two goals in 26 games. Gustav Nyquist doesn’t have a goal in 30 games this season.

It’s obviously time for a change. This experiment with geriatric hockey should be put down immediately.

And let’s be honest, I can’t say the Moose kids are any better or will be any better. I look at their AHL numbers and I have no delusions. But this season is DONE! Just finish last, get the No. 1 draft pick and see if some of the kids can play.

Now is the time time to see if David Gustafsson, Brad Lambert, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Danny Zhilkin, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager, Parker Ford and Colby Barlow can play for any length of time at the NHL level.

At least we might find out that there is some kind of future for the Jets (Yikes, maybe the brain-trust doesn’t want to). Right now, the Jets best players are, in NHL years, old – Connor Hellebuyck (32), Josh Morrissey (30), Mark Scheifele (32), Adam Lowry (32) but when you throw in Tanner Pearson (33), Alex Iafallo (32), DeMelo (32), Schenn (36), Namestnikov (33), Niederreiter (33), Toews (37), Nyquist (36), this team becomes the oldest, slowest, least-skilled team in the league.

To paraphrase the script from Moneyball, “there comes a time, whether it’s early in a player’s career or later, that he’s told, you can’t play anymore.”

So before firing a coach or general manager, it’s time to find out if the players on the Moose can play at the NHL level. If none of them can, then maybe it’s time to find new people at the top.

But that argument should be left for another day.

To paraphrase the script from Moneyball, “there comes a time, whether it’s early in a player’s career or later, that he’s told, you can’t play anymore.”

At this moment, the Jets have a handful of players who can’t play anymore.

So before firing a coach or general manager, it’s time to find out if the players on the Moose can play at the NHL level. If none of them can, then maybe it’s time to find new people at the top.

But that argument should be left for another day.