Jacob Billington: Winnipeg Jets Falling Off The Deep End, Bowness Expresses Frustration

The fact the Jets have a “top 6” and “bottom 6” shows where this team is philosophically. This team needs scoring from its 3rd line.

There is no depth past their top 5 forwards and until Lowry is on the 4th line where he belongs, this team will continue to struggle.

#firechevy

until Chipman has the balls to break up this core, stop pandering to his Captain, we are stuck in a 4 year long state of nothingness.

Chipman!! hire a president of Hockey operations and step aside.

Blow this team up!!!!

this summer;
PLD to highest bidder but likely Montreal
Shiefele to Detroit or Pitt
Helle to LA, EDM or TO
Pionk, Stanley and Scmidt to anywhere you can send them.

hold on to Dillon, Lowry and Nino until next years trade line where those three will get you more at the deadline than this summer.

I was ridiculed a bit in saying the Jets seem to lack any symmetry about 5 -7 games ago. They just don't seem to click no matter what combination Bowness tries. They were clicking most of the year. One of the gambles, when trade deadlines come around is that the new players may not blend with the status quo. We experienced that with Kevin Hayes a few years ago.

There is no doubt that NN and Namestinikov are decent acquisitions and good players. However, except for the first couple of games where the adrenaline of the trade kicked in they have not blended that well. If I were Bowness I would not have Namestinikov on the top two lines. He's a Tasmanian devil type grinder who might bring some scoring to the third and fourth lines . I'd swap him with Morgan Barron, who has showed he belongs with better players and also goes to the dirty areas. As for NN I think that he does a great job of creating net-front traffic but he just isn't meshing at all with the top two lines. Throw him with Lowry and beat up the opposition while adding a touch more scoring punch.

These would be my line combos although I possible Wheeler could move to bottom two lines as well but I deferred that call as some renewed previous chemistry is needed . Appleton belongs on 4th line or not on the team at all. Put Ehlers on his off wing. Also PP not working ....bring in Heinola or Capobianco


Connor - Dubois - Ehlers
Barron - Scheif - Wheeler
Namestinikov - Lowry- NN
AJF/Gus - Stenlund - Appleton

Morrissey- Demelo
Dillon - Heinola or Capo
Samberg - Schmidt
Pionk

Scheifele now on RW (also the team made him unavailable to the media)

Connor-PLD-Sceifele is the first line now
Ehlers-Namestikov-Wheeler
Nino- Lowry - Appleton

Darren Dreger saying no appetite for a blow-up rebuild….not surprising when you have a fan base that understands hockey

Also he said they are doing everything they can to sign PLD

Darren Dreger saying no appetite for a blow-up rebuild….not surprising when you have a fan base that understands hockey

Also he said they are doing everything they can to sign PLD
- jjonah

I'd like them to resign PLD, even at an overpay. The one thing I wouldn't be prepared to do is open up a Johnny Gaudreau situation like in Calgary, where he literally walked for nothing.

If there is a small chance he'll resign, I'd consider riding it out until next years trade deadline (leading up to). Sell to the highest bidder if you can't get it done.

Agree I’d be ok with an overpay.

8 x $8 or 7 x $9

I’d also consider a leadership move towards PLD as well. Plays hard, seems to care consistently

Scheifele in for a long home stand here if he doesn’t produce. Strikes me as a coddled toddler sometimes.

55 can be awesome and I hope he hits the switch

Agree I’d be ok with an overpay.

8 x $8 or 7 x $9

I’d also consider a leadership move towards PLD as well. Plays hard, seems to care consistently

Scheifele in for a long home stand here if he doesn’t produce. Strikes me as a coddled toddler sometimes.

55 can be awesome and I hope he hits the switch
- jjonah

To be honest, i wouldn't be entirely sold on PLD being a good captain. In his short career, he's already showed some selfishness in forcing his way out of Columbus. He might be in the same realm as Wheeler when it comes to leadership abilities.

If it gets him to sign i guess you gotta give it a shot!

Aside from being French Canadian, I am not real sure why Dubois would want to be a Hab.
- his father works for the Moose and lives here at least part-time.
- taxes are higher in Quebec
- the Habs are a long ways away from contending
- the pressure there from the fans and the media is enormous.

I get that PLD may want to test the market to find out what he might be worth, but I don't know if Montreal is a slam dunk.
Let's see what happens with our roster in the off-season. Maybe we get rid of the perceived cancer(s) in the room ? Maybe we have a new GM ?

I’m not saying he’s the Captain just saying leadership group

Darren Dreger saying no appetite for a blow-up rebuild….not surprising when you have a fan base that understands hockey

Also he said they are doing everything they can to sign PLD
- jjonah

Dreger is good buddies with Chevy.
With Montreal leaking all sorts of ridiculous stories through media about offer sheets, and how much leverage Montreal has with PLD I took the Dreger comments as more of him doing Chevy a solid and pouring some cold water on all these exaggerated stories coming out of Montreal.
What you are seeing now and will continue to see is negotiations through media. All speculation and gossip.

PLD will end up there and in the end it will probably be for less than we want to get back and more than Habs fans want to give up.

As for the Jets not wanting to do a rebuild, who’s surprised by that? This franchise owner loves being average. We draft between 12-20 almost every single year!!!

Chipman is so outrageously out of touch with what this fan base would actually want this summer.

Well I know I have 100% confidence in our Senior Vice President, Asst GM and Director of Hockey Operations Craig Heisinger to get the job done!

3 titles may not be enough could be worthy of more?

Wheeler we are stuck with unless we want to buy him out (not very True North). To trade would cost a prospect or pick along with him.

55 - has to go, bit of a baby

PLD- throw $$$ at him if no trade before or at draft , no later than that

Ehlers- let him play, have to say he doesn’t sulk or complain and has had plenty of reasons to.

Aside from being French Canadian, I am not real sure why Dubois would want to be a Hab.
- his father works for the Moose and lives here at least part-time.
- taxes are higher in Quebec
- the Habs are a long ways away from contending
- the pressure there from the fans and the media is enormous.

I get that PLD may want to test the market to find out what he might be worth, but I don't know if Montreal is a slam dunk.
Let's see what happens with our roster in the off-season. Maybe we get rid of the perceived cancer(s) in the room ? Maybe we have a new GM ?
- bennythehat

-PLD's father isn't likely to work for the Moose forever so don't see how that's much of a factor.
-Yeah taxes are higher in Quebec but I'm pretty sure he said he has a condo down the street from the Bell center when he explained "why he was at the draft" when the trade fell through so he'd save some money on cost of living by not renting a place in Winnipeg.
-The Habs have collected a nice mass of prospects, Idk if they're really any farther from contending then the Jets are.
-Yes the Quebec/Habs media is relentless especially with the local born players, no debating that.

The Jets absolutely can not and should not go into the offseason as it pertains to Dubois with a lets see approach, he needs to be traded by the draft.

A few other things about Dubois, his mother is from Atlanta, I think thats a sign this isn't meant to be with him.. lol... He forced a trade when he was in junior, forced a trade from Columbus and appears to be doing the same thing in Winnipeg and he dissappears for long stretches, also of all the guys of Jets 2.0 who were rumored to be unhappy/wanting out none of them screwed over the organization like Dubois has, can't believe there's such a desire by fans to want to keep him.

Dreger is good buddies with Chevy.
With Montreal leaking all sorts of ridiculous stories through media about offer sheets, and how much leverage Montreal has with PLD I took the Dreger comments as more of him doing Chevy a solid and pouring some cold water on all these exaggerated stories coming out of Montreal.
What you are seeing now and will continue to see is negotiations through media. All speculation and gossip.

PLD will end up there and in the end it will probably be for less than we want to get back and more than Habs fans want to give up.

As for the Jets not wanting to do a rebuild, who’s surprised by that? This franchise owner loves being average. We draft between 12-20 almost every single year!!!

Chipman is so outrageously out of touch with what this fan base would actually want this summer.
- Ross77

100% this, agree on all points!

I retract this entire statement above . I dug deeper. Once again we have a coaching problem. I can 100% guarantee you that Bowness is gone as soon as the season is over.
- jetsnation

Umm.. What?

Explain further please.

I will say I think Bowness has done some really strange things with his lines at times and I didn't like his hiring, was really hoping they were gonna hire Montgomery who they did interview.

I retract this entire statement above . I dug deeper. Once again we have a coaching problem. I can 100% guarantee you that Bowness is gone as soon as the season is over.
- jetsnation

I would agree - I think Bowness and Scheifele will both be gone. Bowness probably right after season is over (maybe later if they make the playoffs) and hopefully Scheif before the draft.

I would imagine Scheif has requested a trade - hopefully we can get back a pick, prospect and roster player from whomever! But he would have to agree on a new contract first from said team.

I can't really extrapolate too much on what is going on here as not to compromise my sources. I can say that there are players at odds with certain coaching decisions that do not play to each individual's particular strengths and that they appear to be correct in their concerns. Bowness will not last past this season. He survived here on the early season adrenaline of a new style coach but his decisions have been poor beyond that which is likely why he was also dumped by Dallas.
- jetsnation

This actually makes sense. Look at Dallas last year and compare them to this year.

Also, Chevy has got to go. 12 years of ineptitude.

#firechevy

This actually makes sense. Look at Dallas last year and compare them to this year.

Also, Chevy has got to go. 12 years of ineptitude.

#firechevy
- TheUltimateJet

I agree it’s time for a new GM. 12 years is ample time and this year is nothing short of disaster.

This actually makes sense. Look at Dallas last year and compare them to this year.

Also, Chevy has got to go. 12 years of ineptitude.

#firechevy
- TheUltimateJet

It's not like a very talented Florida team has done much either under Maurice. The Jets have had a very talented team of players for the past 4-5 years which were suppressed by below-average coaching. This falls on mgmt to correct this situation ASAP or they will begin to lose their talent in a hurry as contracts come up for renewal. I think Bowness should have been fired at least 10 games ago and bring in someone who better recognizes where the strengths of each player lies , and then look for ways to get the most out of those strengths rather than suppressing them. Bowness in particular has done a terrible job of this in the back half of the season.

Its time for mgmt to be very proactive in fixing this situation fast.

BTW...all this being said I do think that the Jets beat Detroit tonight and that you'll see both Scheif and Connor score goals.

It's not like a very talented Florida team has done much either under Maurice. The Jets have had a very talented team of players for the past 4-5 years which were suppressed by below-average coaching. This falls on mgmt to correct this situation ASAP or they will begin to lose their talent in a hurry as contracts come up for renewal. I think Bowness should have been fired at least 10 games ago and bring in someone who better recognizes where the strengths of each player lies , and then look for ways to get the most out of those strengths rather than suppressing them. Bowness in particular has done a terrible job of this in the back half of the season.

Its time for mgmt to be very proactive in fixing this situation fast.

BTW...all this being said I do think that the Jets beat Detroit tonight and that you'll see both Scheif and Connor score goals.
- jetsnation

Jets won't beat the Wings - unless we play with more desperation than we have recently. We have trouble with fast teams. (and slower teams lol) With the Wings not getting into town until early this A.M, the Jets "should" win.

But hopefully we do as you say - win - and go on to beat the Devils on Sunday. Or is that asking too much?

I hope everyone is aware Heisinger will have final say on next GM.

What could go wrong

I can't really extrapolate too much on what is going on here as not to compromise my sources. I can say that there are players at odds with certain coaching decisions that do not play to each individual's particular strengths and that they appear to be correct in their concerns. Bowness will not last past this season. He survived here on the early season adrenaline of a new style coach but his decisions have been poor beyond that which is likely why he was also dumped by Dallas.
- jetsnation

While I don't disagree and didn't think Bowness was the right coach for this group and can see what he's selling won't work for the top end of this lineup he was signed to a two year contract with an option for a third year, do we really see TNSE firing him after one year and paying Bones not to coach?

Personally I doubt it but I suppose anything is possible.