Vision for Jets future taking shape

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/04/2017 (3083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Kevin Cheveldayoff took his place behind the podium for his year-end news conference following the 2013-14 NHL season, before anyone could ask a question, the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets had some good news to share.

Cheveldayoff, his chest slightly puffed out, declared that head coach Paul Maurice, who had replaced Claude Noel midway through the season, had inked a four-year contract extension. The announcement provided only a brief distraction to what was yet another disappointing season for the Jets before more difficult issues took centre stage. Focus soon shifted to the team’s problems in net, Cheveldayoff’s philosophy in building a team to contend for a playoff spot, and whether the leadership group was capable of achieving it.

Fast-forward three years to Monday afternoon and although some things have changed with the Jets, many of the same questions remain.

Winnipeg has made the playoffs just once in six seasons, missing out the last two years, including this season where the Jets, despite winning seven straight games to close out the regular-season schedule, were still seven points shy of the playoff line.

Goaltending has evolved from the days of Ondrej Pavelec to the future in Connor Hellebuyck, but with similar, subpar results, though Hellebuyck has had a much smaller sample size.

A number of veterans were shed from the roster after the Jets were swept in four games by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2015 NHL playoffs, while others — including former captain Andrew Ladd in 2016 and, most recently, Drew Stafford this year, both of whom were dealt prior to the NHL trade deadline — have since made room for younger and cheaper replacements.

As for Maurice, though he didn’t get the same boost in job security Monday as he did three years ago, it came close. With one more year left on his current contract, Maurice is expected to sign an extension in the near future that will keep him behind Winnipeg’s bench for years to come.

“There is no misconception that Paul Maurice is our coach,” said Cheveldayoff, standing in his familiar spot behind the podium at the MTS Centre.

Of all the things that remain status quo, perhaps what the Jets brass has been most persistent with is their approach to building a winner — a draft-and-develop philosophy that has worn thin with the local fan base and, after being echoed by Cheveldayoff once again, is likely only to add to that frustration.

“When you really sit back and look at it, that’s what we set out to do and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” said Cheveldayoff.

To be sure, the draft-and-develop model has been in place ever since Cheveldayoff was hired away from his role as assistant GM of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and, for most the part, has amounted to few results in the standings. What’s different this time around, however, is the Jets now find themselves in a position to actually start reaping the benefits of their hard work — or at least they will be expected to.

For all the criticism Cheveldayoff and his staff have endured over the past six seasons, what can’t be argued is his keen eye at identifying talent. For every Patrik Laine that has fallen into their lap, the Jets’ scouting staff has been able to identify a few other prospects that, in some cases, required some savvy decision-making and intestinal fortitude to obtain.

When Cheveldayoff inherited a dismal Atlanta Thrashers franchise, it came with an identity that needed to be shaped and a prospect cupboard that was bare. That identity continues to change and over the past two seasons, so has the roster.

Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Morrissey and Laine were all drafted by the Jets organization and will undoubtedly define the future of the team. The likes of Joel Armia, Andrew Copp, Marko Dano, Nic Petan and Brandon Tanev were either selected in later rounds or acquired through trades and will need to battle to stick around as prospects such as Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic — the Jets’ first-round picks in 2015 — push for permanent spots in the lineup.

It may be viewed as an unfavourable position for those who have had to watch the Jets over the years, but it’s exactly the direction the man running the team had hoped to be headed and remains committed to. What Cheveldayoff envisions for the future has already started to take shape.

“We’re going to look to try to create competition,” the Jets GM said.

“We’re going to look to try to get this organization to a point where, as a first-rounder, second-round pick or a high pick, the expectation isn’t going to be that he’s going to play this year or next year.”

In order to get to this point, Cheveldayoff has had to push some of his younger players into roles they may not have been completely ready for. He has benefitted from some of the moves, including the emergence of a number of players mentioned above, but Cheveldayoff has also stumbled along the way.

Hellebuyck, at just 23 years old, proved unable to carry the workload required of a No. 1 goalie. There’s still a good chance he will become the future go-to guy between the pipes but it’s unlikely he’ll get the opportunity next season that he received this year.

With the number of injuries the Jets have faced on the blue line, securing some depth at defence has also been a lesson learned the hard way.

The Jets proved they could score goals this season, averaging more than three per game, but finding that consistency in the defensive zone is still very much a work in progress.

Discipline is also something Cheveldayoff will need to address, especially with the Jets’ penalty kill, which ranked near the bottom of the league, worsened by the fact the Jets take far too many penalties, in need of a big improvement.

“Our goaltending needs to get better. There’s no question about it,” said Cheveldayoff.

“The defensive side of the game is a very difficult thing to teach. It comes with experience. And how do you get experience? You have to be given opportunity, and then it’s what you do with those experiences.”

By giving out opportunities to his younger players, Cheveldayoff has a clear vision on the number of quality assets at his disposal. But what he doesn’t have on his side is time.

With contracts for veteran players like Bryan Little and captain Blake Wheeler set to expire in one and two years, respectively, it becomes not only about icing a quality team but also finding a way to fit everyone in under the NHL’s salary cap. Expectations are only getting higher and if the Jets believe they are a playoff team with the addition of a bonafide starting goaltender it will cost them. That additional money will need to be considered in much the same way as any extension for an aging veteran.

“If you have young talent that doesn’t challenge you and push you from a contractual situation then maybe you’d be a little concerned that are they the right people to push us forward moving forward. We’ve been very conscious in trying to understand that one bad decision, one long-term financial decision can have some major ramifications and ripples all the way through,” Cheveldayoff said.

“We will make the necessary steps and the necessary decisions to keep those good young players and as an organization, that’s been our promise, that’s been our mandate, that’s been something we’ve said from Day 1 and those days are coming.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton