Odds and Ends on the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL –
Some random facts and a few thoughts about the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
52-20-10
1. This week’s thoughts are a little abbreviated with not much going on and with me travelling. I’m making the trek back to Motown, MB from San Tan Valley, Arizona.
2. With the Winnipeg Jets being eliminated and the long break until the Stanley Cup Finals, I really haven’t thought very much about hockey since my last post. Although I’ve come to grips with being eliminated, I still believe the Winnipeg Jets were the better team and blew a golden opportunity. I’m not saying they would have won the Stanley Cup but they sure should have been there.
3. I am actually looking forward to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and Free Agent Frenzy more than I am the Stanley Cup Final.
4. The Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights start playing tonight. I’m sure I’ll check in occasionally to see the score but I don’t really care about OV’s quest for the cup or Vegas’s Cinderella story.
5. I am very interested to see what happens this off-season in Jetsville. I think this off-season is going to have a lot of controversial signings, non-signings, and trades that are going to have Winnipeg Jets fans at each others throats. Twitter is going to be fun. I don’t see myself getting involved but I will certainly be lurking!
6. I bet Joel Armia is hoping like hell the Jets re-sign Matt Hendricks. Why? Armia will actually have someone on the Jets roster he can skate faster than! As you can tell by my sarcasm, I’m not a huge fan. The guy has silky hands and has a pretty good shot but he screws around with the puck too much and skates like he has a piano strapped to his back. I’ve never seen a hockey player like him that seemingly only has one gear.
7. In a best-of-seven game series that can go anywhere from four to seven games, doesn’t the hated “plus/minus” stat actually hold a little more weight than the “Corsi” metrics?
8. FYI: Don’t confuse the media “exit interviews” with the “exit meetings” you will hear coaches and managers talk about. They are two different things. The exit interviews are the fluff for the media while the exit interviews are conducted by the coach and are almost never for public consumption.
9. Now that the dust has settled, I figure we have probably seen the last of Shawn Matthias, Toby Enstrom, and Matt Hendricks. I was never a big Enstrom fan but I realized his value to the Jets. His lack of physicality and diminished offensive output didn’t correlate with his salary BUT I would not be opposed to bringing Toby back on a much friendlier contract and in more of a bottom-six role for a year or two if needed. This would allow the Jets to move a player like Tyler Myers and still keep Toby around to mentor young players like Tucker Poolman and Sami Niku. I bet you never saw this coming from me.
10. Although the Winnipeg Jets had a great season I still believe this was a huge missed opportunity. Who knows when the next time they win NINE playoff games again? The Preds went to the finals last season. I’m sure their fanbase wasn’t expecting a second-round exit.
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Thanks, Mitch
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