“If” Is A Big Word For Winnipeg Jets Fans

IF. It’s a very small word but it can mean so, so much –

Over the last five years all we have heard about the Winnipeg Jets is “the five-year plan”. That saying turned in to ” draft and develop “. Both are great strategies.

What pains me though is when fans and media types use draft and develop as a blanket statement. What I mean is, we often hear things like ” if Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux work out, we totally win that trade” or “man our prospects are awesome, if we are patient, we are going to be great“. Well, no kidding! It’s really easy to throw those statements around and not look at the key word – IF. Anyone can say those things, that’s easy. But the hardest part comes from the smallest word in those statements.

The Winnipeg Jets have, on paper, done a great job drafting up to this point but how many fantasy teams have you drafted and thought “I can’t lose” and then finish last?

Let’s take Mark Scheifele. On “Draft Night”, we were all surprised with this pick. Now, Fefe is making strides no doubt but four years later is he a real eighth overall pick? I like him but let’s be honest it isn’t looking like he will be a true number one center.

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Jacob Trouba has been a better player no doubt. Although, some food for thought, he has had a major injury each year he has played. That’s an easy way to turn a stud to a dud.

Some will say “what about Adam Lowry, look at what he’s done“. Fair enough but did anyone know HE may end up our true number one center? No, not even the people who drafted him.

My point is that draft and develop is a great strategy but it’s the one of the only ones the Winnipeg Jets can use despite having one of the richest owners in the league. But that’s another story. We all need to calm down. Just because The Hockey News said the Winnipeg Jets were going to be the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

I read an interview recently where former Winnipeg Jet Shane Doan was asked about the Arizona Coyotes large amount of young talent this season. He was quick to remind the journalist that the Coyotes have heard for years how many “great young players” they’ve had and yet only two or three of those turned in to “true NHLers” in the last 10 years. I am not saying that our fate will be similar to our old teams fate but who remembers how great Winnipeg Jets 1.0 defenceman Aaron Ward was going to be or Jason Doig? Or how about “if Chad Kilger and Oleg Tverdovsky live up to their potential, the Winnipeg Jets may have ended up making a good trade”. People said that. How did that work out?

If, and I mean if, the stars align then maybe, just maybe, things will work out. But let’s not assume all these guys are going to be stars.