Winnipeg Jets

Chevy Speaks- The season reviewed
April 11, 2017, 11:34 AM ET [5 Comments]
Peter Tessier
Winnipeg Jets Blogger • Winnipeg Jets Writer • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
“Paul Maurice has my full support,” said Kevin Cheveldayoff and with that the question of where the coach would be come later this spring and next season was all but answered. He’ll be back and there might not be much different with the roster either.

Today was the end of season address to the media by both the head coach and the general manager of the Jets and as in past presentations this one did not stray far from the script. Maurice was direct with his usual thoughtfulness and articulate nature on various subjects, as for the GM it’s always a good time trying to read between the lines.

The GM clearly had more to answer for and as the press conference went on a few themes emerged from what was likely a prepared script to be adhered to. Pardon me if you have heard this before but Chevy sounded an awful lot like the old Dana Carvy impressions of George Bush. ‘Thousand points of light, wouldn’t be prudent, not gonna happen,” etc etc.


Goaltending

The GM addressed what likely might be the biggest elephant in the room and that was the abysmal play of the whatever goalie was between the pipes for the Jets this past season. Chevy did not try to sugarcoat reality but he did not come out and say changes were coming, but he left it open that they could come. He doubled down on his faith for Connor Hellebuyck which was probably smart, at least for the short term.

(pardon my spelling and grammar in these tweets but I was trying to decipher and do so with some level of speeds as he spoke)



This was the big reveal as he did say that Pavelec, one of the last Jets from the Thrashers would be moving on.

This was another interesting quote when speaking about the goaltending this past season:



And then there was this one:


Now admittedly I was snarky today and tyring to add some humour (albeit sharp) to the process of a rather dry subject. That being said, I don’t think any fan should believe this organization is content with the goaltending nor do I think that Chevy does not see the problem. Where the concern and likely questions come from is the ability to deal with the problem, and while there were themes from Chevy, ‘ability’ will be a common one here.

Coaching and mentorship

It was not always glowing when referring to the coaches and the results but Chevy was not necessarily critical either. He was supportive and he was understanding but he was also revealing.


There’s a typo here star=staff.

So is the staff held to the same level of account as players? Take Adam Lowry he received a lot of heat this year despite a career year in goals. Chevy used him as an example of how the coaching staff helps develop and teach players:



Again though Chevy means this, furthermore he believes it as he kept coming back the idea of teaching and guidance.





Now aside from my sarcastic humour the Jets are a young team and the coach(es) are there to help as much as possible and guide and teach. This was reinforced many times over and it seems to be a key tenet in why the Jets have the coaches they do and how those coaches will be used into the future- the same.





And he followed it up with two more good thoughts:






But does this surprise anyone who has come to know the True North Sports and Entertainment organization. Loyalty above all else and this is the corporate way of giving back. Stick with our plan and stick with us and we will help you and support you even when it’s tough. Pass that tough love down, but when you are a Jet, you are part of something bigger.


Injuries and the Schedule

Chevy used the phrase “full compliment of defence” more than a few times. Not quite as much as ‘process’ but it came out and it was something he did not want to miss in dealing with explanations of results. Chevy made reference to the play of Trouba and he the minutes of Bufyglien and the development of Morrissey. He also made sure to say that things might have been a lot different ‘with a full compliment’ several times.



The other part that was surprising with the address was the seemingly cluelessness to the schedule and the impact of having Paul Maurice participate in the World Cup of Hockey. Recall that the Jets all but said the roster would be younger long before training camp opened and this is how they chose to address the challenges they knew were coming. It’s a curious combination of excuse and explanation from Chevy but not so much that there is not some fault.

Teams know the schedule well in advance. They can plan accordingly with their travel and mandatory rest days as per the CBA but for the Jets this was different from other teams? While some would argue the pace games was harsher, it eventually all caught up across the league but that does not excuse planning. This is a manageable and preventable situation and the Jets need to accept they did not plan for the schedule well.

Injuries were another part of the equation with the schedule and while Chevy did not utter a phrase that connected the injuries to the schedule it would not be unreasonable to do so.



While no one could have predicted the unfortunate predicament that Myers faced, a lost season, there are bound to be bumps and bruises that affect the roster. It happens every year and this year like fall 2014, it was particularly bad on defence. Add to that issue the Trouba hold out and things were not great. Again though, GMs have to plan for the likelihood of factors such as injuries. It appears there was more ‘hope’ than planning and ‘hope is never a plan’ as I like to say.


Experience

There were more than a few times that Chevy mentioned the experience of this season as part of something for the players and as something they gained. It would be understandable if some one felt he thought the adversity the team faced this past season was part of a level of ‘necessary experience’ they would need as a younger group.



This thought was much in line with what Chevy said about Maurice and his role with the players. It would not be so odd to suggest that he is trying to build a ‘family’ out of the team and one that can perhaps be looked at around the league.



There were a few references to how experience was important and what would mean going forward. The above quote clearly shows he knows where one problem lies but also what he believes is necessary to overcome it. He also made reference to how hard it is for players to become better defensively- is experience part of that hurdle or is it coaching, or both?



Make of this what you will but he probably meant that as an overall view of how it’s hard to come in with youth and be at the top. As you get older and move from a young man to a man a player will find success? While the Leafs three rookies would suggest that is not true he referenced Scheifele later too.



While he expanded more on Scheifele, the idea was that he invested in himself and has become the player he is now due to that investment and experience in that time.

What became clear is that unlike past pressers with Chevy there was a bit more passion and heartfelt honesty. No he did not tip his hand to what he will do with the roster at any point this offseason. Nor did he suggest changes to coaching or other areas but he did assert things that should matter. Let’s not be too courteous though, as fans who just received a 3% increase on tickets there was the usual fluff on things that mattered.



But when it comes to things that matter it would be foolish to believe Chevy is not putting significant effort and thought into decisions.



As for the expansion draft and the seemingly endless battle between Perreault and Lowry being protected over the other…there is no way Perreauly is being exposed. Chevy speaks far too highly of him and did so throughout the presser.



That may be because twice as a UFA he signed in Winnipeg, something that few players apparently want to do. That has bound to give him some leeway with the organization above and beyond his consistent and excellent play since joining the Jets.

Is there reason to be cynical about what was fed to the fans and media, sure. They want to know what is going to get this team over the hump and into the playoffs consistently. There was no definitive answer about acquiring this player, or implementing this strategy but if you read through the noise the plan and answers are there.


The coaching is going to adjust based on the experience of the roster and how it improves. The coaches know where the challenges are and cannot deal with all things at once, as there are many issues. The experience this team gets is valuable and they understand that as does management and it’s part of how this team will develop to be a better team. They know that goaltending has to improve and will provide better solutions to be where they need to be. If injuries are manageable this team will look different and results should be better. Have patience Jets fans as it sounds like management is close to where they want to be and there are fewer issues than before.

The pessimist would simply reply to that plan like this: is the roster and coaching compliment good enough to make the changes necessary. It sure didn’t help that a top coach like Sutter became available later yesterday to make people question a few things.

Let’s leave with one final though courtesy of Pat Williams, probably the most level-headed voice around the Jets.



That there sums up, in a nice way, how the Jets seem to look at their plans. Hope it goes well and hope you are prepared for it when it doesn’t. Again, hope is never a plan.

Hopefully the Jets have learned that by now.