After an off-season of optimism, the Winnipeg Jets are off to a frustrating 2-3-0 start. The Jacob Trouba saga remains unsolved, Bryan Little is injured, the special teams aren’t improving and the goaltending hasn’t either. Though it’s obviously too early to hit the panic button, here are some thoughts on the Jets early struggles, and what can be done to get them out of the Central Division basement.
Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets Early Struggles
Special teams still the Achilles’ heel
The Jets out-shot and out-chanced the Edmonton Oilers at the Heritage Classic in a scoreless first period. Lines were shuffled for the second period in what ended up being a 3-0 loss. Perhaps the power play units should have been tampered with instead. The man-advantage looked as disadvantageous as ever. The Oilers were able to tally a shorthanded goal, meaning the Jets now have as many goals against on the power play as they do for; their lone scorer being Patrik Laine.
After the shooting clinic Laine put on against the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, there is no reason he should not be on the first power play unit. His highly touted shot is proving to be effective at the NHL level and cannot be neglected. It needs to be utilized as often as possible. His shot is a missing compliment to Dustin Byfuglien‘s on the team’s first unit. Setting a Byfuglien slap shot up on the point has grown painfully predictable and easy to defend.
Furthermore, Adam Lowry continues to see time on the ice with a man-advantage. He is not a threat offensively and should be off the power play altogether. Without a change, the Jets power play will not improve. It is currently ranked 26th in the NHL.
Their penalty kill is no better, sitting at second last in league efficiency. This is too reminiscent of the woeful Jets team whose special team units ranked 25th (PK) and 30th (PP) a year ago.
Trouba’s absence stings
Winnipeg is missing Trouba a bit more than they’d like to admit. He had been one of their top end shot and goal generators. His absence has made the team inevitably drop in both categories.
Byfuglien’s average ice time of 29:10 on the season is frighteningly high. This needs to be closer to the 24-25 minute range. His $38-million salary over the next five years is a hefty investment for the Jets. He will wear out a lot quicker than they’d like if this continues. A capable defender needs to help eat up some of these minutes.
Though Josh Morrissey has been solid, Trouba played around 22 minutes a night, while the former has been playing 18. Morrissey may have replaced Trouba on the even strength depth chart, but there’s some trust normally put in Trouba on the penalty kill that’s noticeably missing. Besides, it would be foolish to assume Morrissey could come in as a rookie and provide value that’s equal to Trouba. His absence has been a crucial blow.
All things considered, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is playing the hand Trouba and agent Kurt Overhardt dealt him properly. He doesn’t want pennies on his Trouba dollar, and the Trouba dollar doesn’t seem to be being matched in trade discussions.
Since sitting out a year isn’t a great alternative to playing for Trouba, a bridge deal in late November seems like the most likely scenario.
Goalie struggles
The Ondrej Pavelec re-assignment is being questioned by some, but it was still the correct decision. Over five seasons, he proved to be a sub-standard starter. His struggles have continued at the AHL level, too, posting a .907 save percentage over his first three games with the Manitoba Moose. But regardless of how he plays in the minors, it’s plainly time to move on. He could have three shutouts in his three AHL appearances and sending him down would still have been the right move. At age 29, there’s no room for him to improve as an NHL netminder.
Neither Connor Hellebuyck or Michael Hutchinson have a large enough body of work this season for definitive criticism, but that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from it entirely. They have been noticeably weak in their first few efforts, though it should be safe to assume they’ll improve.
The Jets have always been a good possession team. Their special teams and goaltending were what held them back. In order to make the pretenders to contenders jump, Hellebuyck has to reach his ceiling and become a significantly better starter than Pavelec. The Jets are rolling with a Hellebuyck/Hutchinson rotation for now, but at some point, Hellebuyck is going to have to shine and take on a starting role.
In the event of this not happening, the Jets may want to reconsider keeping goaltender coach Wade Flaherty around. If Pavelec never reached his ceiling under Flaherty’s assistance, and Hellebuyck who possesses a decorative résumé, starts showing that he holds the same fate, there’s more of a pattern than a fluke.
Flaherty is on the second year of a three-year extension he was given in 2015.
Moving Forward
The Winnipeg brass doesn’t expect a Stanley Cup this year, but they are expecting a step in the contention direction. At the five-game mark, that step hasn’t been visible. It is of course foolish to come to a conclusion this early.
The Jets didn’t play a terrible game at the Heritage Classic. They ran into Cam Talbot who unluckily for them, decided to stand on his head and record a well earned shutout.
Thankfully, some luck is now rolling the Jets way. Their back-to-back against a mangled Dallas Stars lineup this week is a much needed break. Ales Hemsky, Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, Cody Eakin, and Mattias Janmark are all unable to play Tuesday night. Jason Spezza and Patrick Eaves are also listed as questionable. Inexperienced options like Gemel Smith and Justin Dowling have been filling the Stars lineup.
This doesn’t mean it’s a lineup to take lightly, though. The Jets don’t have the most experienced group of players either. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and the rest of the Stars are looking at these games as an opportunity to beat up on a struggling team and make up some ground in the Central Division standings themselves.
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