I really don't get why people believe that Stu and Thor can make the starting lineup in the face of the competition there is now for their jobs. Plus how bad they have become. I just don't see it. Playing those 2 any more than limited minutes in no more than 10 games should be a firing offense by a coach. (unless he wins of course
) Add Pav to that list, assuming that we now have competition for him too.
You really don't get why people believe that Stu, Thor or Pavs can make the starting lineup? What have you been watching these past five years? In his year-end presser, Maurice said he's been talking with Chevy about potential captains for next year and the candidates are Wheeler, Scheifele and
Stuart.
The fact of the matter is, there has been competition available for goaltending, LHD and bottom 6 depth every single offseason since 2012 for league minimum salaries and even within our own lineup and our management group has not done anything to add that competition to the roster. In the case of Stuart and Thorburn, when their contracts expired, they were renewed on long term deals. That is, quite frankly, amazing.
Internally, how many preseason games did Morrissey and Hellebuyck get into last year? Postma gets into about 8 games per calendar year and he's ten times the player that Stuart is.
Odds are that Stuart, Thorburn and Pavelec will all be on the starting roster next year. The only reason we'd keep them off is hope, not evidence.
Debatably better, marginally better, maybe a lttle more than that. Maybe 1 better option but now there are head and shoulders better and maybe several players better. It isn't that there weren't option before but the dufference between the options is so large, clear and inarguable.
How are you defining better? Mark Stuart played the lockout in the ECHL and was probably average. How many defenseman in the ECHL/KHL/SEL/AHL/NHL are better than Mark Stuart? I'd say at least 200.
Thorburn has been outperformed by virtually everyone that has put on a Jets jersey in the last 5 years - from the Machaceks/O'Dells to the Tim Stapleton's/Halischuk's and various waiver wire scrubs. The only player that I am comfortable putting behind Thorburn is Anthony Peluso. Yet, there he is - signing contract extensions and playing 70+ games per year while better players ride the busses in the ECHL.
I'm not talking about on the roster. I'm talking about on the ice. Playing. The Jets are not cheap. Sorry but that is just not true. Look at the money they keep spending. They may be careful with spending but not cheap. Burying players in the AHL. Budaj, Harrison say hello. They will when needed. Expect Peluso there this year. What is the financial difference between Stu in the press box and Stu in the AHL? This idea that we are paying him so we have to play him just doesn't stand up. The player gets paid either way.
The financial difference is you have to replace that player with an NHL salary. So it's Stuart's salary in the AHL + hypothetical new guy's NHL salary. And there is no way Cheapman is doing that!
Also, Im not convinced that Chevy thinks that Stuart is bad and needs replacing. There is nothing that Chevy has ever said or done (including signing him to a four year contract) that suggests he thinks Mark Stuart is a problem.