Are the Scheifele and Hellebuyck contracts worth it?

[jetsforever]

Matching 7-year $8.5M AAV extensions (both kick in after this year)
Good move for the Jets or not?

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

Before anyone goes off on value/overpayment, this should he posted first:

Whether it's good for the team long-term or not, nobody knows for sure. I just know we'd be bottom feeders for the next few years without these two.

 

[Coffee]

Well without those two, they aren’t a yearly playoff threat.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

As a fan of a Canadian team that never rebuilt I can’t say that I’m surprised by the contracts. Most of the Canadian teams seem content to fight for a wildcard spot and then hope for a miracle cup run.
I thought that the Jets had a decent shot at a Cup a few years ago but the window just seems like it’s pretty much closed now. Probably better to rebuild.
But the next time Canadian fans complain about Bettman having a conspiracy to stop their team from winning the Cup they might just want to take a look at what most of the successful teams do.

 

[Skolman]

Tough question.

Do I think the contracts are good for the Jets? No, not really.

Do I think they had to overpay in order to retain these 2? Yes, so I don't really fault them for that.

As someone who lives just outside of Winnipeg, I understand Winnipeg/Manitoba definitely isn't the most attractive place to play for most players.

I don’t think Winnipeg would survive a full rebuild, so I understand why Chevy really wanted to keep these 2 guys here long-term

 

[La Bamba]

From an on-ice hockey perspective, probably not but it's worth it to show people that players are willing to spend their careers in Winnipeg

 

[Three On Zero]

Good and Bad, it insures a level of purgatory for Winnipeg. Both are good contracts and not a massive overpay but now they need to build around them

 

[Forge]

Are they fair in the market? Sure.

Am I the one that wants to give that contract to either? No

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I guess they must have had some very productive off-season discussions to get those players onboard with the program looking forward. I suspect if Hellebuyck had another great season he might have been able to command even more under a rising Cap. Whereas Scheifele I guess maybe they addressed his leadership approach, and once that was resolved, that's a player-friendly deal he could not say no to. Nice to see a team work things out like that. It definitely shuts down what could have been a whole season of endless speculation and turmoil at the very least!

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Give it 5 years before we can tell.

 

[Roof Daddy]

I think it’s a good move signing both. They’re an interesting team in that there’s good quality depth there, but you wouldn’t grade them more than above average at any position other than goal. They don’t look like a potential division winner or anything, but they seem like they can be a playoff team at least. All you need is a ticket to the dance.

I think they’re taking the right path for what they have currently. Scorched earth rebuilds aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

 

[Bounces R Way]

They're both completely fine IMO
Not necessarily good or bad, although there's probably going to be years where they look more bad than good.

But at that point the cap should be high enough that they won't be anchors the same way Wheeler was. Cost of doing business for a small market Canadian team.

 

[Regal]

I think they’re both generally fair market deals that aren’t particularly good or bad. Whether Winnipeg sticking with this core is the right move is hard to say, but they have some good players and the team has generally been competitive. Hard for most GMs to blow it up at that point. Sometimes just a couple moves working out better than expected can change a team from decent to contender. I don’t usually like long term goalie deals but Hellebuyck has at least been quite healthy in his career, and even his down years he’s never been bad.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Both are no-brainers if you ask me.

If you're Winnipeg, you don't want to go back to rebuilding in my opinion... And it's not like they even had to overpay uncomfortably to keep them around.

 

[Hisch13r]

Hellebuyck for a few years. Scheifele no. Shouldn’t have signed either though and decided to rebuild instead but Winnipeg would much rather commit to the middle

 

[Boonk]

Tough question.

Do I think the contracts are good for the Jets? No, not really.

Do I think they had to overpay in order to retain these 2? Yes, so I don't really fault them for that.

As someone who lives just outside of Winnipeg, I understand Winnipeg/Manitoba definitely isn't the most attractive place to play for most players.

I don’t think Winnipeg would survive a full rebuild, so I understand why Chevy really wanted to keep these 2 guys here long-term

If you mean the chances of the team relocating if they had to scorched earth, bottom of the barrel-decade long rebuild..


Well they're not going anywhere, even in that case.

 

[Spawn]

There’s no chance they are going to be worth it long term. But there is something to be said for having guys play their whole careers for your team.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Both are hyper-trash.

 

[Heldig]

Signing any pending UFA to a long term deal has some risks. Salary is fine for both. Term is just the way those deals typically go.

Now the key is to develop McGroarty, Lambert, and Barlow along with Perfetti.

 

[MOGlLNY]

For what Winnipeg wants to do (have a decently competitive team yearly) yeah.

I wouldn’t say overall it’s a smart move. Probably trading them to reset would be the smarter move as I don’t see them being a cup threat.

 

[dirtydanglez]

depends on if you want a full rebuild or not. there is no way the jets recover from losing them both.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Both bad deals for different reasons, but they had to do it after not dealing PLD for futures. They just cemented themselves in purgatory for the next 4-6 years

 

[Heldig]

Both bad deals for different reasons, but they had to do it after not dealing PLD for futures. They just cemented themselves in purgatory for the next 4-6 years

Care to explain?

By purgatory do you mean wild card territory? No chance the young guys coming up - Perfetti, Vilardi, Barlow, McGroarty et al will help improve the team?

 

[MrHeiskanen]

What's the alternative? Spend the money on free agents who won't sign in Winnipeg?

Anyone that thinks keeping around good, core players is bad is wilding. The Jets need to get better depth and smarter coaching and they might do something in the playoffs. Winnipeg Jets bottom six has been absolute dog shit forever, they overplay their top 6, and they don't perform in the playoffs because of it.

Paul Maurice would grind his top 6, 22-24 mins for a 82 game season and then was confused why they couldn't perform when the intensity ramps up in the playoffs. I think Bowness spread the minutes around better last year, but he is mentally inept, ancient dinosaur, so winning with the defense only coach is impossible.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I think they’re both generally fair market deals that aren’t particularly good or bad. Whether Winnipeg sticking with this core is the right move is hard to say, but they have some good players and the team has generally been competitive. Hard for most GMs to blow it up at that point. Sometimes just a couple moves working out better than expected can change a team from decent to contender. I don’t usually like long term goalie deals but Hellebuyck has at least been quite healthy in his career, and even his down years he’s never been bad.

The core is different now. Not completely but it’s shifted. wheeler is gone, this is Lowrys team to captain now. PLD is out and Vallardi and Iafalo are great top 9 guys who have the potential to become top sixers.