Jets Announce Leadership Group Restructuring - Wheeler removed as Captain. No Captain for 22-23

[Jetfaninflorida]

This change was long overdue.

When TNSE announced that they were going to move Wheeler in the off season, that meant he wasn't going to be C this coming season. They failed to move him as planned due to the significant negative value of his contract, but it didn't change the no C thing.

It must be rough for Blake to be demoted. I feel for him. But he was wrapped in a Paul Maurice security blanket for far too long to the detriment of the performance of this team. This needed to change.

 

[BoneDocUK]

Short excerpt from Murat's take:

What all of this means is the foundation of this team is still shifting. At 36 years old, Wheeler is on a bit of a generational island, and while he is still a capable second-line scorer who produces on the power play, he is not such an elite player that his frequent delivery of “we’re a young team” while struggling holds an incredible amount of weight anymore. The Jets clearly feel that it’s best to hand the reins to a younger group more in line with the team’s core.

Even if it works out well in the long run, this could be a tough transition for the now former captain, known for his on- and off-ice intensity. Winnipeg may have been better off trading him this summer, offering a clean break for everyone involved — it is hard to change leadership without changing personnel — but we’ll wait and see how the new playing field works out for the group.

 

[Fatdrunk]

Now we will have a veteran forward who will pout and sulk all season and lucky to produce 30 points

 

[TS Quint]

I don’t think Connor is going to want an A. He seems like a good dude but doesn’t seem to be the type that wants to be in leadership. The bigger question is whether Wheeler keeps an A (I don’t think so).

Who speaks on behalf of the team more than Connor? Seems to me he has already stepped into a leadership role.

 

[RestlessYoungZero]

This change was long overdue.

When TNSE announced that they were going to move Wheeler in the off season, that meant he wasn't going to be C this coming season. They failed to move him as planned due to the significant negative value of his contract, but it didn't change the no C thing.

It must be rough for Blake to be demoted. I feel for him. But he was wrapped in a Paul Maurice security blanket for far too long to the detriment of the performance of this team. This needed to change.

When did they ever announce that Wheeler would be traded?

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Probably a good move. The optics are that Wheeler was always Maurice's pet, at least that's how I saw it. Bowness making this move looks like he's putting an exclamation point on this team needing a new identity.

I still like Blake as a player and I hope he finishes his contract and maybe another short one here. He needs a reduced role going forward though, IMO.

 

[surixon]

They can eat 8 mil to move him or they can eat 16 mil to keep him. Is it possible for Chipman to have been as successful as he has been in business and not be able to see that?

Refusing to retain because you don't want to pay someone to play for someone else is emotional math. It makes zero sense if the facts otherwise say move him.

That is assuming you can bring in someone for the $8 million in savings that can match his contributions on the ice. If not you are throwing money away.

We also don't know the parameters around not wanting to retain. It's possible Noone made it worth their while to be convinced to retain.

 

[DRW204]

Short excerpt from Murat's take:

What all of this means is the foundation of this team is still shifting. At 36 years old, Wheeler is on a bit of a generational island, and while he is still a capable second-line scorer who produces on the power play, he is not such an elite player that his frequent delivery of “we’re a young team” while struggling holds an incredible amount of weight anymore. The Jets clearly feel that it’s best to hand the reins to a younger group more in line with the team’s core.

Even if it works out well in the long run, this could be a tough transition for the now former captain, known for his on- and off-ice intensity. Winnipeg may have been better off trading him this summer, offering a clean break for everyone involved — it is hard to change leadership without changing personnel — but we’ll wait and see how the new playing field works out for the group.

the series of events...... laine being traded, maurice quitting, scheifele continues to not care about 2/3s of the ice, stastny/connor/ehlers/morrissey end-of-year sound bites, PLD refusing to commit long term, wheeler being stripped of captaincy. quite something.

 

[10Ducky10]

KC desn't need a letter...let him be.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

When bones was first hired he said he spoke to Mark Josh Adam and others but not Blake. I think this was a long time coming.

 

[Slimy Sculpin]

I'm being lazy here by not researching it but wasn't Joe Thornton stripped of his C in his later Sharks years? Anyone know how that worked out?

 

[Guardian17]

I remember last season, when the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs.

Morrissey, Ehlers, Lowry and Dubois would make themselves available to the media after a loss.

Wheeler would not.

This made Bowness' decision to remove the "C" an easy one.

 

[DRW204]

When bones was first hired he said he spoke to Mark Josh Adam and others but not Blake. I think this was a long time coming.

wheeler ghosted him all summer.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

It’s a sign that Bowness has brass ones, I like it.

Also, thank you Wheeler.

Wheeler has been a good captain in many ways. Not so much in others. It didn't work last year and this change needed to be made.

We should all now remember that Wheeler is the longest serving Jet and that he has always worked hard and played hard. Will be in Jets HOF someday.

 

[Atoyot]

Now we will have a veteran forward who will pout and sulk all season and lucky to produce 30 points

You think that because he lost the captaincy he'll be lucky to produce less than half of what he has in any individual year he's been with the franchise?

Pretty much had to happen. You don't have an agreement between the player and the team to look for a trade and then have him come in as captain the next season.

 

[surixon]

After listening to Blake and Rick this was not mutual and it was a call the coaching staff made which is a pleasant surprise to me. I thought it would have been mutual but I was wrong. I thought Blake handled it about as well as he could have given the gravity of it.

To me this is a clear case of Bowness/org listening to all players and making their decision accordingly. As you mentioned in another post the younger group was not at all happy with how things went last year. Well management listened, now it's on the players.

 

[Imcanadianeh]

I remember last season, when the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs.

Morrissey, Ehlers, Lowry and Dubois would make themselves available to the media after a loss.

Wheeler would not.

This made Bowness' decision to remove the "C" an easy one.

That’s the high school drama storyline people on this forum created. The truth was he was playing injured and was getting medical treatment after every game.

 

[tbcwpg]

They can eat 8 mil to move him or they can eat 16 mil to keep him. Is it possible for Chipman to have been as successful as he has been in business and not be able to see that?

Refusing to retain because you don't want to pay someone to play for someone else is emotional math. It makes zero sense if the facts otherwise say move him.

You're still getting almost a PPG for that other 8mil so it's not like they're burning money

 

[Gabe Kupari]

You think that because he lost the captaincy he'll be lucky to produce less than half of what he has in any individual year he's been with the franchise?

Pretty much had to happen. You don't have an agreement between the player and the team to look for a trade and then have him come in as captain the next season.

If he pouts and doesn't produce my guess is his ass is stapled to the bench. Maurice is gone and the inmates ain't running the asylum anymore. Then again maybe he pulls a buff and just retires but Blake don't strike me as that type

 

[Hunter368]

I thought we kind of saw this last year towards the end of the season. There were new voices that were not happy with how things were going.

Agreed, it was almost (in my eyes) the young guys were saying to management we got this, its time for a change boss.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

KC certainly mentioned creating a winning culture multiple times

Bet KC gets an A.

 

[Guardian17]

That’s the high school drama storyline people on this forum created. The truth was he was playing injured and was getting medical treatment after every game.

Wheeler came out to speak after we won.

 

[cbcwpg]

Now we will have a veteran forward who will pout and sulk all season and lucky to produce 30 points

Or the opposite. The pressure is off, he's just another player now. Maybe he has a really good year. Wheeler said it himself... he doesn't need a letter to play hard for his team.

 

[10Ducky10]

I'm being lazy here by not researching it but wasn't Joe Thornton stripped of his C in his later Sharks years? Anyone know how that worked out?

Lowry and Brown are two others that come to mind off the top of my head.

 

[Guardian17]