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

[Imcanadianeh]

Wheeler came out to speak after we won.

This is just people trying to create drama to fit the story line they want.

The Winnipeg media said Wheeler was injured and getting medical treatment after games.

 

[Eyeseeing]

This is where TNSE comes across as an odd organization.
How awkward is this going to be moving forward?
The room obviously doesn’t like his leadership.
Hey maybe they’ll let Blake reapply to be captain.
Wow

 

[cbcwpg]

Bowness:

"It is the determination of the coaching staff that we will enter the 2022-23 season without a specific captain, but rather a group of assistants still to be determined," Jets coach Rick Bowness said. "It is our goal to expand the leadership base within our hockey team. We have high expectations for our core players and we want to provide them with the opportunity to step into those greater leadership roles as a group."

 

[Guardian17]

This is just people trying to create drama to fit the story line they want.

The Winnipeg media said Wheeler was injured and getting medical treatment after games.

I respect your opinion.

I do not recall hearing the media report that.

Nevertheless, when the Jets lost Wheeler was not there.

 

[cbcwpg]

Jets' Scheifele 'shocked' to see Wheeler's captaincy stripped

Scheifele, a long-serving alternate captain and powerful voice in the Jets’ room, was given a tip by Wheeler that changes may be afoot, and new head coach Rick Bowness gave him a call early Friday to relay the news before the club issued a statement.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Atoyot]

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

Of the concerns I have about Wheeler, his ability to put up points is pretty low on the list. More than anything I feel like he (and others) became complacent and while a shake up like this isn't a complete solution, it's a solid message right off the bat that things are going to be different and I think that alone could have a positive effect on Wheeler's game. He also seems like the type that works harder when he gets pissed off.

 

[Imcanadianeh]

I respect your opinion.

I do not recall hearing the media report that.

Nevertheless, when the Jets lost Wheeler was not there.

This just isn’t true, Wheeler still faced the media when they lost lol

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

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.

That is the calculation every team has to do to decide whether or not to retain in a trade. But in every case they are dealing with a sunk cost. They get to choose between paying the full contract or some lesser amount, not < 50%. They can save the rest of that contract.

To decide that a player needs to be moved for the good of the team's culture, you are going beyond direct, on-ice contributions. To do that and then refuse to retain doesn't make sense.

In this case, you need to consider Wheeler's age. He is highly unlikely to contribute as much as he did last year. He didn't contribute 8 mil worth last year.

Can you replace his contribution for 4 mil? Depends. You may not be able to find a player available to make that contribution regardless of cost. But you had previously decided that he needed to be moved. So you move him for the best offer and replace him on the roster with the best player you can find. The value of the trade return is completely unknown here.

We know they said they were not interested in retaining.
With heavy retention, he should have also brought a return with some value. That may or may not have been possible early in the off-season. It was not later, after teams had made their moves. This was a strange year for off-season moves so the equation may not have followed normal values.

But from an owners POV, you are still left with move him and spend 8 mil, or keep him and spend 16. You need to fill his roster spot so you need to spend 9.5 mil, not just 8. Save 6.5 mil .... in your pocket.

 

[Guardian17]

This just isn’t true, Wheeler still faced the media when they lost lol

Go back and look at the post game threads at the end of last season.

I pointed out how Wheeler was not available after we lost.

Morrissey, Ehlers, Lowry and Dubois were.

 

[DRW204]

Go back and look at the post game threads at the end of last season.

I pointed out how Wheeler was not available after we lost.

Morrissey, Ehlers, Lowry and Dubois were.

there's an account on twiter that tallied up player availability after Ws or Ls

 

[Hunter368]

This is where TNSE comes across as an odd organization.
How awkward is this going to be moving forward?
The room obviously doesn’t like his leadership.
Hey maybe they’ll let Blake reapply to be captain.
Wow

Sharks did the exact same thing, plus didnt the Leafs or Habs do it one year also?

 

[surixon]

This just isn’t true, Wheeler still faced the media when they lost lol

Rarely, some of that was the media not wanting to talk to him due to his attitude though. Still he was less and less the one coming out after games. I think it is clear others in the room stood up and demanded more say and as such came out to face the media more.

Sharks did the exact same thing, plus didnt the Leafs or Habs do it one year also?

Kings did as well with Brown.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

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

35 YO Wheeler scored almost a ppg with a lot of PP time and 1st line minutes. I doubt 36 YO Wheeler matches that. Even if he wasn't a year older, which of course he is, I don't expect him to get as much TOI or PP time. He may be on PP2 this year.

It isn't like they are getting nothing for their 16 mil, but are they going to get more than 8 mil worth? He will be 37 in the last year.

I think that if Wheeler was on a 4.5-5 mil contract he would have been tradeable. At least in most years. Not quite certain about this year. Stagnant cap and post-covid is distorting things a bit.

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

I think Blake will have gotten over this by the time the season starts. I think he is too big a man to pout. Blake don't strike me as that type.

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

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.

I do think we should have just found a way to get rid of Wheeler, this has the potential to be awkward in the media and locker room. You already have Sheif going on about how much of a leader he will still be and how blindsided he is yada yada yada.

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

I also think the Kings/Sharks situations were different.

In those situations there was a clear passing of the torch. Someone who deserved to be the new leader and captain for the team. The Sharks went to Pavelski and the Kings to Kopitar.

We're going to nobody.

 

[SLAYER]

I also think the Kings/Sharks situations were different.

In those situations there was a clear passing of the torch. Someone who deserved to be the new leader and captain for the team. The Sharks went to Pavelski and the Kings to Kopitar.

We're going to nobody.

I don't believe this is true, the Sharks went without a captain for some time. This was always a favourite of mine, I'm sure the Jets will hear it this season ahaha

 

[scelaton]

This is a necessary change many of us had hoped for. Only caught a few minutes of Blake speaking but recognized a lot of his character strengths (intelligent, articulate, dedicated) and weaknesses (uber-intense, passive aggressive at times).

In the end, he had lost the room, just as Maurice had, and it was well past time to move on. Kudos to Bowness for making a hard decision that others in the org should have made earlier.

As for leadership candidates, Morrissey and Lowry are no-brainers.
I would put Connor next, as he is the anti-Wheeler in style and has expressed an interest in leadership previously. Ehlers is next for obvious reasons.
On D, DeMelo and Pionk are great individuals, committed to the team and would be great.

As for Scheifele and PLD, both are tempting, but high risk --I would not commit to them unless I was sure of equal commitment to the team and process in return.

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

I don't believe this is true, the Sharks went without a captain for some time. This was always a favourite of mine, I'm sure the Jets will hear it this season ahaha

Shit maybe that's my bad, I thought it went straight to Pavelski.

 

[cbcwpg]

This is a necessary change many of us had hoped for. Only caught a few minutes of Blake speaking but recognized a lot of his character strengths (intelligent, articulate, dedicated) and weaknesses (uber-intense, passive aggressive at times).

In the end, he had lost the room, just as Maurice had, and it was well past time to move on. Kudos to Bowness for making a hard decision that others in the org should have made earlier.

As for leadership candidates, Morrissey and Lowry are no-brainers.
I would put Connor next, as he is the anti-Wheeler in style and has expressed an interest in leadership previously. Ehlers is next for obvious reasons.
On D, DeMelo and Pionk are great individuals, committed to the team and would be great.

As for Scheifele and PLD, both are tempting, but high risk --I would not commit to them unless I was sure of equal commitment to the team and process in return.

If they want a letter on the sweater... commit to the team long term at a reasonable contract.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

This is a necessary change many of us had hoped for. Only caught a few minutes of Blake speaking but recognized a lot of his character strengths (intelligent, articulate, dedicated) and weaknesses (uber-intense, passive aggressive at times).

In the end, he had lost the room, just as Maurice had, and it was well past time to move on. Kudos to Bowness for making a hard decision that others in the org should have made earlier.

As for leadership candidates, Morrissey and Lowry are no-brainers.
I would put Connor next, as he is the anti-Wheeler in style and has expressed an interest in leadership previously. Ehlers is next for obvious reasons.
On D, DeMelo and Pionk are great individuals, committed to the team and would be great.

As for Scheifele and PLD, both are tempting, but high risk --I would not commit to them unless I was sure of equal commitment to the team and process in return.

.
If I could like this twice I would

 

[SLAYER]

Shit maybe that's my bad, I thought it went straight to Pavelski.

I only remember because of the chant. I suppose it's our turn now.

 

[tbcwpg]

35 YO Wheeler scored almost a ppg with a lot of PP time and 1st line minutes. I doubt 36 YO Wheeler matches that. Even if he wasn't a year older, which of course he is, I don't expect him to get as much TOI or PP time. He may be on PP2 this year.

It isn't like they are getting nothing for their 16 mil, but are they going to get more than 8 mil worth? He will be 37 in the last year.

I think that if Wheeler was on a 4.5-5 mil contract he would have been tradeable. At least in most years. Not quite certain about this year. Stagnant cap and post-covid is distorting things a bit.



I think Blake will have gotten over this by the time the season starts. I think he is too big a man to pout. Blake don't strike me as that type.

You've been saying Wheeler isn't going to be productive next year because of his age for a few years now, so until it happens, I'll still say he's productive.

There's an argument that the $8m might be a price to pay to remove him from the room entirely and not have this hang over the team, but it's not production based.

 

[drumzan]

I see a lack of mention of Nate Schmidt in this thread. I don’t think we should discount him as a possible “A”. Everybody loves the guy’s personality. Very media friendly. He’s signed for 3 years. Proven Vet. Just a thought.

To me the obvious choices are Morrissey and Lowry. Ehlers, Schmidt, Hellebuyck are others with potential.

 

[Andy6]

I see a lack of mention of Nate Schmidt in this thread. I don’t think we should discount him as a possible “A”. Everybody loves the guy’s personality. Very media friendly. He’s signed for 3 years. Proven Vet. Just a thought.

To me the obvious choices are Morrissey and Lowry. Ehlers, Schmidt, Hellebuyck are others with potential.

Goalies can't be captains, can they? I would agree that Schmidt will probably be one.

 

[snowkiddin]

King enabler Maurice is gone and now we’re looking at a (potential) new leadership core. Looks like we’ll finally get some changes to the rumoured locker room mess. Took a long while, but happy to see it.