Loved the season... hated this series.
Some quick thoughts, for the future...
Overall, I think the Jets were just plain worn out in this series. I think the Nashville series took a lot out of their key players. That shouldn't be a huge surprise. We knew that the Central was going to beat up on the winner.
Hellebuyck made huge strides this season, but he played like he was worn out as this season wore on. He'll be fine, but the Jets need to find a back-up that can take more of the load in the regular season.
The Jets need a few more players that play in the hard areas, especially in the front of the net. They had very little net-front presence. That's why I think a player like Lemieux is going to get a long look next pre-season.
The Jets lack quickness and mobility on D. Maurice stayed far too long with Chiarot, when he had Morrow ready to go. They need another really quick D. I advocated for going after Schmidt... that's the sort of D we need. I think it's Niku time. Play him all season and get him ready for the playoffs. Either that, or go out and get another D with good mobility. Myers' lack of quickness in skating and puck movement was exposed. He doesn't belong on the PP.
Laine needs to do a lot of work on his quickness and fitness. As the series went on, he looked more and more behind the play. This off-season he should work on his skating and fitness, and maybe trim down just a bit.
Ehlers was very disappointing. I think he was running on fumes in this series. He's always better when he's rested and has some fresh legs. I think he also needs to work on conditioning.
I loved the Stastny acquisition, but he is not the C the Jets need for the future. He just doesn't have that extra gear to open up space. Little outplayed him in the Vegas series. In fact, Little was a bit of bright spot.
Buff was clearly fatigued as the series wore on. I think Maurice used him and Myers too much earlier in the playoffs. Trouba needed more minutes throughout the playoffs. He seems to thrive on it.
Connor was a real bright spot for me. He's become a tenacious player, with outstanding quickness and skill. Really impressed.
Roslovic should have been playing earlier. He is dynamite. If he can play C, I'd line to see him with Ehlers and Laine next season. He's a real keeper.
Scheifele emerged as a real star. Just an outstanding performance.
Wheeler looked pretty gassed as this series went on. I am kind of tired with hearing "Wheeler shoots, and it's wide, the Jets need to regroup in their own zone". Still, kudos for an outstanding season.
Morrissey had a great and gritty playoff. He's very skilled, but also a real gamer. Love his game.
Lowry was not nearly as effective as I expected, but I also think he was battling a significant injury.
I think Copp should have stayed in the line-up over Tanev. Tanev's goals early in the playoffs were nice, but expecting him to be a different player than he is was false hope. The Jets need more offensive punch in the bottom 6.
Perreault is an enigma. He does many things well, but he just doesn't produce enough when it's needed. I would definitely keep him next season for another run, but I don't think the Jets can afford to keep him in the longer term.
