This organization is now in the post draft and developed era. We are in the win now, sell tickets today, sell some of tomorrow, to go for it today phase.
You have to look at where the group is at...Only Scheif and Lowry have been here for every playoff run...Scheif has been to the playoffs 6 times in 10 seasons here. Lowry 6 in 9 seasons...Morrissey is 5 in 7. Same with Hellebuyck. KC 5 in 6 full seasons. Ehlers was also 5 in 7.
Secondary guys like Pionk have been to the playoffs 4 out of 5 seasons. Appleton every year that he started in the organization.
So in a 16 team conference, which is a 50% chance each year to make the playoffs (slightly greater in 2021) these guys have figured out the grind to get to the only route to hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. Are they underperforners, by and large yes. But there's a lot of good players who haven't got that much playoff experience around the league...
It's a question of time as to when teams who have drafted earlier and more often than the Jets in the last few years begin pushing from the bottom back to the top
I think the Jets put away the d & d model under Bowness, and if they hadn't they wouldn't have successfully retained Scheif and Helle...I think as a group they believed in themselves this season, and Chevy knew full well he wouldn't have many better chances than that group going forward so he went for vets for a good run.
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Now it's going to look different, but you hope all these players who have been through the development process can step up. There's some holes to fill...Not sure Mc Groarty's trajectory was to be a top 6 centre. Seems like he is somewhere between Connor and Roslovic as a pick.
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For next season, with Lowry and Connor heading into the final two seasons of long term extensions the expectation is earn a job...ir will be interesting to see how the organization/
Arniel treats prospects like Lambert, Chibrikov, Barlow, even Parker Ford
For me I see Mc Groarty as the kind of trade chip that can land a borderline top 6 centre, so the Jets can stop trading draft picks for that positional hole.
The rebuild/ youtth movement is likely coming after this season. Maybe 2 tops. And then the development process has more draft capital to work with