Nice post. I think lots has changed.
Back in the day starting with Scheifele he was given a spot on the NHL roster in his draft +3 season and was probably borderline NHL AHL. He was given every chance, had trouble with balance, but was allowed to play sheltered with Frolik on the 3rd line and develop.
Trouba made the Jets in his draft +2 season (one would assume there were agreements in place that he didn’t want to play in the AHL but who knows), he got the privaledge of proping up Mark Stewart for way toooooo long on the bottom pair while he developed.
Ehlers got thrown in his draft +2 season because of not being able to go to the AHL and they didn’t stick him in the press box for the last quarter of the season while he adapted.
Morrissey was the only asset in this era they slow played, he didn’t make the NHL until his draft plus 4 season.
Connor came out of college after one year and did spend that second season in the AHL but made the Jets in his draft +3 season.
Laine made the Jets for good reason and was an impact player from day 1.
Now it was a bit easier in those days because the Jets were not a playoff team. We were kind of going nowhere fast and we had guaranteed sell outs!!
The landscape now is the polar opposite now.
We are in a win now stage and developing prospects is not like it use to be. One need only look at the handling of Peretti last season to see where the org is at.
McGroarty is the same age as all those other guys I listed above but is trying to break on to a very different squad and getting his fair shake is dubious at best with the Coaches the Jets hire and their mandate.
I will say it again, this is business and he probably doesn’t trust the coaching staff enough to bet on himself.