Speculation: Who, on the Team, Has Checked Out?

[Mortimer Snerd]

Following Wheeler's remarks yesterday and after the loss to San Jose, as well as Little's comments today -
Who exactly on the team do we believe is "not buying in"? They seem to be calling out certain players in a subtle way, but who is the problem?

I'd have to think that Buff and Ladd could be contenders with their contract issues. But would Little and Wheeler call out their fellow leaders of the room like that in public? Hard to say what goes on behind closed doors.

Who else seems to be checked out from what we can see on our end? Who could Little be referring to as "some of these guys"?

Not Buff.

Reading between the lines and looking at the performances on the ice points squarely at Ladd. I hate to say it but I don't see any other way to take it.

Do it by process of elimination:
Little, Wheeler - no
Stafford - no
Perreault, Scheif, Ehlers - no
Lowry, Burmi, Thor, Armia, Copp, Peluso, Halischuk - no

Buff - no
Stu - One criticism you can't make of Stu is commitment and effort.
Myers - no
Enstrom - no
Chiarot - no
Trouba - probably not but I'm not sure
Pardy, Postma - how would we tell?

Leaves Ladd - Some kind of funk. Hard to understand because whether in Winnipeg or elsewhere he has a retirement contract to play for. Maybe he feels under-appreciated because of Chevy's contract offer. Not impossible given his 4 year contribution to the organization.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

A few that come to mind:

Honestly, Buff hasn't seemed himself recently. He doesn't have very many big hits at all this year like he is known for. Which is odd in his contract year. You would think he would be trying to showcase his special talents.

Lowry was already sent down at one point this year. Obviously he has learned from this and is putting in a much better effort since he's been back.

Trouba - I love him - but he seems to be a shell of his past self this season.

Of course this is just speculation, but this is what I have noticed watching the games as far as effort is concerned.

Can't see pointing at Buff. You're right that some of the spectacular hits have been missing but all-in-all he is having his best season since coming to Winnipeg. Last game was the first I have considered substandard this year. He made a couple of those 'Buff moment' turnovers.

 

[ERYX]

Meh. Look back at any Ladd interview over the last 4 years, and they ALL look exactly the same as that interview. I personally don't read much into that.

I agree with this. Ladd has always been more of a quiet guy, not outwardly emotional. His actions have always spoken louder than his words like last season being one of the team leaders in scoring while playing with a sports hernia for most of the season and hitting everything in sight during the playoff game I attended.

On that theme his play has been uninspiring this season but I don't know whether that's because he's still hurt or because he's checked out.

That said, I tend to agree with those who are feeling déjà vu with the current situation and seeing similarities with the last days of Noël. I believe Maurice to be a very good coach and that's how he was able to turn the team around when he was hired, but I can't help but think maybe Noël was less of the problem than people think? I still think Maurice was an upgrade but I think all is not well among the players and Little and Wheeler's comments suggest this. As such, I think that looking at guys who were here during Noël's tenure is valid speculation, if not deduction.

 

[Derfel*]

Do it by process of elimination:

Not sure how you "eliminated" everyone else by just saying "no"?

Ladd is tied for 5th in points for the Jets.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

Not sure how you "eliminated" everyone else by just saying "no"?

Ladd is tied for 5th in points for the Jets.

He should be 4th if he cared. Ipso facto...

I have NO idea who's onboard or coasting. It's definitely interesting from a kind of perspective, but until something comes out of that room that directly points a finger, all this is just idle speculation.

 

[Derfel*]

He should be 4th if he cared. Ipso facto...

I actually misread it - he *IS* tied for 4th.

 

[ps241]

Meh. Look back at any Ladd interview over the last 4 years, and they ALL look exactly the same as that interview. I personally don't read much into that.

100% agree. Ladd has always come across this way in interviews.

 

[bustamente]

Ladd for sure no contract extension, probably has left money on the table, maybe hurt ,dropped from the top line and always sounds like someone pissed in his cheerios. Buff maybe another, also no contract extension and while he probably gets paid somewhere else seems like his play in the last month has really fallen and has more poor efforts than good.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

I actually misread it - he *IS* tied for 4th.

See! He cares!

 

[stimpsoncat]

Meh. Look back at any Ladd interview over the last 4 years, and they ALL look exactly the same as that interview. I personally don't read much into that.

I never watch interviews so I'm not very aware of his interview habits or personality. On the surface it seems very blasé, but I guess that's just him.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

I never watch interviews so I'm not very aware of his interview habits or personality. On the surface it seems very blasé, but I guess that's just him.

Yeah, that interview is pretty standard Ladd-fare - always seems a bit distracted, and it's extremely rare that he shows any kind of positive or negative emotion.

 

[Derfel*]

Yeah, that interview is pretty standard Ladd-fare - always seems a bit distracted, and it's extremely rare that he shows any kind of positive or negative emotion.

One may call it - Ladd-sez faire?

 

[Hhane Snidy]

I'm guessing the message was for the appointed leader of this team who has checked out. If it was for anyone else, I'm pretty sure he could have handled it in the room. Wheeler doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would be sympathetic to someone in the room who is moping around, especially when they are supposed to be leading this team.. I understand that Ladd is probably pissed off at management for not giving him what he feels he deserves. He has worked his a** off for this team. But I'm sure the expectation from Wheeler/Little is that he needs to put the team ahead of himself. I just don't get it though, wouldn't he be fired up for free agency? Maybe not, maybe he is injured. If he is though, wouldn't he put himself first for free agency and take a seat?

 

[allan5oh]

I'm guessing the message was for the appointed leader of this team who has checked out. If it was for anyone else, I'm pretty sure he could have handled it in the room. Wheeler doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would be sympathetic to someone in the room who is moping around, especially when they are supposed to be leading this team.. I understand that Ladd is probably pissed off at management for not giving him what he feels he deserves. He has worked his a** off for this team. But I'm sure the expectation from Wheeler/Little is that he needs to put the team ahead of himself. I just don't get it though, wouldn't he be fired up for free agency? Maybe not, maybe he is injured. If he is though, wouldn't he put himself first for free agency and take a seat?

If he was fired up for free agency, getting sandbagged on the third line doesn't help that notion.

 

[KCjetsfan]

I was going to post this. Ladd has always come off as very stoich which isn't a bad thing. It's just harder to read him.

yeah if i believed in leadership as an important concept the way it's currently bandied about, I'd respond much better to a Ladd demeanor than a Wheeler demeanor, but everyone is different.

 

[hockeyarena]

It's obviously Ladd. Watch the games, I don't think he opens his mouth on the ice or the bench the entire time. In his head he's already gone. Kinda hard to have a motivated team when their leader couldn't care less.

 

[cbcwpg]

Ladd quitting on a back-check in the Buffalo game that led to a good scoring chance, points me to believe who has checked out.

And I don't blame Ladd for feeling unappreciated, if that's what he's feeling.

There a certain person in the Jets organization who screwed up be even letting this season start with Buff and Ladd's situations unresolved.

 

[allan5oh]

There a certain person in the Jets organization who screwed up be even letting this season start with Buff and Ladd's situations unresolved.

If that's what it is, get Ladd off this team immediately. The team comes before the player. Always.

 

[HannuJ]

the Ladd interview is funny.
you have PK Subban doing his WWF-esque pre-game line-up announcement on Jan 1 and, what? his team's in a freefall.

screaming doesn't accomplish much of anything. different ways to lead.

saying that: i do think Ladd's checked out like a library book

 

[Derfel*]

If that's what it is, get Ladd off this team immediately. The team comes before the player. Always.

What about Buff then?

 

[cbcwpg]

Didn't even think of Ladd's injury when typing what I did, but it is relevant. Ladd's the captain of this team until otherwise and he played hurt for this team last season ( and maybe still is.. ) and was expecting most likely to be financially rewarded for it by the brass, and so far hasn't been.

Ladd literally busted a gut for them last year!

But for anyone in any career..... are you going to bust a gut for an organization that doesn't seem to be willing to reward you after you busted a gut for them in the past? I can easily seeing Ladd and Buff no longer caring and checking out.

 

[allan5oh]

What about Buff then?

If he's checked out too, trade him as well.

 

[Romang67]

What about Hutchinson? Postma and Redmond weren't even supposed to sniff the NHL. If you're talking about undrafted guys turning into NHLers who are out of the ECHL or Europe, those are extremely rare.

What's wrong with Postma? He killed it his last season in the WHL, and has always been dominant offensively in the A.

Anyway, Ladd looks like he did last season when he was playing hurt. I don't know if it's a lingering effect from the hernia or what, but if someone has checked out for the team, it wouldn't surprise me to see him at the top of the list.

And I've always been a big fan of Ladd. But trade him.

 

[theamazingchris]

Here's an out-there theory; maybe it's nobody?

I'm not saying that everyone's perfect, but Wheeler is angry and frustrated, and it's easy to find faults in others when you feel that way. Maybe he feels like the rest of the team isn't taking this as seriously as he is, and that's a very seductive thing to believe.

Players' hands are always tied in interviews. They can never ever say the team isn't good enough to win. They can never ever say that the coaching isn't up to snuff in any capacity. But you can say that the dressing room as a whole needs to improve, either by listening to the coaches or trying harder or whatever bs they feel like saying that day. Cutting it down to a portion is an easy way of absolving oneself of whatever guilt they might be feel for the losses.

The truth is this team isn't good enough and it has never been good enough, and nothing any of the players do or say can change that. And not being able to say that has got to nag at players. I know it would if it were me.

 

[rehf]

I've always felt like Ladd doesn't give a crap. He just doesn't give me captain vibes at all.

Wheeler you can genuinely tell the guy gives a crap and is perfect captain material.