WPGChief

We are approaching the 20GP “predictive” mark, but I already feel pretty confident about the Jets: >When 100% healthy, this is a Wild Card playoff team in a tough Central division >BUT, any injury exposes a severe lack of depth they’ve mustered and developed, especially to the top of the lineup

The Byfuglien love fest this last weekend reminded me there was nearly a timeline where Ladd signed instead, which would’ve necessitated trading Buff. And when 33 had enough, Jets spent months trying to convince him differently: same thing they did to Trouba, Maurice, Laine, Dubois, now Hellebuyck.

We are approaching the 20GP “predictive” mark, but I already feel pretty confident about the Jets: >When 100% healthy, this is a Wild Card playoff team in a tough Central division >BUT, any injury exposes a severe lack of depth they’ve mustered and developed, especially to the top of the lineup

I think the NHL is the right spot for him to continue developing today (certainly not the AHL) - but I am somewhat concerned that the surrounding environment and burden of expectations as the (paper) 2C could stunt aspects of his game going forward. I don’t trust Jets development here.

We are approaching the 20GP “predictive” mark, but I already feel pretty confident about the Jets: >When 100% healthy, this is a Wild Card playoff team in a tough Central division >BUT, any injury exposes a severe lack of depth they’ve mustered and developed, especially to the top of the lineup

Heritage Classic Review (Production): it was all Jets nostalgia and felt high-end for the smallest Canadian NHL city Heritage Classic Review (Game): thank god they scored a goal or I would’ve become the frozen Joker

It’s in times like these that you realize that even the people criticized the most are still the top 5% of hockey players in the world, GST all showed some flash throughout the night. Meanwhile, nearly all of Ladd-Little-Wheeler were just so broken or out of shape lol

How could they overshadow the historical prestige of the Heritage Classic like this

I think my point is that in their effort to have both, they’ll get neither. If they wanted roster players to compete and win now, then that trade needed to happen in the Summer before rosters were set. If they wanted future prospects to raise the ceiling later, they could’ve waited… (1/3)

…as long as they needed to in order to get true star potential, but would have to accept letting go of current roster players too - of which they’re obviously unwilling. They could’ve been an intermediary too, akin to what OTT did in Tkachuk > picks > Eklund. (2/3)

Initial reaction: yet again the Jets try to straddle the line of “compete now” and “draft and develop for the future” and will end up in the murky middle of achieving neither.

>Daws: lol why >Mercer: another slow centre, not sure how Jets will use him without shifting Björck elsewhere >Command: seems like a guaranteed mid-6 centre as early as 2028-29, but that’s his ceiling. Probably was NJD’s best forward prospect as soon as they picked him though

>Mercer (pt2): looks like he’s played more RW with NJD as he continually got pushed down the lineup in favour of others like Evangelista >Bjugstad: lol 34-year-old LTIR, pretty much the typical trade deadline acquisition

I’m gonna say it’s something like this as the main pieces: To WPG: >Mercer >Yegorov >2027 1st (worse of NJD or VGK) To NJD: >Hellebuyck >2028 3rd >Mystery third team pick To 3rd Team: >NJD player to offset Hellebuyck cap >NJD pick

New Jersey eh

If Dawson Mercer is the centrepiece coming back… *tugs at shirt collar*

Björck will learn quickly to never pass it to Pionk in overtime