How do you view the Winnipeg Jets season?

How do you view the Winnipeg Jets season?

Okay, Craig is back. Craig, let’s talk about these Winnipeg Jets. It’s kind of complicated, isn’t it? They win the President’s Trophy. Just a terrific regular season. They make it past the first round for just the third time since they returned to Winnipeg. But overall, this season does feel like somewhat of a disappointment. I’m curious to get your take. How do you feel about the Jets season? Yeah, I I think when you have the year that the Winnipeg Jets had, you go out in the second round, you there’s going to be a certain level of disappointment because they had high expectations of themselves. I I think they also uh showed that they can be a very competitive team in the playoffs. They had to rise up in that game seven in the first round versus St. Louis. And you don’t do that unless you have a commitment to one another and you believe in one another. And they were able to do that. Jay, I watched the Winnipeg Jets, especially after they lost to Dallas in game six on Saturday, and all I could think about was when I was with the Dallas Stars, and we lost in 1998. We won the President’s Trophy. We lost Joe Newandike in the very first game of the playoffs to a season ending knee injury. And we lost in game six of the conference final to the eventual Stanley Cup champion, Detroit Red Wings. And we’re down in the coach’s office and it’s eerily quiet at that moment in time because it’s over. It’s done. The season’s took the fin. And we’re sitting there and it seemed like it was like like hours before anybody talked. Finally, Doug Jarvis, assistant coach who knows one or one or two or three or four things about winning, spoke up. And this is what he said. He said, “We have a team here that plays for one another. We have a team that’s committed to doing the things that are necessary to win and and they’re committed and they’re going to do the things. He goes, “Let’s not lose sight of that.” That’s how I feel about the Winnipeg Jets. We went next year, won the President’s Trophy and won the Stanley Cup. That’s how I feel about the Winnipeg Jets this year. They showed that they’re a committed group to one another, that they’re prepared to sacrifice, to do the things necessary to ultimately win. Yeah, there’s disappointment this year and there should be because they’re they’ve set a high bar, but I think they’re on the right track and I think they have a team that can eventually get it done just like our 99 stars did. The question is, will they get it done without Nick Eers? He is a pending unrestricted free agent. He will be highly sought after around the league. He had a terrific second round against Dallas. He also flew to the World Hockey Championships to join Denmark, so we didn’t get to hear from him on Tuesday, Craig. So I’m curious if you were Kevin Chevil Dayoff, how would you handle this current situation? Kevin Chevel Day Off has handled every one of these situations just superbly. Connor Halabuk would have been highly coveted on the free agent market. Mark Shley would have been highly coveted on the free agent market. And that and that’s just to name a couple. And when I watch how Kevin Shovel Day off goes about his business, he does it quietly. He understands what is necessary to build a winning team, to build a really strong team, and he understands that Nick Eelers, who has been an original Winnipeg Jet, what he means to the team on the ice. Now, if Nikolai Eers feels that he needs to go somewhere else and the payday might be too great to pass up, well, the Nikolai Eers is going to leave. But Kevin Chevoff has shown that he can find a way to get players signed signed long term and keep his team very competitive. And Nikolai Elers has been a really good player. They’re not easy players to find, but when I see this situation and what it could lead to, you know what I think Jay? I think we’re going to see Nikolai Eeler sign a contract long term with the Winnipeg Jets. And you know, to support your point, Craig, nobody thought that would happen with Shelley and Hellbuck. They both signed on the same day. They shocked the world. Maybe Kevin Chevoff uh can pull it off once again. Craig’s going to join us uh Wednesday evening after game one of the Edmonton Dallas game one Western Conference final.

The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy and made it past the first round for just the third time since they returned to Winnipeg, but still fell short of the ultimate goal. TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joins SC with Jay Onrait to discuss how Winnipeg should view their season.