Winnipeg Jets: Top 3 changes they must make after another playoff exit
Changes must happen for the Winnipeg Jets after yet another postseason heartbreak.
For the second straight year, the Winnipeg Jets have failed to win a single postseason series. This season, they didn’t even technically make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in the play-in round to the Calgary Flames in four games.
It wasn’t just that they lost to the Flames that’s embarrassing – it’s how they lost to them. The Jets were outscored in the four-game series by the Flames 16-6. In their three losses, Winnipeg was outscored 14-3. The Jets need to take a long look in the mirror as they try to decide what to do next.
This could be an offseason full of changes for Winnipeg. It’s clear this core isn’t good enough to win the Stanley Cup on their own. Changes need to be made if they want to improve. Let’s take a look at three huge changes the Jets need to make.
Fire Paul Maurice
Look, the Jets didn’t lose to the Flames because of head coach Paul Maurice. Calgary was objectively the better team throughout the series. However, it’s clear Maurice has taken the Jets as far as he can take them.
Maurice has been with the team since the 2013-14 season. He’s made the postseason four times, though the Jets needed the extended format to make the postseason this year. Aside from their Western Conference Final run in 2017-18, the Jets have never won a single postseason series with Maurice.
There’s a reason Paul Maurice is the career leader in losses for coaches. He’s simply not a winning coach. Maurice saw the Jets have a lot of problems throughout the regular season and playoffs. Yet adjustments weren’t made. Under Maurice, the Jets have rarely exceeded expectations. More often than not, they’ve either barely met them or failed to reach them.
The Jets need a new system. Their current one isn’t working. The easiest way to overhaul your system is to fire your head coach. Maurice needs to go.
2. Put Kevin Cheveldayoff On Notice
If the Winnipeg Jets want to fire general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, I can’t blame them. He’s had plenty of opportunities to build a Stanley Cup contender and he’s only done it once. His loyalty to Maurice has hurt the franchise. Getting rid of Cheveldayoff might be the only way the Jets can get rid of Maurice.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
However, if I were the Jets owner (and I am not the Jets owner), I’d give him one last chance. But I’d be sure he knows he has a lot of work to do this offseason. Cheveldayoff lost Jacob Trouba last offseason and did absolutely nothing to replace him. Sure, he got Neal Pionk for him, but the fact is, the Jets had a questionable blueline even with Trouba. Doing nothing substantial to replace him is straight-up negligent.
You can’t blame Cheveldayoff for what happened with Dustin Byfuglien. He didn’t know his star defenseman wasn’t going to report to the team. However, Cheveldayoff needed to fix the defense last offseason and he didn’t. Losing Byfuglien magnified the Jets issues that Cheveldayoff didn’t fix.
I still think he’s a quality general manager who just had a bad offseason. It happens. Cheveldayoff has a very long offseason ahead of him and he needs to prove that he’s deserving of keeping his job. But he’s done very little to prove that over the past 24 months.
3. Overhaul The Defense
It’s hard to describe in words how horrific the Winnipeg Jets were defensively this season. So I’m going to use some numbers instead. After losing Trouba, Byfuglien, and Ben Chariot last offseason, the Jets were expected to be a bit worse defensively. They were more than just a “bit worse” defensively. The Jets were far worse defensively.
Here’s where the Winnipeg Jets ranked at 5v5 during the regular season.
- Shots against per hour: 31.96 (26th)
- Expected goals against per hour: 2.58 (29th)
- Scoring chances against per hour: 27.9 (24th)
- High danger chances against per hour: 12.89 (30th)
Even their numbers while killing penalties were horrendous.
- Shots against per hour: 58.67 (28th)
- Expected goals against per hour: 7.28 (29th)
- Scoring chances against per hour: 51.59 (24th)
- High danger chances against per hour: 22.47 (25th)
These numbers are inexcusably bad. Even after overhauling their system, the Winnipeg Jets should overhaul their defense. Obviously, Josh Morrissey isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Neal Pionk. But other than that, even if the Jets re-sign Dylan DeMelo (which they should), they’ve got make some changes to their defense. Giving Sami Niku and Villie Heinola more playing time should help, though the latter shouldn’t be handed a roster spot.
Their top priority has to be finding Josh Morrissey a top-pairing partner. He was terrific with Jacob Trouba and both of them suffered without the other this season. That just goes to show how important chemistry is with pairings.
Next. 2020 NHL Mock Draft. dark
Last season, Cheveldayoff didn’t address the defense. This summer, he has to do it. Sitting by idly while his core gets older isn’t going to work.