I agree about the whole thing that young guys should get more of a chance. However, with how good Lewis has reportedly looked, I think he should be in the lineup over appleton if the goal is to win. We will probabilities get similar production out of both of them, but Lewis has a bigger impact imo.

As for thompson, I think harkins should be 4c. By all reports, harkins has looked very good. Wish Maurice would play him at c. Maybe gustafsson replaces thompson once he gets healthy? Only time will tell

Based on news on training camp, I would run my bottom 6 as:

Copp-Lowry-perreault
Lewis-Harkins-Appleton
Thompson
Vesalainen

However, in recent years, Roslovic has been given plenty of opportunity (he’s about to break out though imo). You can’t say that Maurice has mishandled him (except for the first year) tbh. Based on Maurice’s philosophy of having a checking third line, this is the best role he will get.

However, I really wish he would play Roslovic at c and pkay something like
Harkins-Roslovic-copp
Perreault-Lowry-appleton

I agree and think they're playing with fire with some of these young guys by not clearing a path for them to make the team and contribute, Wheeler is 34, Roslovic and Laine want out and Vesalainen might be next, Perfetti MIGHT be ready next season or he could easily take another season to arrive and who knows if he'll be ready for a top 6 role right out of the gate when he does make the team, 35 year old Stastny is a UFA and Schiefele isn't getting any younger either, times ticking on this core.

The next best young players are Harkins and Appelton and both are pretty much question marks at this point, do they have top 6 forward potential, middle 6, 3rd liners or 4th liners? After those two there really isn't a forward prospect that looks like much yet, some past draft picks that have yet to be signed like Nikkanen, Nathan Smith, Santeri Virtanen and a few others so once again just more question marks, maybe they could amount to something but who knows at this point and really even if they sign and have great seasons with the Moose well so did Roslovic, Appleton and Niku and look how that's turned out so far.

I look at all that and contemplate how Maurice utilizes young players and the fact that Chevy is very inactive as a GM plus everything this organization has working against it in attracting better free agents and in the not too distant future this team could find itself in a really rough position with three quarters of a good top 6, a useless bottom 6 filled with grinders, cheap veterans and a pretty empty prospect pool.

The team that touts their draft and develop model better figure out if they want to let some of these kids play or just be a landing spot for 4th line plugs at the end of their careers, I know which I'd prefer to watch play hockey.

I blame part of the Roslovic situation on Chevy, if there was ever a season to sign a couple of veteran wingers it was the 18-19 season, starting Roslovic at 4C with two rookie wingers was such piss poor planning and was doomed to fail. They needed a couple veterans to help Roslo along in his first full season in the league but no they get those type of guys the following couple of years so they can block other young players from making the team I guess.

When I think of all the bad games they've had where they were getting stomped, were out of the game early on Maurice barely if ever let Roslovic center a line with a couple decent wingers, a game you have zero chance of getting back into should basically turn into a development game where you experiment with some things or let a young player like Roslovic get some more ice time or center a line but nope Maurice just keeps doing the same thing over and over even in a blowout game, he's the definition of insanity most nights with his coaching decisions.

Yeah I know Roslovic had a couple top 6 opportunities but he isn't a winger and the first time was with Laine and Little who didn't click, I didn't fault Roslovic for not doing much in that time, Laine was in a mega slump too if I remember correctly. Also other then that time in the top 6 he was getting like 6-7 minutes a game which is terrible for a young players development.

Maurice's theory of a checking 3rd line is why this team has so many problems.

Roslovic's best stretch of hockey was centering the 2015 line, really a shame Maurice just couldn't leave it alone and see what happened, we're probably having a different conversation right now if he had.

Forbort played a lot along side Doughty so I think he'll be a nice stop gap until one of Heinola, Samberg or maybe even Niku can step up. Plus he's big and physical which is something the jets are in dire need of.
I predict a lot of moving parts this season with the uncertainty of dumb a$$ COvid and the back to back and 3 in 4.
Go jets Go! Let's do this.

My opinion on jets they should basically run a squad to be dead last once a decade and try to accumulate enough talent for a 2/3 year ran and then do it all again. Kinda similar to a royals/rays/A’s of baseball. Chevy needs to look at Columbus for an aggressive all in approach along with a ottawa sell the farm approach. My biggest fear for my jets is a perennial bubble, I would take a trip to conference finals or cup finals, that would be just a dream, Cleveland browns won a playoff game so there is a chance, that jets can return to some 70s avco cup glory. Jets play the loyalty keep there jobs a little too strong for my liking, but hopefully good times ahead.

Sorry that I keep tagging you, but I was curious if you guys saw wheeler complaining again about moves Chevy made? He was whining about sbisa going on waivers. I’m tired of him thinking he runs the team
@MisstheWhalers @bunzy1034 @Birtle34 @Jetman @arafay

They should give the C to Scheifele IMO. He's your real heart and soul

Trust me, I know. I’ve been saying this for years. I hate how wheeler acts like he runs the team sometimes. I get you’re the captain and have some input, but you’re not the boss

His words were “I’m not happy about that one”. I’m not sure I would count that as complaining. He understands it’s a business and that this stuff happens. Like the whole point of wheeler controlling the team aside, but I’m not sure I would count this as one of those times...

Still you don’t go to the media and complain about a move your boss made unless it’s purely idiotic and even then you shouldn’t. Wheeler has a history of this, so I don’t take this lightly.

I think yes they should eventually (after wheeler is done). Imo schiefele isn’t ready yet, he seems to still take way too many shifts off and for a young team, a quality like that on your captain is terrible for the team imo. I think they let him learn the ropes some more and then maybe after. If they want to give the c to someone now, it should be Morrissey. They guys a true leader.

I say this again, I don’t think “I’m not too happy about that one” is complaining. I’d think that was more cursing his luck kind of thing

Also, wheeler has a history of speaking his mind, but u can’t remember the last time he criticized the coach. Don’t think he would be captain if he did. And Ladd wouldn’t have taken that from wheeler when he was captain

I like Josh Mo a lot as well. Badly underrated IMO

Never said it was about the coach, I agree it’s likely just like not a huge deal. But he’s got a lot of history with this stuff and we all know him and Maurice are close. That’s the tough part is that him and Maurice run the ship together. This is about a move Chevy made, not Maurice.

Chevy is the opposite of aggressive, he's so inactive with trades I fear he's trying to or is going to make a big trade to try and "fix" one or two big issues in the lineup but really he's just going to do more harm then good.

I do like that Wheeler doesnt always give the "scripted" answers and does speak from his mind, but you're right...unnecessary to say this at the end of camp. Plus it's Sbsia...I like the guy, but at this point in his career he's a 5-7 dman. no need to get upset