Should the Winnipeg Jets Flame Out, Who Takes the Blame?

Look, I don’t need to keep beating a dead horse. The Winnipeg Jets are not playing well. Expectations were high. Someone must take responsibility.

The Winnipeg Jets‘ struggles are easy to quantify but difficult to dish out blame for. The offense took a step back, in large part to Patrik Laine‘s developmental issues and, I suppose, to the departure of some depth players.

The lack of development from the youngsters played a part, as I’m assuming the Jets expected more out of Jack Roslovic, last night’s two goals notwithstanding.

I’m not going to say he’s turning a corner here, because I’ve seen this movie before. Now, at the tail end of the season, when things are really on the line, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler have disappeared.

These dudes were both on pace to blast by 100 points earlier this year, and now I’m not certain either one will finish with 90 (Wheeler has 89, Scheifele 81).

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Yes, Scheifele has a career-high 36 goals and is one point off his career high in that category. Wheeler is right where he was last season, with one more assist, a nice 69, and 20 goals, three fewer than last year.

That’s the production they expected from these two before the season, especially after extending Wheeler. Only, the beginning of the season set them up for some sky-high expectations, and maybe that wasn’t fair.

Life isn’t fair, however, and now these two have a combined two points in the last six games, when the Jets have needed them the most. Don’t get me started on Patrik Laine, who isn’t going anywhere. Either on the ice or off it, I suppose. Nikolaj Ehlers missed some time with an injury, but he’s been solid aside from it.

Kevin Hayes was the big pickup at the deadline, and while it wasn’t Mark Stone, I think it was a solid move. Only, should Cheveldayoff and the Jets have made this move, knowing how the team was going?

Or should they have known they couldn’t have made noise without the move, and the chance had to be taken. I lean toward the latter, and I think Hayes has been pretty solid with the Jets, despite what his Twitter mentions look like (that goal against Chicago in OT was huge, too).

Is it Paul Maurice’s fault? Did he just get some unsustainable luck and play last season, and now the team is making him look bad? I know he’s well respected, but even if the Jets hang onto the division, they don’t look like they’re making noise in the playoffs.

They’re 1-3 against Dallas this year, the team they’re currently slated to face in the playoffs, and right now, I’m taking Dallas in five or six. Could Maurice be on the chopping block? I doubt it, but anything is possible.

If the season does go that route, he’ll certainly have a shorter leash next year. Connor Hellebuyck certainly deserves a lion’s share of the blame, but last season was never going to be repeatable. And they just signed him to a six year extension, so I doubt he’s going anywhere.

The injuries to the defense have been devastating, as Josh Morrissey and Dustin Byfuglien have both missed a big chunk of time, and it’s hard to really know how things could have been different with them in the fold.

Buff is back, but I’m worried about his health long-term at this age, and I’m not sure when we’ll see Morrissey. Could be after the first round, which uh, doesn’t look promising for the Jets at this point.

Someone has to take the blame, and, while I don’t think there will be any immediate ramifications, it changes the long-term outlook of the team. But there’s still hockey left to play, and anything could happen, right?