The Jets will never win a cup without this missing piece
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The Athletics Dom Luszczyszyn has created a «Stanley Cup Checklist,» and the Jets seem to be missing a key component of that winning recipe.
Its no secret that the Winnipeg Jets are "win now" mode, but after suffering a brutal first round exit at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the Jets seem to be missing a crucial aspect of their team to get them over the hump.
With research stemming back to the Chicago Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup championship team, Luszczyszyn has tracked the positional trends each Stanley Cup champion had on their roster and how many impactful players they had. The list he has created has 10 items as follows:
An elite first-line centre
An elite first-line winger
Two more top-line-calibre wingers in the top six
One more top-line-calibre centre for the second line
Two more top-six-calibre forwards in the middle six
An elite No. 1 defenseman to play in the top pair
One more No. 1-calibre defenseman to play behind him
A top-pairing-calibre defenseman for the second pair
Another top-pairing-calibre defenseman for a soft-minutes third-pair
A top-10-calibre starting goaltender
An elite first-line centre
An elite first-line winger
Two more top-line-calibre wingers in the top six
One more top-line-calibre centre for the second line
Two more top-six-calibre forwards in the middle six
An elite No. 1 defenseman to play in the top pair
One more No. 1-calibre defenseman to play behind him
A top-pairing-calibre defenseman for the second pair
Another top-pairing-calibre defenseman for a soft-minutes third-pair
A top-10-calibre starting goaltender
So what are the Winnipeg Jets missing in this checklist? The Jets are severely lacking in the defensive category, specifically in the area of "A Top-Pairing-Calibre Defenseman for the Second Pair."
Neal Pionk seems to be the common denominator in this category. Although the defenceman was recently ranked a top 100 NHL among defenders, it doesn't negate the fact that his game has gone downhill the past few seasons.
His ongoing struggles to shut down opponents and prevent high-danger chances make it debatable as to whether he should even be considered top-four calibre, let alone top pairing, so they get an X when it comes to this item.
GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has some work to do. If the Jets want any chance at Stanley Cup glory, they will need to revamp their second defensive pairing in order to do so.
source: The Hockey Writers
Jets' Stanley Cup Checklist Check-In
Jets' Stanley Cup Checklist Check-In
| POLL | ||
17 JUILLET | 106 ANSWERS The Jets will never win a cup without this missing piece Do the Jets need to upgrade their defence? | ||
| Yes | 101 | 95.3 % |
| No | 5 | 4.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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