Jets 2025-2026 rants

[Nasty-Nate]

Tried putting one up before CFL.ca forums went dark earlier last weekend. So here goes.

Best word to describe Jets = OVER-RATED

Yes, they won the dreaded President’s Choice award last season but needed a miracle 7th game finish to slither past doormat St. Louis in the first round before getting themselves squashed by Dallas in the 2nd round. Incredible disappointment (again) for Winnipeg fans.

Jets appear somewhat slow and sluggish on the uptake during their first 25 games. Losing Nik Ehlers was a real slobbernocker. Listen, Ehlers will never win a scoring title but he’s one of the 3 fastest skaters in the entire league. He made opposing defenses take not - and he could still pot 25 to 30 goals playing 2nd line. Jets basically made the same mistake Bombers did when they let Kenny Lawler go.

Replacing Ehlers - Chevy K. Pinto brought in a sluggish old vet named Gustav Nyquist who’s projecting to have 0 goals and 2 assists over 70 games. Great add???

The Jonathan Toews experiment has been a total bust. The Blackhawks knew Captain Serious was cooked. Taking 2 years off - another red flag. Toews is still decent in the face-off circle but his fore-checking is nearly non-existent and he no longer possess a wonderously accurate snap shot. He’s gotta be the flimsiest power forward in the league, too! Expect Toews to schedule a news conference early in the New Year to announce his final retirement.

OK, top goaler Connor Helleybuyck was out for nearly 10 games due to minor knee surgery but Helly is 32, and he’s never been more than the greatest regular season goaler in recent NHL history. His playoff history is sordid at best. To top off my optimism, his backups are mostly deadbeats and rounders.

After Toews, Nyquist, the backup goalies, etc. the worst Jet has actually been Adam Lowry. A slow skater at best, he’s been a chronic under-performer this year. But he’s not alone - Cole Perfetti, a 20+ scorer last season has regressed to mope status. Guys like Cole Koepke are traditonal 4th liners, they’re not going to round out the scoresheets.

Jets basically have 1 A- to A top line in Schiefele, Conner & Vilardi. Their remaining 3 lines range between C- to C+ and I’m being generous.

Jets take far too many untimely penalties, they’ve stopped sacrificing their bodies in the blocked shot department (could be a coaching decision to avoid injuries) and their d-men are having horrible problems clearing the puck out of their own zone - their two best d-men Morrissey and Pionk are helpless trying to stave off opposing power forwards and brutes.

Logan “The Loogin” Stanley has been their best D-man with 6 goals so far, more than he’s scored in his initial 5 campaigns.

Jets are soft, aimless and coached for excuses. And I’m being charitable.

Extrapolating the equation - Jets may be no better than 78 to 85 pts this season barring a miracle 2nd half of season. Just don’t see it.

At least they’ll get a couple balls in the Gavin McKenna powerball lottery. And even if they win McKenna, I can see the kids family and agents defying the Jets urge to sign him. Winnipeg is where many careers go to die. Thats why Rutger McGroarty ran for the hills of Pittsburgh, No?

[bomberjunkie]

You must have canned those comments in for a long time. That was quite the thunderous boil! Truly Nasty Nate.

It’s a pleasant change from critiquing the Bombers. Do you think the Jets are Bottom 4 of the league?

[Squishy21]

@bomberjunkie

That was quite the thunderous boil! Truly Nasty Nate.

Must be from the never kick a man unless he’s down club.

[Nasty-Nate]

OK. maybe the words of an amateur sports sleuth are terrifying. But if you don’t want to experience REAL TERROR I advise you straight up not to read the following attached article from Winnipeg Jet reporter Mike “The Maggot” McIntyre, an avowed Jets homer for most of his career covering pro hockey and football.

Please don’t read the following if your feelings are easily hurt -

Jets’ season on thin ice – Winnipeg Free Press

[Nasty-Nate]

Jets succumbed again - no shame, to league-leading Avs last nite in Denver. Put up a minor fight after slipping behind 2-0.

One striking thing about this year’s Jets beside obvious lack of speed is they no longer drop down to block shots from the point. Guess no one wants to have their ankles exploded by 100mph vulcanized rubber. Only getting 2 to 6 million a year so why bother, eh?

Jets also host the Olympic Demo Team for barfing up pucks along the boards. Mopes like Namestnikov, Perfetti, Towes, Nyquist, Pearson, Lowry, etc. obtain temporary control of pucks along the boards, within micro-seconds the opposing team is seen breaking out of their zone with the Jets barf-up team too gassed to pursue.

At least the Jets top Excuse Coach, Scott Arniel actually noticed something last night - ie. lack of effort and intensity. He pulled Cole Perfetti (a kid who obviously peaked out in Juniors but now a guppy swimming with sharks in the pros) after a 9 second shift and Perfetti never saw the ice again as Arniel stapled his sorry arse to the bench. Perfetti was not pleased but the team is not pleased by poor effort and his lack of production. Trouble is, there’s not much in the bullpen to supplant hockey deadbeats like Perfetti, Toews, Nyquist, Pearson, Namestnikov, etc. Not much behind the bench either in terms of replacing Arniel. Current assistants group are mostly failed coaches with massive personality flaws who accept their current standing and are lucky to even have NHL jobs. (ex. Davis Payne)

[Nasty-Nate]

Jets in action late afternoon today. As of now, they’re tied for bottom-feeder (thats right, last place w/ 2 or 3 other feeders). . . . and thats 34 games into an 84 game season.

Jets best portion of the season will be the Olympic break (if the hockey even goes due to dubious arena preparation in Italy). Josh Morrissey will invariably hop onto the Cdn. Olympic team as their 7th or 8th d-man, Kyle Connor will play for USA as a round-robin forward who will invariably be relagated to bench duty when the medal round ensues, Conner Helleybuyck will backstop Team USA and start all but one (maybe 2) of USA’s games and Mark Schiefele will be a last second add to Team Canada when their tall foreheads realize Connor Bedard is too bruised to cruise. 4 Olympians on one team - 5 if you add Nino Neidereiter the all but expired Swiss power forward who’s morphed into a cheque-casher role with Winnipeg. And yet with 5 Olympians, the Jets are scuzzy bottom feeders. Canada could easily add Scott Arniel as an excuse coach, if such a role ever comes to be.

If the Jets could have retained Nikolaj Ehlers they would have sent 6 players to the Roman Olympics.

Essentially, the Jets other 12 (or 15) roster players are nothing short of funny farm. They range from mediocre to atrociously sluggish and inert. Jets once had a couple tough, strong scrappers on their backside in Jacob ‘The Provider’ Trouba and Brendan Dhillon (a killer). Both bolted for the hills after their first contracts expired. Ehlers knew the writing was on the wall (maybe he read my stuff on the web) after Jets finished 1st Choice last season, winning the acclaimed President’s Choice trophy, receiving an extra 2 cents a litre off the price at the gas bar.

Jets may not even get to my predicted level of 79-86 pts. before the money boys (Chipman and King David Thompson) run Cheveldayoff and Arniel out of town and start another futile rebuild.

Jets ownership and current management grip about current crowds of 12,900 to 13,800 not filling their crowd template but based on the garbage I’m seeing unfold before my very eyes, anything over 10,000 is a godsend.\\\\

In the New Year watch for:

1. Jonathan Toews to turn in the keys to his locker

2. Gustav Nyquist to be cut loose

3. Cold Perfetti sent on an AHL stint (or traded) (same possible fate for Neidereitter, Comrie, Marshmallow, even Lowry)

4. Arniel or Cheveldayoff relieved of duties

5. Couple Gomer Pyle moves (ie. SURPRIZE, SURPRIZE@@)

[GHT120]

Should this be re-named Winnipeg Jets 2025-2026 Season?

[Jon]

@GHT120

…Should this be re-named Winnipeg Jets 2025-2026 Season?

In fairness Lyle did start a Winnipeg Jets only thread, but it was nuked and combined with this thread. Perhaps it needs to be re-established.

[Jon]

@Nasty-Nate

… Year watch for:Jonathan Toews to turn in the keys to his lockerGustav Nyquist to be cut looseCold Perfetti sent on an AHL stint (or traded) (same possible fate for Neidereitter, Comrie, Marshmallow, even Lowry)Arniel or Cheveldayoff relieved of dutiesCouple Gomer Pyle moves (ie. SURPRIZE, SURPRIZE@@)

I won’t get into the futile game of battling against your largely inaccurate negativity other than to point out that Morrissey is clearly Canada’s #2 defenceman, not #7 or #8. The only reason he will anchor the second pair is because Makar’s partner on Colorado is Toews and it is also probably smart to not put your two best defenceman on the same pair.

[CityofChampions]

@Jon

In fairness Lyle did start a Winnipeg Jets only thread, but it was nuked and combined with this thread. Perhaps it needs to be re-established.

[Jon]

@CityofChampions

…

It doesn’t matter to me much whether there is a separate Jets thread or not, but if there isn’t then you have to put up with Lyle’s frequent Jets comments in this thread. It’s kind of no win when some want one hockey thread and others want to have a sub thread as we do for football. If there is a consensus I can restore the other thread.

So far from the other forum I see there are Oilers fans, Canuck fans, Habs fans, Jets fans and an anti fan, and at least one Islander and Kings fan. May have missed some, but so far no Flames, Senators or Leafs fans I am aware of. And as far as I am aware the new forum settings remain similar to the old ones. Namely, if you are a Leafs fan, after posting 3 times you will be automatically zapped by a virus and permanently banned from the forum.

[Nasty-Nate]

@Jon

… your largely inaccurate negativity other than to point out that Morrissey is clearly Canada’s #2 defenceman, not #7 or #8. The only reason he will anchor the second pair is because Makar’s partner on Colorado is Toews and it is also probably smart to not put your two best defenceman on the same pair.

Based on your expert commentary Jon, I’m prepared to move Morrissey to the 3rd pairing and 2nd power play unit.

Further to the Jets, they’ve never really replaced guys that bolted for greener pastures. The main one from a couple years back is Andrew Copp, a solid 2nd or 3rd line contributor in Detroit. Other obvious losses = Jacob Trouba, Dusty Byfuglien (career ending injuries), Mikey Essiymont, Mace Appleton, that exceptional backup goaler, Ehler’s speed, couple others. In fact, the only Jets guy to exceed expectations (other than their so-called superstars) is Logan ‘The Ogre’ Stanley. He’s been nothing short of exceptional. Rest of Jets - NOT SO MUCH.

Biggest dropdowns (extended slumps) this year -

Perfetti

Neidereiter

Namestnikov

DeMelo

Heinola

Comrie

Pearson

Toews downturn excepted cuz he’s a local charity case!

[Jon]

@Nasty-Nate

…ctations (other than their so-called superstars) is Logan ‘The Ogre’ Stanley. He’s been nothing short of exceptional. Rest of Jets - NOT SO MUCH.Biggest dropdowns (extended slumps) this year -PerfettiNeidereiterNamestnikovDeMeloHeinolaComriePearsonToews downturn excepted cuz he’s a local charity case!

It’s not my expert commentary Lyle, but rather the commentary of experts and league pundits North America wide.

On the old forum at the start of the year I linked some drilled down stats for each position in the league. On defence unsurprisingly Makar was #1 and either Morrissey or Hughes was #2 with the other being #3. Hughes has fallen this year, at least for now, for obvious reasons, and Werenski is now Morrisey’s competition for #2. As both Werenski and Hughes are dastardly Americans, there is simply no question that Morrissey is the #2 Canadian defenceman. All talk is about who should be his partner on the second pairing on the Olympic team. Parayko was his partner in the second pairing at the 4 Nations, but there is considerable doubt whether he will even make the team or if he does be in the top 6.

Morrissey is a minute muncher who has scored at close to a point a game pace and has been +10 or better most of the season on a team that is negative in goals scored. And that is playing against the other team’s top players all of the time and with approximately a -8 on his ledger for empty net goals against.

I get that there is little positive you can say about Winnipeg, but I think you are missing the mark by a wide margin when it comes to Morrissey

[Krisiun]

@Jon

It doesn’t matter to me much whether there is a separate Jets thread or not, but if there isn’t then you have to put up with Lyle’s frequent Jets comments in this thread. It’s kind of no win when some want one hockey thread and others want to have a sub thread as we do for football. If there is a consensus I can restore the other thread.

I actually rather enjoy Nasty Lyle’s rants about the Jets. I’m not sure how accurate his analysis is of the Jets, but there likely is some truth to it, and he sure has a way with words.

This is an NHL thread, and I personally like reading everybody’s take on their own teams.

[Jon]

@Krisiun

…I actually rather enjoy Nasty Lyle’s rants about the Jets. I’m not sure how accurate his analysis is of the Jets, but there likely is some truth to it, and he sure has a way with words. This is an NHL thread, and I personally like reading everybody’s take on their own teams.

I’m fine with that as well.

And for the record, he’s not very accurate. You should be thankful he’s not a King’s fan.

[Nasty-Nate]

@Jon

… goals scored. And that is playing against the other team’s top players all of the time and with approximately a -8 on his ledger for empty net goals against.I get that there is little positive you can say about Winnipeg, but I think you are missing the mark by a wide margin when it comes to Morrissey

Of course, I know what the media hounds say about Morrissey. Its 90% positive. HIs only deficiency is defensive prowess. Josh is just a tad above 5’11” and doesn’t weigh much. He’s not a Hercules, not even close. Team Can won’t have him out in critical defensive situations where they need to move beef accumulating in front of their goaler. Morrissey is not that guy. To be fair - even Loogan Stanley doesn’t inspire fear in forwards convening in front of Helleybuyck. Andy Samberg was the guy who was very responsible but Sambo hasn’t been the same since damagining his wrist early in the campaign. Wonder if Samberg is on Team USA’s radar? Highly doubt it, unless they’re ravaged by injuries to their Select 8 in next week or so.

[Jon]

@Nasty-Nate

…ards convening in front of Helleybuyck. Andy Samberg was the guy who was very responsible but Sambo hasn’t been the same since damagining his wrist early in the campaign. Wonder if Samberg is on Team USA’s radar? Highly doubt it, unless they’re ravaged by injuries to their Select 8 in next week or so.

I still think you underestimate Josh. He leads the Jets in blocked shots and is better defensively than Makar, Hughes and Werenski. He just isn’t as offensive. Because of his all world skating ability he just controls the puck.

I doubt Samberg will be on the US team radar, although he probably should be. They don’t have anyone better defensively

[Nasty-Nate]

@Jon

…ds the Jets in blocked shots and is better defensively than Makar, Hughes and Werenski. He just isn’t as offensive. Because of his all world skating ability he just controls the puck.I doubt Samberg will be on the US team radar, although he probably should be. They don’t have anyone better defensively

Josh is world class, no doubt. Just don’t know how Team Can tall foreheads assess his minor liabilities. And yes, he can skate like the dickens, perhaps nearly as quick as Makar but his problem is not so much personal. The guys (on the Jets) he delivers the puck to - those guys tend to barf up the biscuit in short order. Just not enough skill - or willingness to be hard and vigorous along the boards.

[Krisiun]

@Jon

Morrissey is a minute muncher who has scored at close to a point a game pace and has been +10 or better most of the season

I agree with you about Morrissey.

I would like to further add that the quality of a D-Man does not always indicate where they should slot in the Top-4.

Often times a top Offensive D-Man is paired with a Shutdown Stay-at-home type defender. Somebody needs to hold the fort when the Makar or Erik Karlsson’s join the attack.

Some defenders are better at Penalty Killing and some are Power Play specialists.

A diverse group is what’s ultimately needed to win.

[Jon]

@Krisiun

…Often times a top Offensive D-Man is paired with a Shutdown Stay-at-home type defender. Somebody needs to hold the fort when the Makar or Erik Karlsson’s join the attack.Some defenders are better at Penalty Killing and some are Power Play specialists.A diverse group is what’s ultimately needed to win.

Definitely. A perfect example is Toews with Makar. Morrissey is the kind who can do it all and is probably the most trustworthy D man with the puck.