Pucks of a Feather Midseason Awards Ballot: Jack Adams Award
By Jason Byun
Dec 11, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice on his bench in the first period of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mention: Paul Maurice
How many points do the Winnipeg Jets have? 60. They’re tenth in the NHL standings. That’s pretty good for a team expected to finish in the cellar of the Central Division and probably pick in the top-10 of the 2015 NHL Draft. Paul Maurice has done an outstanding job in Winnipeg, going 18-12-5 to finish last season and 26-14-8 to start this one. That’s a 44-26-13 record in 83 games, or 101 points in what is essentially one regular season. That would have been good enough for the first wild-card last season, and that’s exactly where the Jets are at the All-Star Break this season.
The Jets, who relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta, have one playoff appearance in franchise history. They have zero playoff wins. Terrible management plagued them, in a similar way to how the Edmonton Oilers and, in a lesser fashion, the Toronto Maple Leafs are viewed now. Yet Maurice has helped things change, and the playoffs could legitimately return to the province of Winnipeg.
Throw in the fact that the Jets have had to deal with multiple injuries to their blue-line, losing Toby Enstrom, Zach Bogosian, and Jacob Trouba for stretches this season. The Jets, entering the All-Star weekend, are tied with the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks for the longest win streak in the league (five games) and are doing it in a much tougher division.
So why only an honorable mention? Well, Winnipeg was expected to miss the playoffs, but they weren’t expected to be in the McEichel sweepstakes. The Central Division was seen as loaded, and although the Jets weren’t seen as a great team in the West, it didn’t help that five of the seven teams made the playoffs last season. They missed the playoffs by just seven points last season and only six the year before (though that was in a weak Southeast Division). And although their place in the standings is unexpected, they aren’t a surprising division leader. Not to discount the work Maurice has done, but I feel there have been better coaching jobs.
Next: Number 3: From McEichel Candidate to Wild Card?