WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
Sean Croft isn't happy, and he's not afraid to let anyone know it.
According to sources in the Jet organization, the General Manager, fresh off his trip to the Winter Meetings, called his head coach and his captains into his office following their 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Winnipeg sits 3 points behind n the wildcard, after closing the gap to 1 point earlier this week. It was around the same time last year that the Jets found themselves in the same scenario. It was Christmas week when Croft pulled off the deal that brought Mikhail Grabovski to Manitoba, a move that was meant to inject offense into a team that was losing games 2-1. Grabovski has, more or less, been a point per player game for the Jets ever since.
Unfortunately, most of the team whose last name doesn't start with a "Z" can't seem to follow suit. Ben Scrivens has been fantastic to start the year, just as he was last season. Evidently, the mirror of a season has the Jets front office considering major changes to the organization, which is why the captains and the coach were singled out. Those who were around the office said it was heated and the only voice you could hear was Croft's. When the meeting was over and the invitees were excused, the looks on their faces were reflective of anything except the warm and fuzzies.
Sources tell me that the leash is VERY short at the moment, and that if the ship doesn't get righted soon, that you may see some new faces at the MTS Centre by the new year.
Jay Trotter
Jet Fuel
