Jets Fire Noel - Hire Maurice

[hf101]

The  Jets have fired head coach Claude Noel after a little over two seasons behind the bench  along with assistant coach Perry Pearn.  It is being reported that Paul Maurice has been hired as the Jets new coach.

 

The Jets currently sit 12th in the Western Conference with a 19-23-5 record this season.

 

 

[yave1964]

  I am not surprised by this move, the jets have a ton of mismatched talent, that Noel was unable to blend into a team. Big Buff seems to be symbolic of the problem, no clearly defined role.

  This is a talented club, kids like Trouba and Sheiffele need proper roles. Burmistrov left and returned to the KHL because he was misused. Maurice could pull this club together although with the west as deep as it is making the playoffs seems like a longshot at best, but frankly I think the club is better off with the change.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  This does not surprise me either. Many times I've thought Noel was in over his head. I wonder if this will effect the teams decision to turn Big Buff into a winger, he was on Kane's line last game. Worth a shot, cause he has obvious strength, speed and a rocket of a shot, but not a good defender, so a switch to the wing seems like a good move for the team.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@yave1964  This does not surprise me either. Many times I've thought Noel was in over his head. I wonder if this will effect the teams decision to turn Big Buff into a winger, he was on Kane's line last game. Worth a shot, cause he has obvious strength, speed and a rocket of a shot, but not a good defender, so a switch to the wing seems like a good move for the team.

 

You know, I've often wondered about Byfuglien and his ability to be a consistent defender. I mean, the guys DOES have all the physical tools you mentioned, and he has the kind of presence you would think a team could build around from the blue line out, but the bolded just seems to be an inescapable fact: he is NOT a particularly good defender.

 

Very much reminds me of former Wild, now current Shark, Brent Burns: large, talented individual with many good qualities.....but playing a position (D-man), that he seemed less than competent (at least at the NHL level) playing.

SJ converted Burns to a winger, and his bruising style along with his offensive instincts has made that work, and as a forward, the defensive deficiencies don't stand out as much.

Probably the same solution, with similar results await Dustin Byfuglien.

 

NOW the thing will be, will Paul Maurice see it that way, or will his experience as a multiple time NHL coach find a way to keep him as a D-man, give him a clearly defined role there (along with others on the team) and give the team an identity finally?

That all remains to be seen.

 

I was listening to some NHL Network analysts and almost all seemed to agree Claude Noel wasn't a 'bad' coach, but that there were clearly things he just failed to be able to address properly....and that it is easier to fire one coach than it is 23-25 players.

With experienced Paul Maurice now in, players will more n likely have to be held more accountable (honestly, they should have been before as well), and some major roster shake ups could be in the works. Especially if the coach manages to get players to a logical point where they SHOULD succeed, but then simply don't execute.

 

From what I have heard on TV from various NHL sources, one of Maurice's strengths as a coach is his ability to identify a problem, then come up with the fastest solution to that problem.

Will it be the BEST solutions? That is what we will wait and see on.

 

But back to Byfuglien, I think that switch to wing should be permanent. 

I think he and Burns have similar physical skill sets...and I've ALWAYS considered Burns a liability as a defenseman, as apparently, Byfuglien is as well.

So why not.

 

Turn that liability into a possible 10-15 goal a year, rugged type winger who could be a monster on a 3rd line with some skilled fellow bruisers, or if he shows a knack for playing his new wing position, possibly give him some 2nd line time, or some PP time.

[Commander Clueless]

I'm not surprised by the firing.

 

I like Maurice. Funny guy. Not sure I like him as the coach though.