There's been a lot of negativity about the Jackets on this blog, lately, and I think it's time for a reality check.
First, let's turn back the clock to last summer. There was a lot of talk from the front office that the Jackets were going to be in the playoffs, this year. Really? Come on. None of us are starry-eyed pre-teens. Seriously, when was the last time, excluding the Original Six era, that you remember a team going to the playoffs in the third year of a rebuild? The fourth or fifth, okay, but not the third.
Then there's the whole Babcock fiasco. Look, even if Babcock wasn't an abusive POS, he wasn't going to lead this team to the playoffs. There's just too many guys on the team in their first three years. Unless we're talking the Miracle On Ice team 44 years ago, kids do not lead a team to the playoffs.
And with Babcock tucking his tail between his legs while leaving, the Jackets had to make an emergency hire. I'm not going to get into a debate about whether or not Vincent is a good coach. I will say that such an upheaval so close to training camp MUST have repercussions amongst the players. And that, perforce, had to have effected play on the ice. Probably, those ripples are still effecting the team.
Frankly, JD and Jarmo (and Vincent) should have promoted this season as a play-the-kids-and-let-them-learn season. There are plenty of reasons to like this year's team. The Russian Line. David Jiricek. Adam Fantilli and the rest of the kids.
Yes, there have been, and will be, a lot of losses. But the Jackets are fun to watch. Lighten up and try to have fun.