Winnipeg Jets General Manager, Kevin Cheveldayoff and Head Coach, Paul Maurice have received multi-year contract extensions from True North Sports and Entertainment.
As the article in the link above surmises, these extensions for the Jets coach and GM most likely have to do with having people in management that are not only on the same page in building a contender with many young players, but to continue to grow with the organization themselves as well as show the players and fans that they are going to maintain their plan of draft and develop and to have the key architects of that plan involved for the duration.
There are going to be many fans and critics that will say neither of these men deserve an extension, based on the teams failure to not only missing the playoffs five out of the last six seasons since the return to Winnipeg and no playoff victories at all, going back to the teams time in Atlanta. The franchise is 0-8 in the playoffs. That includes the franchises only other appearance in the post-season when they were still the Thrashers in 2006-2007.
However, by extending the contracts of both men, it keeps two of the architects of the Jets "draft and develop" plan in the picture. Did anyone really have any doubt (aside from the above concerns) that both men would b re-signed in the middle (perhaps tail end) of a re-build? Chevy has done a remarkable job and Maurice is doing wonders in the development of young players and rookies.
There's some UFA contracts coming up next summer and I think these are the men to keep the key cogs in the system and galvanize this team into a perennial contender.
