Darren Dreger just reported that Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel is not on the verge of being fired, even with the losses piling up.
The Jets are playing in Montreal tonight and are in the third period as this is written. The result isn't known, but the situation around them is. Winnipeg has lost nine straight and has dropped to 28th in the NHL.
Dreger addressed the growing noise directly, according to NHL Rumour Report. He said that even with the calls for a coaching change, he doesn't believe removing Arniel is on the radar just yet.
-
That "just yet" is doing real work. Nobody calls a coach safe with that wording, and nobody in Winnipeg should read it that way.
The record is 4-8-3 through 15 games, good for 11 points and seventh place in the Central Division. Over the last 10, the Jets are 1-7-2.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Minnesota Wild | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 | +16 |
| 2. Colorado Avalanche | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 19 | +18 |
| 3. Utah Mammoth | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 18 | +2 |
| 4. Dallas Stars | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 17 | +7 |
| 5. St. Louis Blues | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | +2 |
| 6. Nashville Predators | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 15 | -5 |
| 7. Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 11 | -20 |
| 8. Chicago Blackhawks | 15 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 9 | -25 |
The goal numbers are ugly. Winnipeg has scored 34 and allowed 54, a differential of -20. The most recent game was a 7-0 loss at Carolina on Sunday, a game where the Jets were held scoreless.
Why the Jets may stay the course with Arniel
Start with the context. Arniel is the head coach and Kevin Cheveldayoff is the general manager, and the early read from Dreger is that the front office isn't ready to pull the trigger on a change this early in the season.
Fifteen games is a small sample, but nine straight losses is not a blip. The Jets also went winless in seven earlier this season, and Tyrell Bauer dropping the gloves in Florida was an attempt to find a spark during that stretch.
The team has been shaky on both sides of the road and at home. Winnipeg is 2-4-1 at home and 2-4-2 away, so there's no building to hide in.
Firing a coach rarely fixes a roster problem on its own, and that's the argument for patience. But a team this far down the standings doesn't have much patience to spend, and a coach can't survive on Dreger's "not yet" forever.
The Jets host Vancouver on Thursday. Another loss there would make the next round of questions much harder to dodge.
Should the Jets fire Scott Arniel before the nine-game losing streak gets any longer?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Tyrel Bauer sends a message to the Xhekaj brothers
