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Jets coach Noel: There will be ‘consequences’ if I can’t get best from team

Claude Noel

Head coach Claude Noel of the Winnipeg Jets gestures to James Wright #17 in third-period action of an NHL game against the St. Louis Blues at the MTS Centre on October 18, 2013 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (October 17, 2013 - Source: Marianne Helm/Getty Images North America)

The new Winnipeg Jets are in their third season, but they haven’t participated in a playoff game since relocation. Maybe that will change this season, but they’ve been stuck in the mud with a 4-5-0 record.

On Monday, Jets coach Claude Noel lamented that he doesn’t “have enough players to sit everybody.” However, if things don’t turn around, it could be him out of a job.

Although he’s not expected to directly talk about his job security, Noel might have addressed the issue in a roundabout way yesterday.

“My job is to get the best out of our team and our players,” Noel told the Winnipeg Sun. “That’s very clear. That’s my job and if I don’t do that, there’s consequences. I clearly understand those things.”

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff expressed faith in the team’s existing core when he spent $93 million re-signing Zach Bogosian, Bryan Little, and Blake Wheeler over the summer. They all got some form of a no-trade clause, as does Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, and Andrew Ladd, which is another trio inked in to long-term contracts.

With many of the keys players locked up, it seems fair to believe that the Jets’ management thinks their existing squad is capable of making the playoffs, even if that’s not the direction they’re headed in so far.

Related:

Under Pressure: Claude Noel

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