Winnipeg Jets common supervisor Kevin Cheveldayoff has been replenishing the crew’s prospect pool in recent times. It’s been some time now since a draft decide has turn out to be a core participant (though Cole Perfetti is shut) and many of the present core is from their early drafts after relocation.
Nonetheless, as a new-look Jets 2.0 emerges — and as new head coach Scott Arniel is ready to place a much bigger deal with youth after quite a few veterans departed in free company in 2024 — quite a few viable younger gamers Cheveldayoff and the group hope will likely be impactful NHLers at the moment are on the cusp of turning professional, breaking out, or being swapped for different property.
Right here, we’ll check out the Prime 10 Prospects within the Jets’ system for 2024-25.
The precise definition of a prospect varies from individual to individual and publication to publication, however right here’s the factors for this text:
- The participant have to be 23 years outdated or youthful
- The participant will need to have performed fewer than 100 NHL video games
- The participant have to be both signed to an NHL contract or chosen in an NHL Entry Draft. Gamers signed to AHL contracts don’t depend.
10: Domenic DiVincentiis: 207th Total (Seventh Spherical,) 2022
- Place: Goaltender
- Shoots: Proper
- Potential Upside: NHL starter
Domenic DiVincentiis noticed his numbers dip the season after being named Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Goalie of the Yr however he nonetheless cracks our high 10. In 2023-24, his third season with the North Bay Battalion, the now 20-year-old posted a 3.14 Targets Towards Common (GAA,) .895 Save Share (SV%), and one shutout. These had been worse numbers that in 2022-23, however he nonetheless posted a formidable 27-9-5 file and was named OHL Goaltender of the Month for February.
He suffered a lower-body damage in Sport 2 of the Battalion’s first-round playoff sequence in opposition to the Kingston Frontenacs, which ended his playoffs early and rendered him a spectator to his crew’s run to the Convention Remaining.
Regardless of some struggles in his most-recent marketing campaign, the 2022 Seventh-rounder usually dominated the OHL. When he gained Goalie of the Yr honours, he posted a 36-9-2 file, 2.33 GAA, .919 SV%, and 5 shutouts earlier than going 11-6-3 with a 2.44 GAA, .926 SV%, and one shutout within the playoffs.
DiVincentiis, who signed an entry-level contract (ELC) final July, has aged out of junior hockey and can flip professional this season. With the Jets signing Eric Comrie and Kaapo Kahkonen — one in every of whom will again up Connor Hellebuyck and one in every of whom will play within the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Manitoba Moose in tandem with Thomas Milic, who we’ll deal with later — DiVincentiis might have to start out within the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals.
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If his development continues, he may turn out to be a viable NHL goaltender in just some seasons and be an enormous steal of a decide.
9: Dmitry Rashevsky: 146th Total (fifth Spherical,) 2021
- Place: Proper wing
- Shoots: Left
- Potential Upside: NHL ahead
Dmitry Rashevsky is an often-overlooked Jets’ prospect as a consequence of taking part in within the Kontinental Hockey League, however the Russian proper winger has frequently improved since being drafted three years in the past. final season, his fourth with Dynamo Moscow, he set a brand new profession excessive in factors with 43 (24 objectives, 19 assists) in 67 video games, and 5 objectives and two assists for seven factors in 10 playoff video games.
The Russian product isn’t in a rush to signal an ELC with the Jets as he nonetheless has one 12 months left on the two-year deal he signed with Dynamo in summer season, 2023. It may be difficult to get Russian gamers over to North American because of the battle in Ukraine, however NHL groups are more and more managing to take action.
Rashevsky is 23 and has been taking part in in arguably the world’s second-best skilled hockey league since he was 19, so if he had been to return to the Jets, he might be NHL prepared. If je doesn’t need to signal with the Jets, the group may commerce his rights to a different crew he’s concerned about going to.
A couple of weeks in the past at Jets’ summer season improvement camp, Cheveldayoff had this to say concerning the standing of conversations with Rashevsky: “We’ve been speaking together with his North American brokers to attempt to see the place he’s at inside that realm. We had a Zoom name with him and his representatives final 12 months. We wish to attempt to clearly go that course (to return to North America) however each state of affairs is actually totally different in the case of that, however we’re hopeful.”
8: Chaz Lucius: 18th Total (First Spherical,) 2021
- Place: Centre
- Shoots: Proper
- Potential Upside: Center-six NHL centre
Chaz Lucius’ expertise aren’t in query, as he possesses nice velocity and acceleration, a excessive hockey IQ, and two-way capacity. Nonetheless, his sturdiness actually is in query as he has had 4 season-ending surgical procedures in as many seasons. Whereas the group hasn’t written him off, he drops to eighth in our record this time round as a result of he appears to be like like a compromised asset and has already misplaced vital improvement time.
Most just lately, in 2023-24 — his first full skilled marketing campaign — he needed to have season-ending ankle surgical procedure after recording 13 factors (two objectives, 11 assists) with the Moose in 17 video games.
His repeated have to go beneath the knife has restricted him to 71 video games because the begin of 2021-22. It’s laborious to evaluate what he’d do with a full season, as a result of the Jets have by no means appear him play one.
In January, 2023, whereas taking part in with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks after successful bronze with the USA on the 2023 World Juniors and his first stint with the Moose, he suffered a shoulder damage that required surgical procedure and ended his season. It was horrible timing as he was dominating, recording 5 objectives and 10 assists for 15 factors in simply six video games.
In 2019, he underwent a knee surgical procedure that concerned changing the bone marrow with bone marrow from his again and the restoration required him to spend six weeks in a wheelchair and one other six weeks in a heavy brace, “mainly studying how one can stroll yet again.” (From ‘Jets prospect Chaz Lucius proving he can get by way of something,’ Winnipeg Solar, Sept. 13, 2023.)
In 2020-21, after being drafted, he sustained a hand damage after which needed to have an ankle surgical procedure which ended his first and solely season with the College of Minnesota Golden Gophers after simply 24 video games.
Lucius skated on the Jets’ summer season improvement camp in early July in a yellow non-contact jersey and was mentioned to be barely forward of schedule in his rehab and restoration course of.
“I might have beloved to see what would have occurred if I performed the entire (2023-24 season)”, Lucius mentioned at camp. “I feel undoubtedly my alternative subsequent 12 months could be a bit totally different. However I’m within the state of affairs I’m in, I can’t management that. The one factor I can management now could be simply getting again and feeling 100 per cent and taking part in hockey once more, that’s crucial factor.”
“I do know what I have to do,” he continued. “Whether or not that’s a complete 12 months within the AHL or possibly if I’m taking part in nice hockey I can hopefully get a sport or two subsequent 12 months, that might be superior as properly. At the beginning, I simply want to remain wholesome and show I can play constant hockey.” (from ‘Lucius a properly of untapped potential,’ Winnipeg Free Press, July 5, 2024.)
You may guess the group will likely be maintaining shut tabs on Lucius and his well being this AHL season. Sooner or later, they’ll have to cease banking on him turning into an NHL common if he can’t keep wholesome. He nonetheless has two years left on the ELC he signed in 2022 because it slid as soon as.
7: Elias Salomonsson: fifty fifth Total (Second Spherical,) 2022
- Place: Defence
- Shoots: Proper
- Potential Upside: Two-way NHL defender
Elias Salomonsson is more likely to come to North America for this season and his arrival is very anticipated. By all reviews, his expertise as a two-way defensemen — particularly his skating and puck-moving capacity — have burgeoned tremendously in Sweden, and as such, his post-draft inventory has skyrocketed.
Salomonsson, who will likely be 20 by the point the marketing campaign will get underway, spent the majority of 2023-24 with the Swedish Hockey League’s Skelleftea AIK. The correct-shooter had two objectives and 9 assists for 11 factors in 31 video games, which is probably the most he’s performed for the highest Skelleftea membership in 4 seasons with the group. He went on to place up one objective and 5 assists for six factors in 16 playoff video games and helped Skelleftea win the championship after dropping within the last in 2023. He additionally performed 4 video games with the Skelleftea junior crew, scoring three objectives and including two assists for 5 factors.
Salomonsson represented Sweden on the 2024 World Juniors and bought off to an inauspicious begin as he was ejected simply 25 seconds into the opening sport in opposition to Latvia for hitting Emils Veckaktins from behind; he was issued a one-game suspension in consequence. After serving his suspension — which made him the most-penalized defender within the match — he performed a key function on a stingy and stifling Swedish blue line that allowed simply 15 objectives in seven video games (and solely 9 by way of the primary six video games previous to the gold-medal sport, which they misplaced to the U.S.) Salomonsson has been described as somebody who performs on the sting and with a little bit of sandpaper — two good property, so long as he picks his spots to agitate accurately and doesn’t take silly penalties.
Salomonsson signed his ELC with the Jets two years in the past however it slid twice as he stayed in Sweden so it nonetheless has three years on it. He gained’t seemingly leap proper to the NHL, however ought to get significant minutes with the Moose and be a call-up candidate because the season goes on.
6: Thomas Milic: 207th Total (Seventh Spherical,) 2022
- Place: Goaltender
- Catches: Proper
- Potential Upside: NHL starter
Milic, an “undersized” goaltender by immediately’s requirements, had a robust rookie season and will likely be seeking to proceed to develop in his sophomore marketing campaign because the undisputed Moose starter. The previous WHL standout with the Seattle Thunderbirds began his marketing campaign within the ECHL with the Admirals, amassing an All-Star nod by posting an 11-3-3 file, 2.45 GAA, .908 SV%, and a pair of shutouts.
Within the again half of the season, he took over the Moose starter’s function from Collin Delia and Oskari Salminen, who had been each struggling mightily and have each departed. As one of many AHL’s youngest goalies, Milic posted a 19-9-2 file, 2.72 GAA, .900 SV% whereas capturing his first skilled shutout and taking part in an instrumental function in serving to the Moose make the Calder Cup Playoffs after a historically-bad first half that included an 11-game dropping streak.
Milic was additionally one of many three goaltenders on Canada’s 2023 Spengler Cup crew, however was injured within the third interval of his solely begin, on Dec. 28 in opposition to host HC Davos in round-robin play.
Whereas he’s solely 21 and desires extra time within the AHL to develop, it’s conceivable he might be Hellebuyck’s backup within the close to future as each Comrie and Kahkonen are on short-term offers of two and one 12 months, respectively. Hellebuyck is locked up for seven extra years, however a number of seasons down the road, his workload might be eased. Milic is the goalie within the group with the very best likelihood of being outfitted by then to be the 1B in a tandem state of affairs.
5: Ville Heinola: Twentieth Total (First Spherical,) 2019
- Place: Defence
- Shoots: Left
- Potential Upside: Prime-four NHL defenceman
It has been a very long time because the Jets drafted Ville Heinola with the hopes he’d blossom right into a top-four offensive defenseman. It hasn’t been a straightforward path for the Finn over 5 seasons, however it seems his huge likelihood has lastly arrived.
Heinola performed properly sufficient final preseason to make the Jets, now-retired head coach Rick Bowness mentioned, however a fractured ankle suffered within the last preseason tune-up quashed the chance the defender earned. He as a substitute spent 4 months rehabbing earlier than getting again on top of things with the Moose within the second half. He suited up for 41 video games for the Moose in top-pairing and high power-play roles, recording 27 factors (10 objectives, 17 assists.)
The 2019 Twentieth-overall decide — now 23 and with a two-year bridge deal beneath his belt signed July 15 — has performed simply 35 NHL video games in 4 seasons, recording 11 factors (one objective, 10 assists.) He’s cerebral and clever expertise whose anticipation, reads, passing capacity, and skating are all excellent. The group nonetheless has excessive hopes for him.
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Heinola has performed 152-career AHL video games and it’s clear he’s too good for the extent. He wants significant NHL minutes to additional develop the defensive facet of his sport and is now not waiver exempt, so attempting to ship him down could be fraught with threat. Nonetheless, he must impress a brand new teaching employees — Arniel and new assistant coaches Davis Payne and Dean Chynoweth — if he needs to ascertain himself as a big-league common. The trail seems open for him to take action.
Brenden Dillon’s departure in free company to the New Jersey Devils has vacated a top-four left-side spot on the Jets’ defensive core. Even when Dylan Samberg — after two stable seasons on the third pairing — wins that job, Heinola may snag Samberg’s outdated spot.
4: Nikita Chibrikov: fiftieth Total (Second Spherical,) 2021
- Place: Proper wing
- Shoots: Left
- Potential Upside: Prime-six NHL ahead
Chibrikov recorded 47 factors (17 objectives, 30 assists) with the Moose in his first season in North America, good for fourth on the crew. The 21-year-old Russian’s fast adjustment to the North American play-style earned him an April call-up to the Jets for the crew’s last sport of the common season in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks and it was an evening to recollect for Chibrikov as he scored a third-period objective that turned out to be the sport winner.
Chibrikov, a participant with a relentless forecheck and a ton of high-end ability, performed top-line right-wing and high power-play roles with the Moose final season, and on the very least, ought to play these roles once more this season. He has an outdoor likelihood of incomes a Jets’ roster spot this season, however a bottom-six logjam will work in opposition to him as he’s not prepared for a top-six function but.
His first actual likelihood for full-time NHL work appears to be 2025-26, after Mason Appleton and Alex Iafallo hit the market as unrestricted free brokers.
3: Brayden Yager: 14th Total (First Spherical,) 2023 (Chosen By Pittsburgh Penguins)
- Place: Centre
- Shoots: Proper
- Potential Upside: Prime-six NHL ahead
Yager is the one participant on the record who wasn’t drafted by the Jets, and is the latest prospect within the group. Cheveldayoff landed the centre in an August, 2024 commerce with the Pittsburgh Penguins for Rutger McGroarty, the Jets’ 2022 first-rounder who was disgruntled for a motive he by no means disclosed and refused to signal an ELC.
Cheveldayoff did properly in getting a prospect who instantly slots so excessive on the record in return for a man who, no matter motive, didn’t assume the Jets had been a very good match for him.
Yager, 19 years outdated and hailing from Saskatoon, has spent the previous 4 seasons with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and final season, popped off a career-high 95 factors (35 objectives, 60 assists) and added 27 extra factors (11 objectives, 16 assists) in 20 playoff video games because the Warriors gained the Ed Chynoweth Cup and competed within the Memorial Cup.
“The factor that jumps out at you about Yager’s sport is his shot and his willingness to make use of it, THW’s Devin Little wrote in a prospect profile. “He’s bought a fast launch and hits his goal with lethal accuracy.”
Different property in Yager’s toolbox embody his willingness to be lively everywhere in the ice, a excessive compete degree, relentless backchecking capacity, and powerful playmaking expertise that complement his shot. Opposing defenses and goaltenders can by no means make certain if he’s going to shoot the puck or dish it, making his play multifaceted and fewer predictable.
Yager isn’t eligible to affix the Moose for 2024-25 as any Canadian Hockey League participant who isn’t 20 by the top of a calendar 12 months can not be part of an AHL crew full time (Yager turns 20 in on Jan 3. 2025, three days after the cutoff.) He’ll return to Moose Jaw for one last hurrah and needs to be on Canada’s World Junior roster for the second-straight 12 months (he had two objectives and three assists for 5 factors in 5 video games on the 2024 match. He may get a number of video games with the Jets early in a season — he can play as many as 9 with out dropping a 12 months off the ELC he signed with the Penguins in July, 2024 — if he impressed in coaching camp.
The information he’s beneath crew management and that Cheveldayoff was in a position to finish the McGroarty saga earlier than the season started ought to make Jets followers excited for what affect Yager might have sooner or later.
2: Colby Barlow: 18th Total (First Spherical,) 2023
- Place: Left wing
- Shoots: Left
- Potential Upside: Prime-six NHL ahead, management group member
Whereas McGroarty was as soon as seen as a possible Jets’ captain of the longer term, Barlow — recognized for his depraved shot, maturity past his years, sturdy work ethic, his management expertise — has now taken that standing.
The 18th-overall decide finally 12 months’s draft performed his third season with the OHL’s Owen Sound Assault and second as captain in 2023-24, scoring 40 objectives and including 18 assists for 58 factors in 50 video games. The left winger missed a while with a midseason again damage, which quashed his likelihood of taking part in for Canada on the 2024 World Juniors. He additionally had one objective and two assists in 4 playoff video games.
Barlow then joined the Moose for the ultimate stretch of the AHL season, showing in three video games and recording his first three skilled factors by scoring one objective and including two assists.
Barlow was invited to Canada’s World Junior Summer time Showcase (July 26 to Aug. 3), his first likelihood to showcase why he deserves to be on the 2025 roster after lacking final 12 months’s tourney because of the damage.
Like Yager, he’s not eligible to affix the Moose for 2024-25 as he doesn’t flip 20 till February, 2025. This can be a little bit of a wasted season for him in consequence, as he has clearly demonstrated he’s prepared for the stiffer competitors {of professional} hockey. On the very least, captaining the Assault for a 3rd season will give him an opportunity to additional develop his management expertise and he’ll get a greater likelihood to symbolize Canada on the 2025 World Juniors.
1: Brad Lambert: thirtieth Total (First Spherical,) 2022
- Place: Centre
- Shoots: Proper
- Potential Upside: Prime-six NHL centre, management group member
Brad Lambert takes our number-one spot coming into 2024-25 contemplating his excellent 2023-24 season with the Moose and the potential for him to bust out huge. Final season, his first full marketing campaign as a professional, he led the Moose in factors with 55 (21 objectives, 34 assists) and was a dependable risk in top-line-centre and first-unit power-play roles. It was an enormous step ahead for him to play persistently properly, as he has been inconsistent in seasons previous.
The now-20-year-old Finn bought a well-deserved name up on the finish of the season and made his NHL debut in opposition to the Canucks alongside Chibrikov on April 18, tallying his first big-league level on a first-period help.
2023-24 was really Lambert’s second season within the AHL, and the expansion from his rookie stint was apparent. In 14 video games in 2022-23, he struggled at instances to regulate to the stiffer competitors and North-American-sized ice, recording simply two objectives, one help, and a minus-9 ranking.
Lambert was ultimately despatched to the Seattle Thunderbirds after taking part in for Finland on the 2023 World Juniors and he dominated the WHL, posting up 17 objectives and 21 assists for 38 factors in 26 video games and 6 objectives and 20 for 26 factors in 17 playoff video games. One key was Thunderbirds’ head coach Matt O’Dette shifting Lambert again to his pure place — centre.
He’s been a centre ever since, and when you can’t hand a top-six function to a man who’s performed one NHL sport, Lambert is actually a candidate for the second-line centre spot vacated by Monahan. He needs to be an affect NHL scorer before later and at the least be given an opportunity to strut his stuff at coaching camp and through the six-game preseason slate.
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Lambert confirmed as much as and took part within the Jets’ summer season improvement camp — which he didn’t need to do — and that speaks properly to his character and dedication to creating. “He is available in now with just a little swagger to him and carries himself inside this group as a pacesetter,” Moose head coach Mark Morrison mentioned at improvement camp.
