Subj : Jets NHL Draft Days Ranked
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From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Fri Jul 24 2020 04:40 am
The Winnipeg Jets have always stressed the importance of their "draft and
develop" strategy: that is, building a contender through patience, deft
selection, and molding of promising youngsters into top talent rather than
through finagling blockbuster trades for established elites.
Through the draft is how Jets'; general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has
transformed, in less than a decade, a terrible Atlanta Thrashers team - whose
leadership was utterly incompetent at the draft table and selected a number of
busts - to a competitive squad with a promising future and a home-grown core.
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has selected 63 players over nine Entry Drafts and
transformed a bottom-feeder to a top team in the process. (THE CANADIAN
PRESS/John Woods)
"Chevy" has piloted the Jets through nine drafts since relocation and has often
been an ace. With his 10th - the 2020 NHL Entry Draft - slated for this
October, here';s a look at his first nine from worst to best.
#9: 2014
Wait a minute... how could the draft in which the Jets selected Nikolaj Ehlers
with the ninth-overall selection be their worst?
While it';s undeniable the speedy, electrifying, and entertaining Ehlers - who
has put up 257 points through five full seasons - was a great selection, the
reason the 2014 NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia takes the bottom spot is
because the Jets didn';t get much else of value. The seven players they
selected that weren';t Ehlers have played a grand total of 14 games in the NHL,
12 for the Jets.
Nikolaj Ehlers is the only pick of 2014 that panned out for the Jets. (Photo by
Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Chase De Leo racked up 107 points over three seasons for the Manitoba Moose but
played just two for the Jets in 2015-16 and was traded in June, 2018 to the
Anaheim Ducks for Nic Kerdiles. That trade was a total disaster as Kerdiles
played only three games for the Moose in 2018-19 and didn';t return.
Nelson Nogier, meanwhile, has played 11 games for the Jets and is a good
defensive defenseman at the AHL level but has been leapt over by Sami Niku and
Tucker Poolman and will likely be by Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg, too. A
major shoulder injury wiped out most of Nogier';s 2017-18 sophomore season and
profoundly damaged his organizational stock.
Jack Glover played one game for the Moose and most recently played for
Kiekko-Vanta of Finland';s non-elite Mestis League. Pavel Kraskovsky never left
the KHL';s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Matt Ustaski played one AHL game as well and
played 12 ECHL games between two teams in 2019-20.
That leaves CJ Suess, who surprised in 2018 preseason and had a promising start
to his 2018-19 Moose campaign with 12 points in 26 games before suffering a
season-ending injury.
C.J. Suess was fifth in points for the Moose and made his Jets debut in
2019-20. (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)
In 2019-20, Suess recorded 14 goals and 13 assists for the Moose in 57 games,
and also made his Jets'; debut, suiting up for a game against the San Jose
Sharks in November.
#8: 2018
The reason for the relatively low ranking this season is the Jets'; lack of a
first-round pick. If you recall, the Jets traded their first-rounder away for
the first time in franchise history the February preceding the draft to get
Paul Stastny from the St. Louis Blues, who was instrumental in the Jets'; run
to the Western Conference Final. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, the Jets
weren';t able to retain him for 2018-19.
The Jets dealt their 2018 first-rounder to the St. Louis Blues for Paul
Stastny. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Of the six players the Jets selected in 2018, it seemed their mid-round picks -
a pair of left-handed defensemen - were the most promising; Declan Chisholm
and Giovanni Vallati were both standouts for the Peterborough Petes and Oshawa
Generals, respectively. This spring, Chisholm signed an entry-level deal while
Valatti went unsigned and will go back into the 2020 Draft pool.
Declan Chisholm (left) and Giovanni Vallati at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in
Dallas. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
David Gustafsson - the Jets'; highest pick at 60th-overall - made the 2019-20
Jets out of training camp, playing 22 games in a fourth-line role and scoring
his first NHL goal. After representing Sweden at the 2020 World Juniors and
recovering from an injury he suffered in the bronze medal game, he reported to
the Moose. It look him a few games to get going but was playing well by the
time the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately cancelled the season: he had recorded two
goals and five assists in 13 games and was skating on the top line.
Jared Moe and Austin Wong are both a few years away from turning pro as they
are playing at the University of Minnesota and Harvard University,
respectively.
#7: 2019
Take this ranking with a huge grain of salt. It';s really too early to
determine how much impact a draft that happened just a year ago will ultimately
have on the Jets.
Either way, the Jets selected a franchise-low five players in 2019. With their
first-rounder at 20th overall, they chose Finnish defender Ville Heinola.
The selection - which they got back from the New York Rangers the Jacob Trouba
trade after dealing it to the Metropolitan Division team for Kevin Hayes at the
Trade Deadline - could turn out very well. Heinola was thoroughly impressive
for an 18-year-old in eight early-season games for the Jets and three for the
Moose - showcasing his intelligence, speed, and puck-moving ability - before
returning to SM-Liiga club team Lukko Rauma for the rest of the season. He has
a legitimate chance at a full-time NHL gig next season and at helping the
Jets'; D be far more respectable than last season.
Ville Heinola recorded one goal and four assists in eight games for the Jets
early in the 2019-20 season. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
The rest of the draft class is much farther away from the NHL, but Harrison
Blaisdell in particular stands out as a fascinating player: the 5-foot-11,
180-pound centre/winger just completed his first season at the University of
North Dakota after two outstanding seasons for the BCHL';s Chilliwack Chiefs.
The Jets, short on truculence these days, certainly need players such as the
son of former NHLer Mike Blaisdell in their pipeline: the younger Blaisdell
models his game after Boston Bruins'; agitator extraordinaire Brad Marchand.
DraftGeek's Brayden Sullivan noted in a 2019 prospect profile Blaisdell "is a
fairly balanced threat offensively, blending goal scoring and vision into a
dynamic package. His shot is high end and he has the release to go along with
velocity and pinpoint accuracy…"
Harrison Blaisdell seems to have plenty going for him as a player. (Amy Irvin�/
The Hockey Writers
"A fantastic skater, the former Pat Canadian plays the game with tremendous
pace, flying up and down the ice," Sullivan continued. "His quickness isn't
limited to his feet, however, as he possesses hands that are capable of keeping
up with his lower body movements, often leaving opposing defenders in the dust
or in a pretzel."
#6: 2017
The reason this draft year ranks fairly low on our list is because the top two
selections have be slow to provide the Jets with any return on investment.
Kristian Vesalainen, selected 24th overall, chose old comforts over new
challenges in 2018-19 when he decided to go back to the KHL';s Jokerit in his
Helsinki hometown rather than gut it out in the AHL and adapt to the North
American style of game.
Related: Jets to Jokerit: Did Kristian Vesalainen Make the Right Choice?
Vesalainen came back to play 22 games for the Moose down the stretch after the
KHL season wrapped up, but was clear his extra time on European big ice didn';t
help his development and that he';d, by-and-large, wasted his season.
Kristian Vesalainen (left) returned to Europe rather than sticking around in
the AHL to learn the North American style of game. He';s still a top prospect,
but he has been slow to develop, partly due to his own choices. (Photo by
Sergei SavostyanovTASS via Getty Images)
His 2019-20 season was a mixed bag as he had to do the learning he should have
done a season prior. He managed to record 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points
in 60 games for the Moose and at times looked dangerous, especially on the
power play. However, he was often invisible and tentative at even strength�and
was unwilling to shoot or use his size to his advantage. He';s still a top
prospect, but coming along much slower than the Jets expected or hoped.
Vesalainen was fourth on the Moose with 30 points in 2019-20, but did not suit
up for any NHL games. (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)
Second-round selection Dylan Samberg, meanwhile, is the Jets'; best defensive
prospect. They were hoping the 6-foot-4, 215 pound Minnesotan would turn pro
for the 2019-20 season - and they certainly could have used him as their
much-maligned, patchwork blue line was battered and bruised all season - but he
opted to head back to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs for a third
season.
The strong-skating, mobile, NCAA standout finally signed an ELC with the Jets
in April and he has a legitimate shot of making the NHL whenever the 2020-21
season begins.
Dylan Samberg signed an entry-level contract with the Jets in April. (Credit:
Brett Groehler)
Of the other seven selections, Leon Gawanke is the most promising. The German
turned heads in his rookie season with the Moose with his puck-moving ability
and hard shot.
Gawanke began the season rotating in and out of the lineup but his role
steadily increased throughout. By March, the 21-year-old was on the top
defensive pairing and top power play unit, and recorded 26 points, tops among
Moose d-men.
Today's player spotlight is rookie defenceman Leon Gawanke!
Leon paced rookies with 26 points (4G, 22A) in 48 games so far with the Moose
this season. He is ranked ninth in the AHL among rookie defenceman with 22
assists. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/NdrOTol0t1- Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose)
May 6, 2020
Seventh-round pick Skyler McKenzie has also proven intriguing; the spark plug
has impressed with his mix of speed, skill, and truculence in two seasons with
the Moose, but doesn';t appear to be in the Jets'; long-term plans.
#5: 2012
Of the six players the Jets selected in 2012, only one of them is left with the
organization.
Of course, the Jets took Jacob Trouba - the Michigan-born defenseman who
evolved into an elite, top-pairing blue-liner - with their ninth-overall pick.
Trouba was the first Jets'; draft pick to be NHL-ready right away, as he never
played an AHL game and spent 408 games over six seasons with the squad, many of
those on the team';s top pairing.
As difficult as Trouba was for opponents to deal with on the ice, he was just
as difficult for the Jets to deal with off it. He held out in 2016, became the
first player in team history to take the team to arbitration in 2018, and his
unwillingness to sign long-term in Winnipeg created a prolonged shaggy dog
story and a ridiculous distraction that finally ended when the Jets traded him
to the New York Rangers for Neal Pionk last June.
Jacob Trouba spent six productive seasons with the Jets, but he was never
invested in the city and refused to sign long-term. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
At first glance, the trade looked truly terrible for the Jets, but they';ve
actually gotten the better end of it so far. Pionk was a revelation in his
first season in Winnipeg - recording 45 points and playing solid defence -
while Trouba struggled in his first season in the Big Apple.
Related: 3 New Jets Who Surprised in 2019-20
The trade made Connor Hellebuyck - the big-bodied goaltender the team snagged
130th-overall - the last member of the 2012 draft class left standing.
Hellebuyck is the Jets'; first diamond in the rough, having compiled a
148-85-22 record, 2.64 goals against average (GAA), .917 save percentage (SV%),
and 20 shutouts over six seasons.
Rock-solid goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the only player the Jets selected in
2015 who is still with the team. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty
Images)
His best season was 2019-20, where he stole multiple games for the defensively
deficient team and was the number-one reason the Jets qualified for the NHL';s
24-team playoff format. His numbers were eye-popping as he put up 31 wins to go
along with a 2.57 GAA, a .922 SV%, six shutouts, and. 12.5 Goalie Points
Share. He was also first in quality starts with 36, first in saves with 1656,
and tied for first in games played with 58. He received his second Vezina
nomination as a result and should be a shoo-in for his first win.
Related: Connor Hellebuyck: From Fifth-Rounder to Shutout Leader
The other four picks are long gone and long forgotten. The biggest
disappointment was Lukas Sutter, part of the legendary Sutter hockey clan.
Sutter put up 59 points with the Saskatoon Blades the season prior to the Jets
selecting him 39th overall but flopped completely. He re-entered the draft in
2014 and was chosen by the New York Rangers 200th-overall but never played an
NHL game.
"Was Sutter was a big reach? Was his draft year an illusion? Is the issue to do
with scouting error?" asked Arctic Ice Hockey';s Jacob Stoller back in 2014.
"Could something have been done to better support the player? Whatever the
case, Lukas Sutter is Chevy';s first high profile bust," Stoller summed up.
#4: 2013
The Jets have gotten good long-term value from the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, in
which they made a whopping 10 selections.
With their first-rounder, they selected Josh Morrissey, who plays a
top-pairing, shutdown role and is now part of the team';s leadership core as an
alternate captain. Morrissey has really blossomed over the past two seasons,
putting up 31 points and skating 22-plus minutes per game in each.
Thankfully, the Jets have the 13th-overall pick locked up long-term as he
signed an eight-year extension last fall.
Josh Morrissey has blossomed into an elite defenseman. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John
Woods)
The Jets also snagged a pair from U.S. colleges; intelligent forward Andrew
Copp at 104th-overall and defender Tucker Poolman at 127th. Copp proved himself
a play-driving centre in 2018-19 and is a key contributor at both even
strength and on the penalty kill. Poolman finally cracked the Jets full-time in
2019-20 - recording four goals and 12 assists in 57 games and skating an
average of 17:27 - after an excellent (but injury-plagued) 2018-19 campaign for
the Moose.
Andrew Copp was a steal at 104th overall. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via
Getty Images)
JC Lipon is still with the organization too; although he';s likely a career
minor-leaguer, the Moose alternate captain bolsters the AHL squad with a
feisty, hard-nosed play style and is the most viable candidate for their next
captain.
Related: Manitoba Moose: 3 Candidates for Their Next Captain
The draft class also features some highly-touted players who didn';t pan out;
most notably, Nic Petan. The B.C. product had a myriad of chances to make his
mark, but was constantly leapt over by other prospects and could never
translate his creativity, playmaking skills, and power play prowess into NHL
success. The Jets finally ended the Petan saga when they traded him to the
Toronto Maple Leafs for Par Lindholm in February, 2019.
Nic Petan was given plenty of chances but could never establish himself as a
full-time Jet. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Eric Comrie, similarly, was once considered the netminder of the future, but
like Petan, has been valuted by others; first by Connor Hellebuyck, and, more
recently, by Laurent Brossoit. Now 25 with just eight NHL games under his belt,
it';s tough to see Comrie - whose whirlwind 2019-20 season took him from the
Jets, to the Arizona Coyotes, to the Detroit Red Wings, and back to the Jets -
as anything more than a reliable AHL goaltender.
Overall, however, the 2013 draft was pretty good for the Jets; everyone but
Marcus Karlstrom at least played in the organization.
#3: 2016
With two generational scorers - Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine - projected to
go first and second overall in 2016, the Jets were presented with a no-lose
situation when they leapt to second from seventh in the draft lottery. Their
good fortune brought the latter - a Finnish phenom with a laser shot - to town.
Patrik Laine was the Jets'; first generational player. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
Four seasons later, Laine';s scored 138 goals and notched 109 assists; his
feats over his young career include capturing the longest point streak by a
teenager in NHL history and scoring five goals in a single game. He';s still
only 22, and only an elite few have accomplished what he has by that tender
age.
Although Laine was a one-trick pony in the past, he took massive steps this
season toward becoming a complete player; one who is an asset rather than a
liability even when he';s not lighting the lamp. Laine, who signed a two-year
"prove yourself" bridge deal just before the 2019-20 season began, is going to
be a very rich man very soon.
A late round pick who is turning out to be a steal is Mikhail Berdin. The
flashy and enigmatic Russian goaltender - selected 157th-overall - has insane
puck-handling skills and has become a Moose fan favourite over two seasons. In
2018-19, He posted a 12-11-0 record with a 2.34 GAA, .927 SV%, and a pair of
shutouts, raising his stock dramatically in the process.
In 2019-20, he was given the starter';s role and further solidified his
position as a compelling prospect by posting a 20-21-1 record, 2.89 GAA, .912
SV%, and two shutouts. He could challenge Laurent Brossoit for the Jets';
back-up gig in 2020-21 if Brossoit re-signs.
ikhail Berdin might turn out to be the steal of the draft. (Jenae Anderson /
The Hockey Writers)
"He was quite reckless at playing the puck earlier in the season, cost us some
goals and people asked me if I was going to stop him. No I am not going to stop
him..." said Moose head coach Pascal Vincent of Berdin in April. "He's a guy
that thinks outside the box. He plays the game differently. That's an asset. We
don't want to change him into a regular goalie."
The draft selections also includes Logan Stanley, who';s trending toward being
the Jets'; first high-round bust. Many have accused the Jets of reaching in
selecting the towering 6-foot-7 defenseman 18th overall and consider him "tall
and that';s all."
Whether Logan Stanley can one day become an NHL-calibre d-man is questionable.
(Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)
Stanley';s improved upon the lack of foot speed that was readily apparent in
his rookie 2018-19 campaign with the Moose, in which he still ended up
appearing in 73 games, leading Moose rookies in points with 19, and capturing
the team';s rookie of the year award.
In 2019-20, he was limited to 44 games and 10 points and overall remains a
long-term project. His path to the NHL is tougher than ever now that Gawanke,
Heinola, and Samberg are in the mix.
#2: 2011
The fact the Jets'; inaugural NHL Entry Draft is number two and not number one
is a testament to how adept a drafter Cheveldayoff truly is.
Less than a month after True North Sports & Entertainment officially announced
they';d purchased the Thrashers, the newly-minted GM went off the board - on
the advice of former Jets'; superstar Barrie Colts'; head coach Dale Hawerchuk
- and selected Mark Scheifele with his first-ever pick. There was much gnashing
of teeth as Sean Couturier seemed the logical choice at number seven.
When the Winnipeg Jets drafted Mark Scheifele 7th overall in 2011, ahead of
Sean Couturier and Dougie Hamilton, it was an enormous shocker.
Seven years later, they're probably feeling pretty, preeeeetty good about that
decision- Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) January 2, 2019
History vindicates Cheveldayoff';s choice. Scheifele has become a core member
of the Jets'; leadership crew and has blossomed into a bonafide superstar with
a tremendous shot, unmatched work ethic, and commitment to continual
improvement. He';s got 180 goals and 264 assists for 444 points in 519 career
games; the 27-year-old will be a number-one centre and perennial point-per-game
guy for the next decade.
Mark Scheifele, the Jets 2.0';s first-ever draft pick. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
Cheveldayoff';s second-ever pick was similarly successful: he took truculent,
hard-checking face-off specialist Adam Lowry. Lowry, like Scheifele, has been a
key contributor to the Jets'; success over the past three seasons especially.
Related: Jets Lucky to Have Team Player Like Lowry
The trend did not continue with Cheveldayoff';s final five selections
thereafter, however. The players selected - Brennan Serville, Zach Yuen, Austen
Brassard, Jason Kasdorf, and Aaron Harstad, combined to play in only one NHL
game (it was goaltender Kasdorf, who made a start for the Buffalo Sabres in
2015-16 after he was sent there as part of the Evander Kane trade.)
The five picks after Adam Lowry didn';t work out. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
However, the fact Cheveldayoff had the guts to go off the board with his
first-ever pick - an incredible decision, in hindsight - and that his first two
picks are his teams'; best centres to this day, gives the 2011 draft the
second spot.
#1: 2015
From top to bottom, the 2015 draft is the Jets'; very best. Former THW';s
contributor Rob Mahon summed it up nicely in a piece he penned last summer:
"If you want a case study on how to hit a draft out of the park, you look to
the Winnipeg Jets. And if you want to see the finest example of their work, you
look at the 2015 NHL draft."
The Jets'; first pick was a harbinger that things would go well for them; the
Boston Bruins, possessing picks 14 through 16, inexplicably chose against
selecting Kyle Connor with any of them. The Jets were surprised the University
of Michigan product was even available at 17th-overall, but happily took him.
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Connor adapted to the NHL game with a rocket ship';s pace; he scored 31 goals
in his first full season, put up 34 more in 2018-19, and led the team with 38
in 2019-20. The consistently dangerous, play-driving, top-six sniper, cashed in
big just before the 2019-20 season began by signing a $50 million contract
extension and will be a Jet through 2026.
Jack Roslovic, meanwhile, hasn';t progressed as rapidly as his fellow
first-rounder. His first first three NHL seasons have been more of a roller
coaster, a bumpy ride in which he';s played both top- and bottom-six roles. He
struggled to shoulder a role on the top six in 2019-20, but still set career
highs in goals with 12 and assists in 17.
One of the highs in a career thus far filled with highs and lows was Jack
Roslovic';s hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks in Feb. 2019. (THE CANADIAN
PRESS/John Woods)
The crafty Columbus native is still young and possesses the lethal shot and
explosiveness to one day be an impactful top-six forward.
The 2015 draft also solidified the Jets'; reputation as the kings of finding
studs in late rounds. Mason Appleton, chosen 168th, registered 66 points with
the Moose in 2017-18 and was named the AHL';s outstanding rookie in the
process. In 2018-19, he played 35 games with the Jets, but was a casualty of
the Jets'; deadline day moves and was sent back down. In 2019-20, he suffered a
freak foot injury playing football before the Heritage Classic in Regina, but
still recorded five goals and three assists in 46 games.
Like Appleton, Sami Niku captured some AHL hardware during his rookie season.
He was named the AHL';s Outstanding Defenseman for recording 16 goals, 38
points, and a plus-17 rating. The slick-skating Finn played 30 games for the
Jets in 2018-19 in a sheltered role and a full-time roster spot in 2019-20 was
his to lose.
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) (Amy
Irvin / The Hockey Writers)Mason Appleton, Sami Niku, and Jansen Harkins:
three gems the Jets beyond the glitz of the first-round.
Unfortunately, Niku had a rotten 2019-20 campaign. He was in a car crash during
training camp and suffered through a number of injuries that limited him to 17
games with the Jets and 18 with the Moose. Despite the setback, he';s still
firmly in the Jets'; future plans. If he can stay healthy, his ability to
quarterback a power play and expertly move the puck will serve him well in the
NHL.
Related: Niku Finally Returns to Jets Lineup After Tough 2019
The patience the Jets had with Jansen Harkins, meanwhile, has also paid off. In
2019-20, after establishing a new career-high in points the season prior
-Harkins got off to a smoking start with the Moose. He lit up opponents with 31
points in 30 games and was named an AHL All-Star�before he got a well-deserved
call-up and played 27 games. He recorded two goals and five assists while
showcasing an intelligent, hard-working two-way play-style, and is certainly on
his way to becoming an impactful NHLer.
When you add it all up, it';s no secret why the 2015 draft is a banner moment
and the most important to the Jets'; present and future.
The post Jets NHL Draft Days Ranked appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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