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Winnipeg Jets: World Juniors Preview/Lookout

By Anthony Jacob |
Sep 27, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic (52) skates around prior to the game between the Jets and the Calgary Flames during a preseason hockey game at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic (52) skates around prior to the game between the Jets and the Calgary Flames during a preseason hockey game at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Nothing says December 26th like watching the greatest young players from each country to battle it out for a chance to take home a gold medal. Every year the intriguing play comes from a variety of sources, and most of all watching the future of the game of hockey. Who can we watch in the World Juniors that belongs to the Winnipeg Jets?

Michael Spacek

Spacek stands at just 5′ 11″, and was drafted in just the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, but that isn’t a fair example of his importance to a middling Czech Republic team. The last two seasons Michael has been on the Czech squad, of whom which just upset the defending champions, Finland. All would be lost without Spacek, as he scored the game deciding goal with less than a minute-and-a-half remaining. Last season, Spacek played in five games, recording five points, and the most ridiculously insane shootout goal of the entire tournament. Back in junior hockey, Spacek is well over a point-per-game with the Red Deer Rebels, and if the Czech Republic is hoping to have any more success during the world juniors, a majority of their success will go through the production of Spacek.

Jack Roslovic

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Not a single Jets prospect outside the NHL, besides Kyle Connor, gives the same type of hype that Roslovic does. On a perennial superpower of a United States team, Roslovic is still part of the core. He is among the Manitoba Moose’s leading scorers with 19 points in his 25 games played. This is his third time representing his country, yet first at the world juniors. The Americans will need big production from Roslovic, who was chosen to the team over similar skilled players such as Alex DeBrincat, and Logan Brown, so role players could patrol the bottom-six. Considering DeBrincat made Team USA last season, and failed to this season, speaks wonders to how much faith they have in Roslovic.

Erik Foley

Here’s who we were talking about earlier. Foley will have all sorts of pressure on his back to prove to angry American fans that he was a better choice than DeBrincat to play on their team. To many, Foley was a mistake to be chosen, especially considering he was a third round pick. To prove the haters wrong, Foley has 15 points in 16 games for Providence College in NCAA competition. He was a standout at Jets training camp, and his speed/power forward type play will make him a huge asset for the Americans, and a tough one to defend against for the opposition.

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