The Winnipeg Jets were missing a first rounder and a fourth rounder, but the draft goes on. The team still made picks in all the other rounds, and an extra in the fifth. They ended up with three centers, two defensemen and a goaltender.
The Winnipeg Jets gotta replace the pipeline sometime. One of NHL’s best development systems churned out a lot of talent as of late, but you have to always plan for the future in this league. Even when you’re good. Or else you get left behind.
I find NHL prospects to be the most difficult to project among the four major sports. NFL is pretty easy, as is the NBA. MLB prospects have insane amounts of variance and risk, but so much is written about them, it’s hard to miss out on someone promising.
The NHL is another world. Most of these kids were born in this century and/or have been playing in Europe. But, the Jets know what they’re looking for. There are few organizations I would trust more in the drafting and developing process.
Maybe…San Jose? Or Pittsburgh, churning out exceptional players after rarely drafting in the top half of the first round.
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Point is, Winnipeg knows what they’re doing. Small market teams that aren’t prime free agent destinations have to, in order to be successful. Let’s look at some of the Jets day 2 picks.
The Winnipeg Jets drafted two centers, two defenseman and a goaltender after taking David Gustafsson in the second round.
Let’s start with the back end. The Jets took Jared Moe, who has a hell of a name, with the 184th overall pick, in the sixth round. He’s tall, at about 6’3, and committed to University of Minnesota.
The Jets will have time to see how he fills out and develops in NCAA hockey before making a decision, so I can’t imagine you’ll be seeing him anytime soon.
Both defensemen were chosen in the fifth round, at 150th and 153rd overall. Declan Chisholm, who I did not believe was a real person until I chanced upon the photograph above, and Giovanni Vallati were the picks.
They are basically carbon-copy prospects, left handed defensemen with offensive profiles. Prospects on the blueline always take a while to develop. Offense is a much more instinctual trait. So by picking two guys with decent offensive games, puck-movers, the Jets will have something if either one of them outpaces his defensive “potential”.
I put potential in quotations because the preconceived notion of ceilings is such garbage. Everyone puts labels on what a player could be capable of, but almost any NHLer is capable of looking like the best player in the game for a week or so.
Maybe even longer. Everyone said Martin St. Louis was never going to be a dude. And he was some kind of dude. One of the best dudes. These players are all so good, it’s hard to encapsulate just where their talent lies. I’m sorry I’ve just blasted off-topic. I just had to get that out there.
The two centers were picked at near opposite ends. Nathan Smith, who has the most boring name out of any of the Winnipeg Jets draftees, was picked 91st and in the third round. Austin Wong, however, was picked in the seventh round at 215th.
I’m super into Smith. I love when teams draft prospects who have tantalizing ability but haven’t played hockey all their life. Smith was playing roller hockey for a bit before finally hitting the ice at age 11. Most of these Swedes and Canadians were born with ice skates on.
Before they learn to walk, they can cross-check properly. Smith has incredible offensive talent but is pretty raw on both ends. I love the idea of someone being drafted based on a small sample of impressive potential, and then blowing it away. Like Antonio Gates. Well, I guess he wasn’t drafted, but you get the point.
Wong was pressed to me as a true grinder. Not a huge guy, but puts himself in the way of people to get to the puck. Vicious forecheck. Works really hard. Throws the body. Gotta love a dude who will throw the body.
Next: David Gustafsson Headlines Jets Draft
Look, I’m not an NHL prospect guru. Maybe one day I will be. But I gave you what I had. The information is there, and I’m glad you’re there to read it. Thanks for watching and don’t miss next week’s episode.