Winnipeg Jets: Top 3 New Prospects to Keep an Eye on in 2021-2022

1. Dmitri Kuzmin

The eighteen-year-old Dmitri Kuzmin is undersized compared to many other defensemen as he only stands five feet and ten inches tall and weighs 176 pounds, but he is someone who looks to be rated highly by the Jets front office.

For people who do not know much about the left-handed Belorussian defenseman, he was drafted by Winnipeg in the third round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and he is the only player from the Jets’ 2021 draft class that has signed an entry-level contract with the franchise.

To add to this, Kuzmin was invited to both Jets minicamp and main training camp and will be the youngest player featuring at both. This just goes to show what the Jets think of his potential.

The reason to keep a close eye on Kuzmin during this season is because he has yet to feature in North America. Kuzmin was supposed to play the 2020-2021 season with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL, but after the OHL canceled their season, he decided to stay home and play in Belarus.

There is no indication on what team Kuzmin will be applying his trade for when the season begins, but if he does play in North America, it will be interesting to see how his game translates to the smaller ice surface and against different opponents.

It will also be interesting to watch how Kuzmin fares at Jets training camp especially against an extremely talented group of Jets’ forwards. There is also a chance we can see the young defenseman play in a preseason game.

Kuzmin has the potential to be a stalwart on the Winnipeg Jets’ blueline in the future and he is one player that you should definitely watch during the 2021-2022 season.

Winnipeg Jets Fans: Which Winnipeg Jets prospect are you most excited to watch during the upcoming season? Leave your comments below!

*All Stats Provided by Elite Prospects*