Winnipeg Jets: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
Which Winnipeg Jets prospects could make an impact in the future?
The Winnipeg Jets are in an odd spot as a franchise. After having one of the best rosters in the entire NHL over the past few seasons, they found themselves in a tough spot this season after losing key defenders in Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, and Tyler Myers.
As a result, their overall team play took a hit. However, thanks to the play of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, along with some of their top forwards, they were able to still find themselves in the top wild-card position by the time the NHL season was forced to end due to COVID-19.
Kevin Cheveldayoff and his staff are now in a very tricky spot. Do they continue to try and capture a Stanley Cup, or look to go into somewhat of a rebuild/retool? Unfortunately, they do not have the luxury of having a deep prospect pool compared to a team like the Ottawa Senators. However, they do still have some prospects worth getting excited about. Here are the top 8.
One quick reminder is that on these lists I am not including players who have played more NHL games than any other league for the past season, which explains David Gustafsson’s omission.
8. Logan Stanley
The former first-round pick Logan Stanley is beginning to feel like somewhat of an afterthought in the Jets prospect pool. The massive 6-foot-7 defenceman was selected 18th overall by Winnipeg at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. While his 17 points in 64 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL certainly didn’t jump off the page, he was able to use his big frame to dominate in the defensive end.
He has taken some time to develop, as he spent another two seasons in junior before making the jump to professional hockey for the 2018-19 season. Again, his stats have not been impressive, as he has put up a combined 32 points in 117 games. While he will never be an offensive threat, he will get a chance with the Jets at some point due to his size. Though some are already calling the 22-year-old a bust, he still has time to change that narrative.
7. Jansen Harkins
The 2019-20 season was by far and away the most successful of Jansen Harkins’ professional career. After putting up just 31 points in 70 AHL games during the 2018-19 season, the 23-year-old was able to put up that same total in just 30 games this season. As a result of his great play, he also got minutes in the NHL for the first time in his career, playing in 29 games where he put up two goals and five assists.
This was a big step for the 47th pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, as many had begun to write him off as a prospect. However, he will need to find a way to put up more offence at the NHL level if he wants to become a full-time roster player. He certainly has a chance to do so, but given his age it needs to happen fairly soon.