View From the Booth - June 26, 2023

The Winnipeg Jets own five picks in this week's 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The most important of those is their first-round pick (18th overall) since players selected in the first round typically have the best chance of playing in the league and are also usually the quickest to get there. Moreover, without a second-round selection this year (entering the draft) Winnipeg won't pick again until the third round (82nd overall), a total of 64 players between selections.

At this point Winnipeg owns picks in the first, third, two in the fifth and seventh rounds….Still with the draft, in the past the Jets have always employed "the best player available" strategy when making their first selection. This year's version of the draft for the Jets won't have much deviation from that pattern, although it could come with a slight augmentation to include the "the best player available and the best fit." As such, don't be surprised if Winnipeg puts an emphasis on North American forwards, especially those out of major junior or college. Names like (if available at the time of their pick) could include: Colby Barlow (C, Owen Sound), Matthew Wood (RW, Connecticut), Quentin Musty (LW, Sudbury), Gabe Perreault (RW, US NTDP), Nate Danielson (C, Brandon), Cal Ritchie (C, Oshawa) and Oliver Bonk (D, London). Of those mentioned, both Bonk and Perreault are the sons or former NHL players. Radek Bonk played 969 games in the NHL for Ottawa, Montreal and Nashville. He settled in our nation's capital after hockey where Oliver was born and played his minor hockey. As for Perreault, his father Yanic skated in 859 NHL games with six different organizations, including the Chicago Blackhawks where he has been a development coach for the past 10 seasons….On a another draft note, keep an eye out for Danielson, who should be of particular interest to Jets' fans since he's projected by Daily Faceoff to be taken at 18th, by TSN's Craig Button at 19th and the Hockey News at 22nd overall. Since the Jets own the 18th selection, Danielson could slide right into the team's wheelhouse. And with a fanbase desiring the team to improve its Western Canadian flavour, Danielson could satisfy many needs. For instance, he'll be 19 in September after missing last year's draft by only 12 days, is a right-handed shot centre with good size (six-foot-one, 185 pounds) and has twice been a 20-goal scorer for the Wheat Kings, including 33 goals this past season to go along with 78 points in 68 games. The Red Deer product is creative with the puck and excels at creating offence off the rush. In terms of boxes, he ticks many!….Finally with this week's draft, there are some local players expected to selected in the two-day process including the top ranked Manitoban in Jayden Perron. The 18-year-old Winnipeg product played the past two seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL where he amassed 24 goals and 72 points in 61 games this season. He's predicted to be a late first or early to mid-second round pick. Carberry product Carson Bjarnason enters this week as the top ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting. Bjarnason, who turns 18 years old on June 30, played 47 games for the Brandon Wheat Kings this past season, posting a 21-19-5 record with a 3.08 GAA and .900 SV%. He has great size at six-foot-three and 186 pounds and is projected as a second or third-round pick. Defenceman Carter Sotheran is a big body option (six-foot-three, 185 pounds) for NHL teams in the later rounds. After a solid rookie season with the Portland Winterhawks this winter where he scored four goals and 23 points in 68 games, the Sanford resident is ranked 71st overall by Central Scouting. Another local defenceman that will likely get to hear his name in Nashville this week is Sam Court. It's a been a tremendous season for the Winnipegger, who last month won a Centennial Cup in Portage la Prairie with the AJHL's Brooks Bandits, the franchise's third straight national title. Court, 19, has offensive flare with 13 goals and 72 points in 52 games this season and is committed to attend the University of New Hampshire. He's expected to be a late round pick. Defenceman Hudson Thornton rounds out the list of Manitobans expected to be drafted this week. The 19-year-old Winnipeg native has spent the last two seasons with the Prince George Cougars, scoring 23 goals and 74 points in 68 games this season. Central Scouting has him projected to be taken in the sixth round…Congratulations to Winnipeg's Dylan McIlrath on a Calder Cup championship with the Hershey Bears, the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate. The 31-year-old captained the Bears to their American Hockey League leading 12th championship earlier this month in his second season with the organization. The former first-round (10th overall) selection of the New York Rangers in 2010, McIlrath has played the majority of his career in the AHL (560) and NHL (72) over his 11-year professional career. It was his second Calder Cup, previously winning the 2017 title with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Detroit Red Wings senior affiliate….When Mark Stone lifted the Stanley Cup first for the Vegas Golden Knights on June 13, he became the third Manitoban to captain a Cup winner. He joins Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia, 1974 & 1975) and Jonathan Toews (Chicago, 2010, 2013, 2015). The last Manitoba to win the Cup twice is St. Andrews product Darren Helm, who captured it with Detroit (2008) and Colorado (2022)….And finally, some random thoughts on the Jets this off-season. With forward Morgan Barron and defenceman Dylan Samberg requiring new contracts before September, one wonders what type of term the deals will include. An easy guess is for both to be offered two-year contract extensions, which would provide some security for the players and allow the organization to track their progression as younger players. By the way, both have arbitration rights this off-season….Does forward Vladislav Namestnikov fit into the Jets' future plans? As an unrestricted free agent he's certainly versatile on the wing or at centre and clearly developed some chemistry with Nikolaj Ehlers in his short time with the Jets last season….Following an injury plagued season, does D-man Logan Stanley get a qualifying offer from Winnipeg?....Moreover, following a shaky end to his season is David Rittich an option as the team's backup goaltender again? He would need a new deal! Or do the Jets seek a second netminder with NHL experience via free agency?....Will there be room for defenceman Ville Heinola and/or Declan Chisholm on the Jets' roster full-time this coming season?....After finding his confidence and the back of the net with regularity at the AHL level with the Manitoba Moose, does forward Jansen Harkins get another shot with Winnipeg? He still has another left on his contract and he might be worth another look. Same for Dominic Toninato….Which of the following forwards will be the first to crack the Jets lineup fulltime as a rookie: Chaz Lucius, Brad Lambert or Nikita Chibrikov?....And in conclusion, does Kevin Stenlund receive a qualifying offer from the Jets this summer or did David Gustafsson do enough late last season to now assume the fourth line centre position? Stay tuned!

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