Top prospects for Winnipeg Jets

NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 31 teams from Nov. 16-Dec. 16. Today, the top five prospects for the Winnipeg Jets, according to NHL.com.

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1. Ville Heinola, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 20 pick in 2019 NHL Draft
2019-20 season: Winnipeg (NHL): 8 GP, 1-4-5; Manitoba (AHL): 3 GP, 0-1-1; Lukko Rauma (SM-Liiga): 29 GP, 0-7-7
Smarts and vision helped Heinola make the Jets roster out of training camp last season, but the 19-year-old was returned to Liiga, Finland's top professional league Nov. 8, 2019.
After starting this season in Liiga, Heinola (5-foot-11, 178 pounds) will play for Finland at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton.
"His best assets are his hockey sense and his puck game," assistant general manager Craig Heisinger said. "He set the bar pretty high last season, and I'm not sure he has any way to meet those expectations immediately. We're looking forward to seeing him in the World Junior because playing games on North American (sized) ice under a forecheck will be good for him."
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

2. Cole Perfetti, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 10 pick in 2020 NHL Draft
2019-20 season: Saginaw (OHL): 61 GP, 37-74-111
Perfetti, who turns 19 on Jan. 1, is a playmaking center who could one day play on one of Winnipeg's top two lines. Perfetti (5-11, 177) will play for Canada at the 2021 WJC.
"I think he's a very similar player to Bryan Little, which is a good thing," Heisinger said, referring to the Jets center. "He's a good, solid, smart player. Hockey sense is his [best] asset."
Projected NHL arrival: 2022-23

3. Dylan Samberg, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 43 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
2019-20 season: Minnesota Duluth (NCAA): 39 GP, 7-12-19
The 21-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Jets after winning the NCAA Division I championship for the second time in three seasons with the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Samberg, a big defenseman (6-3, 190) who moves well, now faces the challenge of playing against bigger, stronger competition.
"He had a good collegiate career," Heisinger said. "But he hasn't played a pro game or been in a pro camp. The adjustment from college to the [American Hockey League] to the NHL is huge, and it's a process."
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

4. Logan Stanley, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 18 pick in 2016 NHL Draft
2019-20 season: Manitoba (AHL): 44 GP, 3-7-10
Stanley's size (6-7, 228) has earned him a little more development time than many prospects. After a strong first pro season, progress was tougher to gauge after a variety of injuries interrupted the 22-year-old's second pro season in 2019-20.
Strength and quickness are a continuing focus in Stanley's development, especially how he can improve his ability to retrieve the puck.
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

5. Kristian Vesalainen, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 24 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
2019-20 season: Manitoba (AHL): 60 GP, 12-18-30
The 21-year-old left wing's combination of size (6-3, 207), skill and grit makes him a candidate to be on the Jets roster out of training camp. Vesalainen started this season with HPK Hameenlinna in Liiga.
"His game in Europe is what we saw when we drafted him," Heisinger said. "He's gone over there and played well, put up points, scored, made plays, but does it translate when it comes back here? To this point it hasn't, but everything's a process. Guys develop at different times, it takes time. They don't develop soon enough for us or themselves, but they usually get there when they're ready."
Projected NHL arrival: This season