Jets hope for lucky 13

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/06/2017 (2502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has demonstrated he values and protects his right to select in the first round of the NHL Draft.

In fact, he’s shown a willingness not only to hold on to those picks since 2011, but also to stockpile more when given the chance.

The result? Eight first-round picks in six drafts, including centre Mark Scheifele in 2011, defenceman Jacob Trouba in 2012, blue-liner Josh Morrissey in 2013, left-winger Nikolaj Ehlers in 2014, forwards Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic in 2015, and right-winger Patrik Laine and defenceman Logan Stanley a year ago.

He heads to his seventh draft Friday and Saturday at Chicago’s United Center holding down the 13th overall selection.

Winnipeg finished the 2016-17 season ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 40-35-7, seven points back of the Stanley Cup runner-up Nashville Predators for the final wild-card playoff spot.

The Jets won eight of their final 10 games, and that late success likely dropped them a couple of draft positions. The lottery balls didn’t fall in Winnipeg’s favour, either, and the club actually fell one spot when the Philadelphia Flyers jumped 11 positions to second overall — the largest leap in NHL draft lottery history.

The New Jersey Devils won the lottery and will select first, while the Dallas Stars jumped five spots and picked third.

Who might Winnipeg select at 13? And when it’s Cheveldayoff’s turn at the podium, does he call the name of the player the organization feels best fills a positional need, or does he go with the player viewed internally as the best available, regardless of position?

Earlier this off-season, Cheveldayoff said drafting by position isn’t the usual strategy.

“When you draft a player now, there’s that development time. Not everyone’s a Patrik Laine or a Nikolaj Ehlers or a Jacob Trouba that plays at 18 or 19,” he said. “When you’re drafting these 18 year olds, you’re really looking at what they’re going to be like four years down the road, and you’re not exactly sure what your needs and wants and desires are going to be at that point. Sometimes, if you stray away from the best player possible, you could end up out-smarting yourself.”

Brandon Wheat Kings centre Nolan Patrick of Winnipeg and Swiss-born centre Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads will most certainly be the first two players drafted Friday, although who’s name gets called first is still a mystery.

The next four players on NHL Central Scouting’s draft ranking list are Minnesota-born centre Casey Mittelstadt; Gabriel Vilardi, a centre with the Windsor Spitfires; Tri-City Americans centre Michael Rasmussen; and Winnipeg’s Cody Glass, a centre with the Portland Winterhawks.

Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, said there’s no way to predict how things will unfold after the top four or five picks because there’s a lack of consensus league-wide.

“This draft class didn’t do scouting staffs any favours, in that they really didn’t sort themselves out,” Marr told the Free Press. “When I look anywhere from the seven or eight mark all the way down to the 22, 23, 24 range, these kids could be selected anywhere in the first round.

“There’s going to be some home runs in this draft class and there’s going to be some guys that fizzle out and don’t really live up to their potential. It’s that type of a class.”

He cautioned only a couple of players chosen Friday will be ready to jump to the NHL in the fall.

“That’s one thing about this draft class. I don’t know that there’s too many players that you’re going to be able to accelerate into the pro ranks very quickly,” said Marr. “I think they’re going to need their development time.”

So, who’s worth the wait? Here’s a list of some players that could be available to Cheveldayoff on Friday night as Winnipeg hockey fans cross their fingers that No.13, ultimately, proves lucky.

Marr provided his analysis on several prospect identified by the Free Press:

Eeli Tolvanen, RW, Sioux City (USHL)

5-10, 170 pounds, shoots left

Ranked 8th among North American skaters

“He’s a gifted offensive player. We have him at No. 8. That might be a little high for where he might be taken on draft day, but there’s an appreciation for skill, and this is what he brings. His hockey sense is at the elite level. There’s still some things he needs to do to utilize his skills and assets to their very best, but that all comes with development.”

Nick Suzuki, RW, Owen Sound (OHL)

5-11, 183 pounds, shoots right

Ranked 10th among North American skaters

“Nick is a very dynamic player and he has turned out to be a clutch player. He scores important goals. He’s a very gifted offensive player. He’s quick and he’s smart. The one knock that teams might have on him is they want to see him put on a show every game that they’re at. There are some shifts where he can be quiet for the first half of the game, a 2-1 game for the opposition, and the next thing you know it’s 3-2 and he’s been involved in tying the game and getting the game winner. He can change the complexion of a game.”

Ryan Poehling, C, St. Cloud State (NCAA)

6-2, 183 pounds, shoots left

Ranked 13th among North American skaters

“From our perspective, he’s the diamond in the rough. We had him ranked 13th, so he’s not a hidden or unknown commodity. College freshmen really have to earn their ice time at the NCAA level. Ryan was able to go in there, and respectfully and responsibly his coach found ways to utilize him more as the season went on, and he finished the year strong. Ryan has been one of the more consistent players in this draft class.”

Lias Andersson, C, Timra (Sweden)

5-11, 198 pounds, shoots left

Ranked third among European skaters

“Our group from Europe believes his hockey sense, his responsibility and character are his strongest assets. He’s a smart player with the puck. He has a very strong compete game that makes him the complete package that he is. He just needs to work on his first-step quickness with his skating.”

Juuso Valimaki, D, Tri-City (WHL)

6-2, 204 pounds, shoots left

Ranked 11th among North American skaters

“Juuso is a kid that’s got a good level of experience. His game just requires some maturity with his risk-reward decisions. If he lives up to his potential, he’s got the potential to be a Kris Letang. He can really dominate the game on the offensive side, and I wouldn’t say he’s irresponsible defensively, it’s just not his priority right now. Until he gets into that environment where he has to play a more responsible game without the puck — he can get away with it in junior — but I think he’ll adapt.”

Cal Foote, D, Kelowna (WHL)

6-4, 201 pounds, shoots right

Ranked 12th among North American skaters

“Cal is the complete package, because you’ve got the size and strength, the smarts and the skills. His game with the puck at the offensive blue line is outstanding. He quietly accumulates points without looking for them because he’s such a smart player. He’s got a composure and patience about him. You can see the DNA, the coaching and the advantage of having a parent (former NHL blue-liner Adam Foote) that’s been through all the experiences that he’s going through. He’s one of these players that is mature enough, both physically and as a person, to make the jump sooner than a lot of other players in this draft class.”

Timothy Liljegren, D, Rogle (Sweden)

6-0, 191 pounds, shoots right

Ranked 6th among European skaters

“He’s what you’d reference as an under-sized defencemen, but fits into that category of being one of those elite, under-sized defencemen that find a way to play. They contribute and they get things done. Measuring those risk-reward plays in his game, they’ve improved. He had an illness that affected his play, but he finished strong to the point where the projections on him were pretty lofty last year, where there’s talk he would be the next (Erik) Karlsson or Letang. Those are lofty standards, but nonetheless, he’s going to be a very poised, effective offensive defenceman.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell