Welcome to Today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. As we go through the Summer of 2013 I will be featuring a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. I will go team by team through the NHL bringing you a look at each Teams Top Prospects. I will be following the order of the first round of the NHL draft (as if there were no traded draft picks). You can find all the articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2013 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2013-14 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances (especially due to the fact that the latest NHL season was only 48 games).
The Jets completed their second season in Winnipeg fighting against a tough schedule that involved some of the worst travel in the entire NHL. Despite this, the relatively young team fought hard for a playoff spot remaining in the race until the very last week of the season. Ultimately the Jets came up short, but the experience gained by the team, along with a move to a much more travel friendly Central division in 2013-14, and a couple of promising young prospects leaves Winnipeg with much hope for the future of the franchise.
The Jets added to that hope on draft day with a bevy of selections. With 10 picks, including seven in the first four rounds, the Jets were able to add a lot of depth to their prospect pool and bring even more hope for the future. The Jets did enough to be one of my Top 3 draft day winners.
2013 Draft Picks Profiled by LWOS: Josh Morrissey, Nicolas Petan, Eric Comrie, Jimmy Lodge, J.C. Lipon, Jan Kostalek,
Prospect Graduations: James Wright,
Top Prospect: Mark Scheifele, Center
Born Mar 15 1993 — Kitchener, ONT
Height 6.03 — Weight 184 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in round 1 #7 overall, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
Mark Scheifele was a surprise selection by the Jets at 7th overall in the 2011 Draft. As the first player drafted after the team announced their return to Winnipeg, and having such a high draft position, the pressure on Scheifele going forward will be immense. Scheifele has come to Jets camp the last two years and earned a spot to start the season in the NHL. However both years he has been sent back to the OHL before playing the requisite number of games to force a year on his ELC to be used up. Scheifele went back to Barrie as a man on a mission and was the best player in the OHL in the second half of the season and OHL playoffs. He dominated in all aspects of the game and led the Colts to within 1 goal of upsetting the London Knights and winning the OHL title. On the heels of this great season Scheifele will try to make it the third time is the charm in Jets camp in 2013.
Finding a big, talented, offensive centre has become extremely difficult in the NHL, just ask the Jets who hoped that the free agent signing of Olli Jokinen would be a stop gap in their top 6 until Scheifele was ready. Having skill and strength up the middle has always been a key to creating a Stanley Cup Contender. Scheifele has the potential to be that type of player. He combines excellent size, long reach, soft hands, and quick stickhandling to protect the puck and buy time to make plays. Scheifele has great vision, and the ability to pass the puck through the eye of a needle. He quite simply is the type of pivot who makes his linemates better. Scheifele is a good shooter, who has an accurate wrister with a very good release. He could stand to add some power to his shot, and he could stand to shoot more often as well, as he always seems to want to be the playmaker. A little more selfishness would actually help his game.
Scheifele’s skating is a major strength in his game. He continues to improve his stride every summer, leading to better speed and acceleration. His skating has improved from average in his draft year to well above that now. His biggest strength though is his excellent balance, and powerful stride. This allows Scheifele to protect the puck in the cycle game, and drive the puck through traffic, and tight checking and take it straight to the front of the net.
Scheifele is a willing backchecker who understands defensive concepts, and has solid positioning in his own end. He is involved physically and in puck battles, but he needs to add more upper body strength to be truly effective in this area. He has shown a willingness to sacrifice though, to block shots and to put his body on the line to win games.
Overall Scheifele is an outstanding prospect. Given his performance over the last two years, expectations are high that he will make the Jets this year. I think that this is the season Scheifele finally makes it, and I expect to see him compete for the Calder Trophy this year.
#2 Prospect, Jacob Trouba, Defence
Born Feb 26 1994 — Rochester, Michigan
Height 6.02 — Weight 194 Lbs — Shoots Right
Drafted 9th overall by Winnipeg Jets in the 2012 NHL Draft
Jacob Trouba had an outstanding season after being drafted by the Jets with the 9th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. Stepping in as a true freshman at the NCAA level is difficult for many 18 year olds, but Trouba excelled, playing top 4 minutes in all situations, and being a huge bright spot for the Wolverines in what was otherwise a forgettable season for the team. Along the way Trouba was a huge part of the Team USA squad that won gold at the World Junior Championships in Sochi Russia. After the season he decided to leave his college days behind, turning pro and signing an Entry Level Contract with the Jets. Trouba also played for Team USA at the Men’s World Championships and had a strong tournament in helping the squad to a bronze medal.
At 6’2″ 194 lbs and still growing, Trouba possesses very good size. He’s shown himself to be willing to use that size, as he is an effective hitter who separates incoming forwards from the puck. Trouba has excellent defensive instincts and is very safe and solid in his own end. Trouba is a willing shot-blocker, and has excellent hockey IQ. He anticipates plays well and cuts them off before they can develop into high quality scoring chances. Trouba makes a good first pass in his own zone, and is very calm and poised with the puck on his stick. He’s a polished defender who rarely makes a mistake.
Trouba has offensive potential as well. He has a great shot from the point and often plays on the Power Play for both Team USA and Michigan. He has good vision and makes smart passes in the offensive zone. He’s also very good at finding the right time to join the rush and add to his team’s offensive attack. Over the last year he has improved his stickhandling and poise with the puck and can quarterback the powerplay. He can certainly end up a 2nd wave powerplay defenceman, but has the potential to develop into a first pairing guy if he continues to improve on his stickhandling and poise.
Trouba is generally a very good skater. He’s strong on his skates, has good stops and starts, has good edge work, and is agile and able to pivot and change directions quickly and efficiently. However, he could stand to work on his top-end speed as it is the weakest part of his skating ability. Trouba, like many young players, could also stand to add some muscle to his tall frame. We do believe this will come with time.
I expect that the 19-year-old Trouba will play at least one season at the AHL level, and possibly two before he’s ready to make an impact in Winnipeg. However he is a stud defensive prospect and Jets fans have much to look forward to when he makes the team.
Sleeper Prospect: Paul Postma, Defence
Born Feb 22 1989 — Red Deer, ALTA
Height 6.03 — Weight 195 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in round 7 #205 overall at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
Paul Postma spent the season with the Winnipeg Jets but still qualifies as a prospect as he has only played in 38 career games. Used as a bottom pairing/press box defenceman, Postma got most of his game action as an injury fill-in first for Zach Bogosian and then for Tobias Enstrom as the Jets season went on. He was used in limited minutes and with the number of young defencemen on the Jets team and in the Jets system his position is still quite perilous at this point.
Postma possesses the offensive tools necessary to be an NHL defenceman. He would make an excellent powerplay trigger man as he has an absolute bomb of a slap shot and an excellent one-timer that has tortured AHL goalies over the last several seasons. Postma also has decent puck handling and puck protection skills, and is a decent enough passer from the blue line. His skating has improved from his WHL days, and he would be seen as having good top end speed, and acceleration today. His agility and quickness allow him to walk the line and open up shooting lanes for himself. He also is able to join the rush, often looking to unleash a quick and accurate wrister, or his big slap shot as the trailer on the play.
Defensively Postma still has much to prove. He has certainly curbed his style, but is still far too much of a riverboat gambler in his own zone, leaving his man open in an attempt to make a big play and start the transition game. He also could stand to add some major upper body strength this year, as bigger forwards regularly push him around in the corners and in front of the net. He tries, but is simply incapable of dealing with power forward type players right now. He has certainly improved his positioning and shot blocking ability, so equal dedication to the gym could lead to some big improvements for Postma.
At 24 years old, decisions will need to be made on Postma. Is he part of the Jets future, or is it time to move him on and obtain other assets that can help the club going forward. He should be an NHLer, but the Jets have plenty of offensively capable defencemen and may be best served to move Postma for help up front. Zach Redmond was really pushing for the spot Postma had on the Jets before he suffered his serious leg injury this year. (note Redmond is 25, and thus not a prospect for this report due to age).
Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets staff have done an excellent job in building up the Jets system. Last summer I said that the Jets had two excellent prospects in Scheifele and Trouba, but little depth behind them. An outstanding 2013 draft including Josh Morrissey, and Jan Kostalek on defence, Eric Comrie in goal, and Nicolas Petan, Jimmy Lodge, and J.C. Lipon, up front has strengthened that depth in all positions.
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