Welcome to the 2016 edition of “Top Shelf NHL Prospects”. As we go through the Summer of 2016 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 follow the order of the first round of the NHL draft (as if there were no trades). 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 this year. 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 2016-17 roster. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later; or 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.
TSP: Winnipeg Jets Prospects
The Jets came into 2015-16 looking to build off the franchise’s first ever playoff appearance (since moving back to Winnipeg). Unfortunately the season did not go as planned. The Jets once again found themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time. They also ended up trading away fan favorite and captain Andrew Ladd at the trade deadline. There can be no bigger signal of a changing of the guard on the team. The Jets have plenty of young talent on their team and in the system. Its time for them to make their marks. The identity of this team is quickly changing.
There were some bright spots last season. 2011 Draftee Mark Scheifele took major steps forward in a breakout season that legitimizes him as a top-six centre. He is very close to becoming a true top line centre as well. With 78 points, Blake Wheeler had the best season of his career. He is most likely to take over the captaincy with Ladd gone. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck got some time in the net. He was the Jets best goalie last year, providing more hope for the future. Last year’s top prospect, Nikolaj Ehlers, had a solid first season in the NHL, especially since he was still a teenager at the start of the year. Following the season, the Jets got great news when they moved up to second overall in the NHL Draft.
2016 Draft Picks: Patrik Laine, Logan Stanley, Luke Green, Jacob Cederholm, Jordan Stallard, Mikhail Berdin
Graduates: Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp, Michael Hutchinson, Ben Chiarot
Winnipeg Jets Prospects Scouting Reports
Top Prospect: Patrik Laine
The second overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Laine is not only the Jets top prospect; he is one of the top prospects in hockey period. As we had an extensive pre-draft scouting report, and no meaningful games have been played since the draft, I will not be re-writing it. If you wish to read the pre-draft report, you can do so here.
#2 Prospect: Kyle Connor
Centre/Left Wing — shoots Left
Born Dec 9 1996 — Shelby Township, MI
Height 6’1 — Weight 177 lbs [185 cm / 80 kg]
Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1, 17th overall at the 2015 NHL Draft