What a weird time it is to be a Winnipeg Jets fan. <\/p>\n
Two years ago, the club led the league with 116 points, taking home the Presidents\u2019 Trophy for the first time. They eventually lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but most expected them to bounce back in 2025-26. But, quickly, everything went wrong. Nikolaj Ehlers left via free agency, and none of the UFA additions \u2013 Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke \u2013 could come near filling the gap. The Jets found themselves near the bottom of the standings and were one of the first teams eliminated from playoff contention.<\/p>\n
Compared to many other teams that finished around them in the standings, the Jets lack prospect depth. But they\u2019re not in a rebuild, so it\u2019s understandable. Landing Viggo Bj\u00f6rck at No. 8 was a huge get for the club, and he should play an impact role right out of the gate. Beyond that, though, there aren\u2019t a ton of prospects worth getting too excited about for Winnipeg. There\u2019s a couple of decent defenders who might play third-line role, and maybe a couple of energy forwards throughout. But that\u2019s about it. This is about as mid of a pipeline you\u2019ll find, especially once Bj\u00f6rck ends up becoming a full-timer.<\/p>\n
Biggest Strength<\/p>\n
While I think some of the shine has worn off a bit on some guys, Winnipeg does have solid offensive depth. Bj\u00f6rck is the shining star, no question about it. Brayden Yager might still be a solid middle-six option who shouldn\u2019t be too far away from contributing. I\u2019m less convinced about guys like Brad Lambert (trade bait?), Nikita Chibrikov and Colby Barlow, but they all have their strengths. Ideally, they end up developing into decent bottom-six threats and you build from there.<\/p>\n
Biggest Weakness<\/p>\n
While two defenders appear on this list, I really don\u2019t like the lack of depth on the blueline. Elias Salomonsson is more of a shutdown guy, while I\u2019m not fully convinced Sascha Boumedienne\u2019s game is rounded enough (yet). Beyond that, there\u2019s nobody that really intrigues me in the system. It was going to be tough to pass on Bj\u00f6rck (who some scouts thought was the best center in the draft), but a defenseman like Keaton Verhoeff would have probably been more impactful to the team\u2019s biggest need right now.<\/p>\n
Fast Facts:<\/p>\n
NHL GM:\u00a0Kevin Cheveldayoff
Dir. of Amateur Scouting:\u00a0Mark Hillier
Dir. of Player Development:\u00a0Jimmy Roy
AHL\u00a0Affiliate:\u00a0Manitoba Moose
ECHL Affiliate:\u00a0Bloomington Bison
Recent NHL Graduates:\u00a0N\/A<\/p>\n
TOP 10 PROSPECTS<\/p>\n
![\"Viggo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786980969_971_image.webp\"\/)
Viggo Bjorck<\/p>\n
1. Viggo Bj\u00f6rck, C, 18 (Winnipeg Jets)<\/p>\n
Acquired: Drafted eighth overall, first round in 2026<\/p>\n
Bj\u00f6rck could definitely be in the NHL this fall \u2013 his Swedish club seems to think so, too. definitely lacks the size teams crave in a center. The small, but fearless center is so fascinating; nobody seems to know how to contain him. At the World Championship, we saw him win battles against guys like Stanley Cup champion Ryan O\u2019Reilly (6-foot-1, 216 pounds), David Tomasek (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and even 6-foot-8 monster Malte Setkov. It\u2019s like watching a younger Zach Benson. Bj\u00f6rck\u2019s shot is incredibly deceptive, especially on the power play. He doesn\u2019t give you much to work with if you\u2019re a goalie \u2013 and it\u2019s because he doesn\u2019t need to. Bj\u00f6rck is quick, accurate and always in a dangerous spot, and there\u2019s legitimate No. 1 center potential here. Bj\u00f6rck is easily the most exciting prospect Winnipeg has had in a long time.<\/p>\n
2. Elias Salomonsson, RHD, 21 (Winnipeg Jets)<\/p>\n
Acquired: Drafted 55th overall, second round in 2022<\/p>\n
Salomonsson made his NHL debut last season, registering five points in 32 NHL games. He spent more time in the NHL than the AHL, bouncing between the two levels during different stretches. While he\u2019s not offensively gifted by any means, he\u2019s defensively sound and can shut opponents down. Salomonsson does a good job of making sure he doesn\u2019t get hit, and he\u2019s an excellent skater, too. I think we\u2019re talking about more of a shutdown defender in the NHL, but one who should have a good, long career getting in the way and being annoying to play against. It\u2019s time for him to secure that full-time gig.<\/p>\n
3. Brayden Yager, C, 21 (Manitoba Moose, AHL)<\/p>\n
Acquired: Traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> in 2024<\/p>\n Credit: Brayden Yager (James Carey Lauder\/Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Brayden Yager (James Carey Lauder\/Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Yager was once one of the most exciting junior hockey prospects, so I was interested to see how he\u2019d adjust to the pro game. The Moose weren\u2019t a dangerous offensive team, so while 30 points might not seem like a lot, he was first among all \u201cprospects\u201d this past year. Yager is a stout two-way threat who, when he\u2019s not putting pucks on net, can get back and defend until he has nothing left to offer. He\u2019s not overly physical, but he puts a ton of muscle behind his shot. I think we\u2019re talking about a middle-six forward who can play a variety of roles at the next level \u2013 power play and penalty kill, included. Look for Yager to get a boost from his three-game NHL run this past year.<\/p>\n 4. Brad Lambert, C, 22 (Winnipeg Jets)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 30th overall, first round in 2022<\/p>\n After requesting a trade early in 2025-26, many expected Lambert to get a fresh start at the trade deadline. That never happened, and he ultimately finished with underwhelming numbers in both the NHL and AHL. In Winnipeg, it felt like he was never really given the ice time needed to thrive. In Manitoba, nothing seemed to click, and we\u2019ve seen his point-per-game production fall steadily since his promising 21-goal, 55-point AHL rookie campaign in 2023-24. The real draw here is still the skating, and his shot is still high-end for this pipeline. I\u2019m just not sure what type of role he\u2019ll be able to fill in the NHL \u2013\u00a0and I doubt it\u2019ll be in Winnipeg when it\u2019s all said and done. I\u2019m still a believer, but I think a fresh start is desperately needed.<\/p>\n 5. Sascha Boumedienne, LHD, 19 (Ohio State University, NCAA)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 28th overall, first round in 2025<\/p>\n Boumedienne saw a slight fall in production at Boston University, which wasn\u2019t entirely surprising given the team was lousy to begin with. I thought he was just fine at the World Juniors, but it was nice to see him make some smart plays with the men\u2019s team in the lead up to the World Championship (he was cut prior to the main event). Boumedienne is an offensive defender who plays with speed and a big reach. I\u2019m not convinced he\u2019s strong enough in his own zone to establish himself as a sure-fire NHL prospect, but there\u2019s definitely enough raw talent here to make him interesting. Boumedienne is set to join Ohio State this year, where he\u2019s expected to play north of 20 minutes a night. He\u2019s also expected to have a huge role for Sweden\u2019s World Junior team as they look to repeat as champions. If all goes well, maybe we\u2019ll see Boumedienne playing big minutes with Manitoba in 2027-28.<\/p>\n 6. Kieron Walton, C, 20 (Manitoba Moose, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 187th overall, sixth round in 2024<\/p>\n Credit: Kieron Walton (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Kieron Walton (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Walton had one of the most exciting Draft+1 glow-ups we\u2019ve seen in recent memory, going from 43 points in Sudbury in 2023-24 to 38 goals and 92 points the following year. Walton was one of Peterborough\u2019s most consistent players, and had a monster playoff run against North Bay before ultimately falling short in the end. He\u2019s such a unique prospect given the skill he plays with as a 6-foot-6 forward. While he\u2019s capable of knocking guys down, that\u2019s not really his game. Walton doesn\u2019t drive through opponents with pure force, but prefers to get himself open and fire shots. The Jets will want him to harness his size a bit more to become more impactful at the pro game, but there\u2019s still a lot to like about his development.<\/p>\n 7. Nikita Chibrikov, LW, 23 (Manitoba Moose, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 50th overall, second round in 2021<\/p>\n Chibrikov saw his biggest NHL action to date this past year \u2013 an 11-game push, including three games to close out the year. Chibrikov has never been offensively gifted, which explains the lack of production this past year. He had 47 points in his 2023-24 AHL rookie season, but has managed just 34 in the two years since. What we have seen, though, is a winger who\u2019s willing to engage physically in a way few other Jets prospects are. He\u2019s mean for a dude standing at 5-foot-10, and he doesn\u2019t seem to be afraid of anyone. I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s more than a AAA guy moving forward, though; the play-driving just isn\u2019t there. But could he become a full-time checking-line winger? I hope so.<\/p>\n 8. Colby Barlow, LW, 21 (Manitoba Moose, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 18th overall, first round in 2023<\/p>\n It always felt like Barlow was a bit of a boom-or-bust player who was going to need to figure out a stronger B-game if he wasn\u2019t going to find a way to be more dangerous at 5-on-5. Unfortunately, his AHL rookie season left a lot to be desired, with the winger registering just eight goals and 16 points in 65 games. This is a guy who was always known for scoring goals \u2013\u00a0he never had fewer than 30 during his four-year OHL career. But it felt like he simply didn\u2019t have the pace to exploit open space in the AHL like he did in junior. I think he could still establish himself as a physical power forward, but I\u2019m far less convinced than I once was.<\/p>\n 9. Samuel Hrenak, G, 18 (Fargo Force, USHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 71st overall, third round in 2026)<\/p>\n Credit: Steven Ellis<\/p>\n Samuel Hrenak (Steven Ellis\/The Nation Network)<\/p>\n Hrenak\u2019s draft stock skyrocketed at the U-18s. where he posted a 4-1-0 record with a. 925 save percentage and just eight goals allowed through five games. It came after an impressive 7-1-1 run in Fargo, where he\u2019s set to return this fall. The 6-foot-3 goalie is technically sound with good reflexes and play reads. He never seems to give up on a scoring chance and moves quick enough to get where he needs to be. Rebound control is still a work in progress, but in terms of roundedness, there weren\u2019t many better goaltenders in this draft, from what I\u2019ve seen.<\/p>\n 10. Alfons Freij, LHD, 20, (Manitoba Moose, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 37th overall, second round in 2024<\/p>\n Freij made some serious noise at the World Juniors, registering seven points in seven games to finish as one of the best defenders at that tournament. It had to be great for his confidence, given he hadn\u2019t produced much in the SHL up until that time. I\u2019ve always liked his offensive game, and while six goals and 11 points might not seem like a ton in a 42-game season, he still finished second among U-20 defenders in scoring. Freij is a remarkable skater who comes at you at full speed. That mobility allows him to get back after a rush to help try and mitigate any disasters in his own zone. It feels like he doesn\u2019t distribute the puck as effectively as he should and his defensive game lacks a bit to make me really convinced he\u2019ll be an NHLer. But for now, I\u2019m still happy with his development.<\/p>\n Other Prospects: Jacob Julien, C (21), Fabian Wagner, C (22), Danil Zhilkin, C (22), Landon Hafele, C (18), Owen Martin, C (19), Markus Loponen, C (20), Kevin He, LW (20), Zach Wooten, LW (20), Viktor Klingsell, RW (19), Jacob Cloutier, RW (19), Zach Nehring, RW (21), Connor Levis, RW (21), Alexandre Taillefer, LHD (18), Noa Ta\u2019amu, LHD (18), Garrett Brown, RHD (22), Edison Engle, LHD (19), Domenic DiVincentiis, G (22), Thomas Milic, G (23), John Parsons, G (20)<\/p>\n PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n![\"Brayden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786980969_46_image.webp\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Kieron](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786980970_825_image.webp\"\/)
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