Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#13: Winnipeg Jets

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 25

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 3

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 2

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 112th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Colby Barlow (29th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Alfons Freij (43rd)

System Score: 4

If the success of an organization's drafting ability is measured by the NHL players they are able to find beyond the first two rounds of the NHL draft, then the Winnipeg Jets have been among the league's best since moving from Atlanta prior to the 2011 season. The list of mid- and late-draft NHL regulars that the Jets have found is long and sometimes illustrious, including: Adam Lowry (67th overall in 2011, 707 NHL games played), Connor Hellebuyck (130th in 2012, 509 NHL games) and Andrew Copp (104th in 2013, 649 NHL games). Of course, Winnipeg has found success in the first two rounds, as well. The Jets drafted Cole Perfetti 10th overall in 2020 and he has quickly become a productive regular in the Jets lineup with 79 points in 145 games over the last couple of seasons. The last couple of drafts have seen the Jets with fewer than normal picks, but they have had a string of first and second round selections--and a few from later rounds, as well--who are waiting for their chances to crack the big league lineup.

The Top of The Pool:

Colby Barlow, drafted 18th overall by the Jets in 2023, has an NHL-ready shot and the willingness to muck around in the high-danger areas around the crease. He excels in finding loose rebounds and getting them immediately back on net, but he has the kind of hard, accurate wrist shot that can beat goaltenders from the dots, too. He also employs a big one-timer slapshot and is a danger to score from anywhere in the offensive zone, at least in juniors. As he moves up through the hockey levels, he will need to rely more on his size (6'1, 194 pounds) to force his way into the slot and get the greasy goals. Barlow is off to a slow start with his new Oshawa team in the OHL, but he should soon get back on track and prepare himself for his first professional season next year. 

Next up in the forwards pipeline are Chaz Lucius and Braden Yager, two players who are essentially even on the Hockey Prophets top forward prospects rankings (36th and 39th, respectively) and both are true NHL prospects.

Lucius was drafted 18th overall in the 2021 draft, and like Barlow, Lucius' main NHL attribute is his ability to put the puck in the net. He has an excellent release and one-touch timing. Lucius (a player that Hockey Prophets had ranked at 9th overall for the 2021 draft) has unfortunately seen his development limited by injuries that have cut short each of the last few seasons. In fact, Lucius has played in only 79 hockey games since the end of the summer of 2020. He had major surgery to repair his ankle last year, but looks to be finally healthy after a lengthy rehabilitation process. He has gotten back into the action with the AHL's Manitoba Moose early this season and if he can stay healthy, the 21-year-old center could see his first NHL action at some point this season.

Yager was acquired by the Jets over the summer after Winnipeg's 14th overall pick in 2022, Rutger McGroarty, demand a trade and was sent to Pittsburgh. Yager--drafted 14th overall in 2023 by the Penguins--is an offensive dynamo and a player that drives play into the offensive zone shift after shift. He is the kind of player that can make an impact anywhere on the ice, and although he may not be a true speedster on his skates, he finds all the little open spaces on the ice, and he takes advantage of his intuitive hockey intelligence to anticipate and capitalize on gaps in the opponents' coverage. He is a naturally gifted hockey player who is a lot of fun to watch, and Jets fans will be on their feet watching some of his dazzling attacks at the net.

The top defenseman in Winnipeg's system is newly drafted Swedish blueliner Alfons Freij, a smooth-skating two-way defender with plenty of offensive potential. Freij was drafted 37th overall in the 2024 draft (he was ranked 30th by Hockey Prophets) after a season that saw him as the second-leading U18 scorer in Sweden's junior league (behind only teammate Leo Sahlin Wallenius). Freij brings effortless-looking skating in all directions and sound positional awareness to his defensive play, giving him an ability to close off attacking lanes from even the fast, agile forwards. Going up ice, Freij looks comfortable carrying the puck through transition, and is a good puck mover either on the move or once established in the offensive zone. He has good potential to become a quality two-way NHL blueliner who should see powerplay time, as well. 

Ville Heinola is Finnish defenseman in the Jets system, but he can barely be considered a prospect at this point with 35 NHL games played. Heinola is more of an offensive defender, but he still makes smart, safe decisions in his own end. With 102 points in 152 AHL games over the past four seasons, Heinola has proved that he can score on North American ice, and he has scored 11 points in 35 spot-duty NHL games so far. Although he is currently recovering from ankle surgery, he should be ready by late November and will have a shot at becoming a full-time NHL player shortly thereafter.

The Jets have plenty of talented prospects beyond those top five. Brad Lambert has blistering speed and elite prospect talent and upside, but has shown decision-making and effort issues in the past. If he can pull back on the individual play and allow himself to become a piece of a coherent team whole, he could be a superstar, but that is a big goal to reach for. Nikita Chibrikov played his first season in North America last year, and put up a respectable 47 points in 70 AHL games. Chibrikov is constantly on the move and another player who regularly drives the game into the offensive zone. Further down the current list is Kevin He, a fourth-round pick from last year's draft who is currently leading the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs with 18 points in this season's first 9 games. He is looking more and more like a true NHLer with incredible work ethic, well-rounded skill set and a knack for getting on the scoreboard.

The Jets system is loaded, and although their prospect pool may not be at the top of the system rankings, they are definitely well stocked with future talent.

Return to the Team System Rankings

Below is the full list of the Winnipeg Jets' ranked prospects.

Top Forwards 

Top Defensemen