As training camps around the NHL get set to open on September 16th/17th, the veterans are already back in their home cities and the prospects are getting their own stage this weekend. For the Winnipeg Jets, that means a trip east for a tournament hosted by the Ottawa Senators in Gatineau, Quebec, where the field also includes the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.
Each team will play twice, and Winnipeg’s roster has been shaped by the reality of who is and isn’t eligible. With players such as Sascha Boumedienne and Edison Engle headed back to the NCAA this season, they’re not available for the tournament. The same goes for names like Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Danny Zhilkin, whose time in these prospect events appears to be over.
That still leaves the Jets with a group worth watching. Viggo Bjorck, a recent top 10 overall pick, gets his first crack at making an impression on the True North fan base.
He should have some help up front too, with Kevin He and Kieron Walton bringing added intrigue after finishing their junior careers and moving toward the Manitoba Moose. Colby Barlow, whose first pro season didn’t go as planned, could be a name to watch if the deployment is right.
Lucas Wahlin, meanwhile, looks like the “ veteran ” of the group and earned that spot after what he showed last season with the Moose.
The bottom six has a heavier, more grinding feel. Jacob Julien, Owen Martin, and Jacob Cloutier bring that kind of style, while the rest of the forwards are undrafted junior players or ECHL pro Sedley, who could still work his way into a Manitoba contract down the line.
On defense, Winnipeg doesn’t have a ton of depth, but there are some real prospects in the mix. Newly drafted Noa Ta’amu and Alexandre Taillefer add to that group, while Alfons Freij and Garrett Brown should anchor the back end.
Freij and Brown both made their AHL debuts late last season and will be asked to handle the top pairing against Montreal and Toronto’s prospects. Lukas Gustafsson, who joined the Moose as an undrafted free agent, and Evan Nause, who is set to join Manitoba’s blue line this season, are also worth keeping tabs on.
In goal, the Jets are missing Dominic DiVincentiis and Thomas Milic, both of whom have aged out. Winnipeg will instead turn to Manitoba’s third goalie Alex Worthington and recently drafted Samuel Hrenak.
There’s also a larger story hanging over the organization. As of Tuesday, Connor Hellebuyck had not been seen at any of the informal practices in Winnipeg, which has fueled plenty of speculation about a possible holdout. It would still be premature to make a hard call on that with more than a week left before camp opens, but the situation is clearly worth watching.
The idea of a holdout raises questions, though not necessarily the ones people might expect. It may not increase pressure on GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to move the veteran goalie; it could actually shrink the kind of return Winnipeg gets.
The sense here is that Cheveldayoff would not simply walk away from the situation at a loss, and the only immediate cost would be money. As for whether it would create more friction in the room, Hellebuyck already saying that he doesn’t think his teammates are good enough to win a Cup makes that part of the conversation feel less dramatic than it might otherwise.
For now, the one concrete development is that TSN is reporting Winnipeg and Buffalo have recently re-engaged in talks about the three-time Vezina Trophy winner. That at least gives the situation a little more substance after a stretch of speculation.
If nothing happens before camp, the likely next step is a standoff for a while longer. Eventually, Bucky and his agent may have to accept that the trade deadline or next summer offers the best path out of Winnipeg. Until then, the hope would be that he reports and plays at his best, as any professional athlete should.
In Other News...
Jets Face One Big Connor Hellebuyck Decision Despite Trade Noise
Connor Hellebuycks situation has put the Jets in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, with the veteran goalie suddenly at the center of trade chatter even though his contract gives Winnipeg plenty of protection. The team is not obligated to move him, and for all the noise around the league, the real question is less about whether there is interest than how long this standoff can linger before it starts affecting everyone involved.
Hellebuycks leverage is limited to the kind of pressure that comes with a public request and the possibility of digging in if nothing changes, which leaves the Jets to weigh patience against the risk of a messy ending. For a team trying to sort out its direction, the decision is not just about value on the open market, but whether keeping one of its most important players becomes the easier path than trying to satisfy a trade request on their own terms. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Prospect Pipeline Gets One More Step Before Camp Opens
Before the first skates of camp begin, a few Jets prospects got one more offseason checkpoint in Virginia, where the NHL and NHLPA brought young players together for their annual Player Orientation Program. The gathering is meant to ease the transition into pro hockey life, giving players a look at the off-ice responsibilities that come with the job before rookie, prospect and full training camps start up.
Winnipeg had four representatives at the event, with top prospect Viggo Bjrck among them, alongside Danny Zhilkin, Tyrel Bauer and Isaak Phillips. The leaguewide program puts as much emphasis on financial literacy and mental health as it does on hockey itself, a reminder that the next step in a players development is often about handling everything around the rink as much as what happens on it. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Camp Is Already Putting Familiar Names On The Spot
Informal skates ahead of training camp have already given Winnipeg a first look at where some familiar names stand, and the early read is that the roster picture is still very much in motion. Young prospects were mixed in with veterans during the workouts, giving the club a chance to gauge who is ready to push for bigger roles while the summer still has some distance left on it.
The larger storyline, though, is the uncertainty surrounding several players who have not yet locked in their next NHL stops, a situation that hangs over the camp calendar and keeps the temperature up on the depth chart. At the same time, one of the newer long-term pieces, Viggo Bjrck, turned enough heads in recent work against veteran competition to suggest he may be closer to NHL readiness than expected, which only adds another layer to what could become a crowded fall conversation. [Read more 🡒]