Winnipeg Jets 2017 Season Preview: Draft Utopia

Winnipeg Jets 2017 Season Preview

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba needs to be the leader of this defense. His leadership will determine how far the Jets go.

Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 9/8/2017.

Winnipeg Jets Line 1 Forwards

Player	Position	Games Played	Height	Weight	Goals	Assists	Points
Nikolaj Ehlers	Left Wing	82	6-foot-0-inches	176-pounds	25	39	64
Mark Scheifele	Center	79	6-foot-3-inches	207-pounds	32	50	82
Blake Wheeler	Right Wing	82	6-foot-5-inches	225-pounds	26	48	74

Winnipeg Jets Line 2 Forwards

Player	Position	Games Played	Height	Weight	Goals	Assists	Points
Mathieu Perreault	Left Wing	65	5-foot-10-inches	188-pounds	13	32	45
Bryan Little	Center	59	6-foot-0-inches	191-pounds	21	26	47
Patrik Laine	Right Wing	73	6-foot-5-inches	206-pounds	36	28	64

Winnipeg Jets Line 3 Forwards

Player	Position	Games Played	Height	Weight	Goals	Assists	Points
Shawn Matthias	Left Wing	45	6-foot-4-inches	231-pounds	8	4	12
Adam Lowry	Center	82	6-foot-5-inches	207-pounds	15	14	29
Joel Armia	Right Wing	57	6-foot-3-inches	205-pounds	10	9	19

Winnipeg Jets Line 4 Forwards

Player	Position	Games Played	Height	Weight	Goals	Assists	Points
Andrew Copp	Left Wing	64	6-foot-1-inches	206-pounds	9	8	17
Marko Dano	Center	38	5-foot-11-inches	212-pounds	4	7	11
Kyle Connor	Right Wing	81	6-foot-1-inches	182-pounds	2	3	5

Winnipeg Jets Forwards Review: Winnipeg has four quality lines of forwards. The first line is an elite line of forwards that can take off and get goals at any point. The second line is excellent as well. The third line is a quality line. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg's 2015 first round pick will make his debut on the fourth line after winning rookie of the year in Manitoba.

Winnipeg ranked 7th in goals scored and 18th on the power play in 2016-2017. The potential for Winnipeg to be a top 10 unit in both goals scored and power play goals is there though.

Winnipeg Jets Defensive Lines

Player	Line	Games Played	Height	Weight	Goals	Assists	Points
Dustin Byfuglien	Line 1	80	6-foot-5-inches	260-pounds	13	39	52
Jacob Trouba	Line 1	60	6-foot-3-inches	202-pounds	8	25	33
Josh Morrissey	Line 2	82	6-foot-0-inches	195-pounds	6	14	20
Toby Enstrom	Line 2	60	5-foot-10-inches	180-pounds	1	13	14
Tyler Myers	Line 3	11	6-foot-8-inches	229-pounds	2	3	5
Dmitry Kulikov	Line 3	47	6-foot-1-inches	204-pounds	2	3	5

Winnipeg Jets Defensemen Review Winnipeg has a great defense when their defense is healthy. I think the Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba tandem is deadly. You also got a young and emerging Joshua Morrissey. Then you got Toby Enstrom, Tyler Myers, and Dmitry Kulikov. This defense has talent. Enstrom, Myers, and Kulikov have to stay healthy in order for Winnipeg to have a shot though.

Winnipeg was 27th in goals allowed and 26th in penalty killing in 2016-2017. The defense was the issue last year. I only trust Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba. Those guys may get rotated on different lines. We could see Tyler Myers back on the first line. I like all 6 of these defenders when healthy, but one single injury on the blue line and Winnipeg can kiss their playoff dreams goodbye.

Draft Utopia Between The Pipes Goalie Tracker

Starting Goalie

Player	Team	Games Played	Record	Shutouts	Save Percentage	Goals Against Average
Steve Mason	Winnipeg Jets	54	26-21-8	3 Shutouts	.908	2.66 GAA

Backup Goalie

Player	Team	Games Played	Record	Shutouts	Save Percentage	Goals Against Average
Connor Hellebuyck	Winnipeg Jets	53	26-19-4	4 Shutouts	.907	2.89 GAA

Winnipeg Jets Goaltender Review Steve Mason and Connor Hellbuyck ar quality goalies. I think the Jets have the goalies to put up a team that will contend.

Winnipeg Jets Prospect Pool: Winnipeg is already stacked with defensemen in the AHL as well as the NHL. The Jets' reloaded with offensive prospects in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Then the Jets right winger Jack Roslovic with their second first round pick. Roslovic played next to 2016 NHL Draft prospects Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews.

Winnipeg aced their first round and did more of the same in rounds 2-7 when they got Jansen Harkins at 47 in the second round, who I mocked to the Jets at 17. Then Winnipeg got Erik Foley at left wing in third round. Michael Spacek was a 3rd-4th round center prospect that was projected to go in the top 100 and the Jets' got him at 117. Mason Appleton was a 4th-6th round pick, and Winnipeg got the fifth round prospect in the sixth round by drafting a third center.

Winnipeg wrapped up their brilliant 2015 NHL Draft with two seven round steals in Sami Niku and Matteo Gennaro who were both 2nd-3rd round picks. It is amazing that Winnipeg got players with that much upside this late in the draft.

Winnipeg has Logan Stanley from the 2016 NHL Draft on defense. That has to give them a lot of optimism.

Winnipeg has one of the deepest prospect pools. That has to give Jets' fans a lot of hope moving forward.

Winnipeg Jets 2017-2018 Prediction

The Winnipeg Jets have the talent to be a playoff team if everyone is healthy. Being in the same division as Chicago, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, and St. Louis when only five of those teams can make the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs makes the Winnipeg Jets a tough sell. I'm honestly really torn on this team since the talent is there if they stay healthy, but the strength of their opponents within the Central Division says otherwise.