With the fifth-youngest roster in the NHL and 10 full-time players under the age of 25 on the roster (plus another in Jack Roslovic who’s earned NHL time with Mark Scheifele out of the lineup), you would excuse the Jets if they had a depleted farm system at the moment. But on the contrary, with the immediate future looking so bright that a Stanley Cup window may be opening, the long-term outlook is still full of youngsters who look like they could crack this lineup one day.
In this month’s prospect report, we’re taking their pedigree, 2017-18 production and how far off from the NHL they are into account.
Of note: For this month, since Roslovic and Tucker Poolman are in the NHL, we’re not considering them prospects for now. If they were in the AHL still, both would crack this list.
[snippet id=3700369]
Kristian Vesalainen, 18, RW, HPK
Drafted: First round, 24th overall, 2017
Season To Date: 37 GP | 15 G | 19 A | 34 P | +2
Through most of his career, Vesalainen posted good numbers against his peers, but couldn’t up his game to another level against older competition. However, he has great strength and size on his six-foot-three, 203-pound frame and it seemed only a matter of time before his production would catch up at higher levels.
Vesalainen spent time with three different teams last season, but has settled into a significant role with HPK in Finland’s top league, where he’s been on fire since returning from the world juniors. He had 14 points in 10 January games and is now second on his team with 34 points in 37 games. His. 0.92 points per game rate is eighth in the Finnish league.
Mason Appleton, 22, F, Manitoba Moose
Drafted: Sixth round, 168th overall, 2015
Season to Date: 45 GP | 16 G | 27 A | 43 P | +17
The best story in Winnipeg’s pipeline keeps getting better. With Roslovic up with the NHL club, Appleton has not only taken the team scoring lead for the Moose, but he’s tied for the scoring lead in all of the AHL as a rookie. Fresh off leading Michigan State in scoring as a sophomore last season, Appleton continues to take big steps in his development. If the Jets get unlucky and more injuries hit the forward corps, Appleton isn’t far off from a call-up. He’s earned the look.
[snippet ID=3322139]
Sami Niku, 21, D, Manitoba Moose
Drafted: Seventh round, 198th overall, 2015
Season to Date: 45 GP | 8 G | 22 A | 30 P | +4
One day we might look back on the 2015 draft as a crucial one for the Jets. Two players the Jets picked that year are with the team now, another two (Appleton and Niku) are on this list, and a third in Michal Spacek is also having a good first pro season. As a seventh-rounder, Niku was always a long shot, so the fact he’s fourth among all AHL defencemen in scoring and first among all rookies at the position is phenomenal. His style is exactly the kind that excels in the NHL today: a six-foot blue-liner who can skate and move the puck well.
Eric Comrie, 22, G, Manitoba Moose
Drafted: Second round, 59th overall, 2013
Season to Date: 22 GP | 14-7-1 | 2.62 GAA | .917 SP
Comrie likely won’t match his total of 51 games played from last season because Michael Hutchinson has been the better of the two in split duty, but with the latter in the NHL as Steve Mason misses time with a concussion, Comrie will be leaned on in Manitoba. Still a long-term prospect with Mason signed, the Jets just want to see improvement from the goalie, and they’re getting it. His save percentage has jumped 11 points this season as the team around him has vastly improved.
Logan Stanley, 19, D, Kitchener Rangers
Drafted: First round, 18th overall, 2016
Season to Date: 47 GP | 13 G | 22 A | 35 P | +7
After winning a Mastercard Memorial Cup with Windsor last season, Stanley was shipped from the now-rebuilding junior team to Kitchener, where he could take another run at major junior’s top prize. At six-foot-seven and 231 pounds, Stanley should be expected to dominate the junior ranks physically, but his skating is what could prove a challenge at higher levels. This will be put to the test next season, when he should make the jump to the AHL.
REASON FOR OPTIMISM
Mikhail Berdin, 19, G, Sioux Falls Stampede
Drafted: Sixth round, 157th overall, 2016
Season to Date: 25 GP | 14-6-1 | 2.56 GAA | .925 SP
If Comrie doesn’t pan out in net, the Jets have another hot goalie prospect nipping at his heels. Berdin faces a heavy workload in the USHL, where he’s faced the fourth-most shots in the league but has the fourth-best save percentage. He made it to Russia’s world junior team, but never saw a minute in net. You’ve probably seen Berdin this season, though. He’s the goalie who scored a goal in November of this season, and had an epic celebration.
Winnipeg Jets' goalie prospect Mikhail Berdin scores an empty-net goal and does a legendary celebration pic.twitter.com/d4xUJKuIkX
— Gino Hard (@Ginohard_) November 19, 2017
[relatedlinks]
