The AHL’s Manitoba Moose are having a rough season, sitting second-last in the league by points percentage. But don’t let their record fool you: the Winnipeg Jets have a bright future and a pretty strong group of prospects.
Also consider that 18-year-old Patrik Laine, 20-year-old Nikolaj Ehlers and 21-year-old Josh Morrissey are already playing full-time on the NHL club — these are the cornerstones of the future in Winnipeg, but since they’re already contributing at the highest level, we won’t include them in our prospect report.
Let’s take a closer look at some players who are also projected to be contributing for the Jets in the years to come and how they are doing this season.
AHL
Jack Roslovic, 19, C
Drafted: First round, 25th overall, 2015
Season to date: 44 GP | 9 G | 19 A | 28 P | -14
The 6-foot-1, 182-pounder leads the AHL Moose in scoring in his first as a pro after leaving Miami of Ohio. Roslovic’s 28 points don’t rank among the top 20 of AHL rookie scorers, but that’s partly because the Moose as a whole have struggled to score all season. What makes Roslovic’s rookie season a little extra special is that he’s switched from the wing to centre, which isn’t always an easy transition for a young player, especially in their first pro year.
Pascal Vincent, the head coach of the Moose, recently gave Roslovic’s skating ability a glowing review, comparing it to Ehlers.
“It feels like he skates faster with the puck than without the puck,” Vincent told the Winnipeg Sun. “And he’s got this ability to change direction, protect the puck and see plays and make plays under extreme pressure.”
It’s unlikely Roslovic will get a call-up this season, but he’ll be an interesting player to watch heading into camp next season.
Kyle Connor, 19, LW
Drafted: First round, 17th overall, 2015
Season to date: 32 GP | 8 G | 10 A | 18 P | -11
After a huge finish to his NCAA career last season, when he scored 35 goals and 71 points in 38 games for the University of Michigan, Connor came into his first pro year with high expectations. He even started the year with the NHL club and got in 19 games before he was demoted to the AHL. That couldn’t have been too surprising as the Jets already have a healthy collection of early-20s players on the NHL roster and Connor’s time on ice was falling considerably by mid-November — but Jets fans had to be hoping he would go on to be a significant scorer with the Moose.
In that sense, Connor’s rookie pro year has been fairly disappointing with just 18 points in 32 games, and the frequency with which he’s getting those points hasn’t increased as the season has gone on. This is a reminder of how the transition to the pro game isn’t smooth or immediate for everyone, but that doesn’t mean the player is on track to be a bust. Remember: Mark Scheifele was sent back to junior two years in a row before he finally stuck on the NHL roster.
Connor still has plenty of room (and time) to grow into his 6-foot-1, 177-pound frame — and when he does, his undeniable natural skill should still lead to him becoming a big-time offensive generator.
Scott Kosmachuk, 22, RW
Drafted: Third round, 70th overall, 2012
Season to date: 37 GP | 8 G | 11 A | 19 P | -2
Kosmachuk has slowed from his AHL scoring pace from last season, but he also missed roughly a month of games due to a lower-body injury. Still, he’s one of the top goal scorers on the Manitoba Moose and may even be leading the team had he stayed healthy.
At 6-foot, 192-pounds, Kosmachuk is an energy player but it’s looking less and less likely he’ll develop into a top-six forward at the NHL level.
Chase De Leo, 21, C
Drafted: Fourth round, 99th overall, 2014
Season to date: 46 GP | 11 G | 14 A | 25 P | -14
If the Jets call up a forward down the stretch, De Leo figures to be one of the favourites in consideration for a promotion.
It’s a little disappointing that De Leo hasn’t improved on his offensive production from last season — the 25 points in 46 games he’s scored this season are coming at the same rate as his 40-point season a year ago. Even still, he’s second on the Moose in points and goals as the team, just like last season, frustrates with its lack of finishing ability.
At just 21 years of age, there is still ample time for this fourth-round pick to round into form. For now, he is an all-situations type of player which would make him a valuable call-up if the Jets need him. But to develop into a top-six player at the NHL level, De Leo is going to need to break out on offence in the AHL first.
Eric Comrie, 20, G
Drafted: Second round, 59th overall, 2013
Season to date: 11-19-2 | .911 SP | 2.75 GAA | 2 SO
For now at least, the Jets appear committed to Connor Hellebuyck as their goaltender of the future and since he’s just 23 years old, his underwhelming 2016-17 likely won’t spell the end of his career in Winnipeg.
But, if the day does come where the organization loses faith in their current goalie of the future, they could have another one waiting in the wings. Eric Comrie is seeing an increased workload with the Moose this season and the fact they sit so low in the standings can’t be hung on the goalie. Defensive breakdowns and a serious lack of scoring have nullified the moments of brilliance that Comrie has showed.
Comrie sits 20th and 21st in the AHL in save percentage and goals-against average respectively, but is also fourth in the league in minutes played among goalies and shots faced. He’s improving his numbers and showing he’s capable of taking on more of a workload. Comrie could even start pushing Hellebuyck as early as next season if the NHL club doesn’t go out and add a veteran netminder either at the 2017 trade deadline, or over the summer.
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WHL
Michael Spacek, 19, C
Drafted: Fourth round, 108th overall, 2015
Season to date: 50 GP | 25 G | 45 A | 70 P | 0
A mid-round pick from not all that long ago, the 19-year-old has taken a nice step forward in his second year back in junior since being drafted. He’s already seven goals and 16 points past his scoring totals from last season — and he’s done it in 11 fewer games.
Spacek, who has represented his native Czech Republic at three world junior championships, will be an intriguing player to watch out for at camp next season, when he could go to the AHL having been drafted out of Europe and not major junior.
OHL
Logan Stanley, 18, D
Drafted: First round, 18th overall, 2016
Season to date: 35 GP | 4 G | 13 A | 17 P | +2
Drafted as a project, Stanley is a massive player at 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds — if Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien are still on Winnipeg’s blue line when Stanley is ready for the NHL, they would make a towering trio.
Stanley is scoring points at nearly double the pace he was in his draft year, but make no mistake: This guy wasn’t drafted to be a power-play specialist. Stanley is a powerful defenceman who still needs to learn to better position himself before he’s ready to compete at higher levels.
“It’s going to take some years before he’s an NHL defencemen,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said when Stanley was sent back to junior in October. “Learning all the small things about how to position your body, how to roll off a hit, how to extend your stick, all those things – those training camp conversations are very important.”
