The Winnipeg Jets are in a strange position right now.

Trade rumors have dogged the team the past few years, and that won’t stop heading into the regular season. While it seems unlikely they’ll move Connor Hellebuyck or Mark Scheifele anytime soon, the whispers won’t go away until changes are made.

They’ve been a mid-pack team for a while now, so they haven’t been able to stock up on any high-end assets. They’re struggling for defensive depth, they don’t have an heir apparent to Hellebuyck, and their pool isn’t that deep.

With a middle-of-the-pack pipeline, they don’t have many enticing trade chips if needed. But they do have some solid scorers that could give them team some help in a couple of years. Plus, blueliner Ville Heinola should still have some decent trade value, with the expectation that he’ll be moved soon rather than later, too.

Biggest Strength

Goal-scoring won’t be an issue if a few of the bigger names here can crack the NHL. Colby Barlow, the team’s first pick in 2023, nearly hit the 50 mark this year. Chaz Lucius, Brad Lambert and Dmitri Rashevsky are more than capable of putting pucks in the net, too. Consistency issues is a theme with this crop, but there are some intriguing pieces, nonetheless.

Biggest Weakness

I’d be worried about the future of the team’s blueline if I was a Jets fan. With Heinola and Logan Stanley wanting out, that knocks off two of the team’s top young defenders. Elias Salomonsson is fine, but he doesn’t project to be much better than a No. 4 defenseman. They’re going to need to start investing in defensive depth sooner rather than later, and the 2024 NHL Draft is a good starting point.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Colby Barlow (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Grade: B-

1. Colby Barlow, LW, 18 (Owen Sound, OHL)

Drafted: No. 18, first round in 2023

One of the few players to come close to hitting the 50-goal mark this season, Barlow has scored at all levels and is as confident as anyone handling the puck. There’s room for his all-around game to grow, but scoring clearly isn’t an issue. He was banged up during the OHL playoffs but had a decent showing at the U-18s to finish off the season. Barlow is a team-first player and should have no issue becoming a fan favorite once he eventually makes it up to the NHL. He has a chance to be a big contributor on the world junior team later this year, and 50 goals should be easily achievable over the OHL regular season.

2. Rutger McGroarty, RW/LW, 19 (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 14, first round in 2022

McGroarty may have been overshadowed by Adam Fantilli as a freshman at Michigan last year, but McGroarty still managed to put up a point-per-game through 39 outings. The lethal scoring threat was more of a playmaker at the world juniors, which saw him win bronze. He had a nice showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this month, and he should be a key contributor again this winter. With Fantilli moving on, more eyes will be on McGroarty to take a stand this year.

*Chaz Lucius (Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)*

3. Chaz Lucius, C, 20 (Manitoba, AHL)

Drafted: No. 18, first round in 2021

It was a roller coaster of a season for Lucius, who helped USA win bronze with a hat-trick in a wild 8-7 overtime winner at the 2023 world juniors. He had five points in 12 AHL games with Manitoba before an injury sidelined in late November and he wouldn’t play again until the 2023 World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old center had 15 points in six games with the Winterhawks, recording at least two points in every outing before requiring shoulder surgery that knocked him out of play in early February. Injuries have hampered his game output over the past three years, but nobody can question his impact when he’s healthy. Hopefully, he can stay at full strength this season.

4. Brad Lambert, C/RW, 19 (Manitoba, AHL)

Drafted: No. 30, first round in 2022

Like Lucius, Lambert started the season with Manitoba before getting loaned out to the world juniors. He struggled with Finland and ultimately landed with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. He was a huge contributor en route to the team’s WHL championship and a spot in the Memorial Cup. Lambert was one of Winnipeg’s better players during the 2022 pre-season, earning him an entry-level contract, but consistency proved to be a problem in the AHL. There are big expectations for Lambert this coming year to prove he’s a top prospect.

5. Ville Heinola, D, 22 (Manitoba, AHL)

Drafted: No. 20, first round in 2019

Heinola had his first taste of NHL action just a few months after getting drafted, and he put up some good numbers right away. But consistency and finding opportunities were an issue. After four seasons, he hasn’t been able to crack the team full-time, and he thus requested a trade out of Winnipeg. That hasn’t happened yet, but a logjam could still prevent him from being an NHLer in 2023-24. Heinola is an active two-way defender who has an NHL toolkit, but it’s just not working in Winnipeg. He has nothing left to prove in Manitoba.

*Ville Heinola (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)*

6. Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, 22 (Dynamo Moskva, KHL)

Drafted: No. 146, fifth round in 2021

Rashevsky is like a bee, buzzing around the ice at all times. He has 73 points in 115 games over two years, good for 24th among all players and first among NHL prospects in that span. Rashevsky has an excellent shot with good hockey sense, but his skating is just OK at this point in his development. Rashevsky has two more years left on his deal with Moscow, and who knows if he’ll actually come over?

7. Nikita Chibrikov, LW, 20 (Spartak Moskva, KHL)

Drafted: No. 50, second round in 2021

With two points in 31 games last year, Chibrikov’s KHL numbers are nothing to write home about. He’s been an excellent scorer in the second-tier VHL over the past two years, which is a good sign for the 20-year-old. Chibrikov has a solid combination of speed and skill and can get quite creative. Building consistency is something he’ll need before he makes his mark on the NHL, but there’s enough raw talent to be intrigued.

8. Elias Salomonsson, D, 18 (Skellefteå AIK, SHL)

Drafted: No. 55, second round in 2022

Possessing one of the best slapshots in the team’s prospect pool (McGroarty has an excellent release, too), Salomonsson had an excellent showing with Sweden at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He spent last year with Skellefteå in the SHL, where his ice time fluctuated from two to 23 minutes a night. If you like power, Salomonsson’s game is full of it. He’ll return to the SHL and hopefully earn more consistent shifts while also being a big piece of Sweden’s world junior team.

*Domenic DiVincentiis (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)*

9. Domenic Divincentiis, G, 19 (North Bay, OHL)

Drafted: No. 207, seventh round in 2022

Divincentiis had a huge season in the OHL, winning goaltender of the year after leading the league with five shutouts. He also finished on the OHL’s first all-star team and the CHL’s second all-star team, thanks to a 36-9-2 record. At 6-foot-2, Divincentiis is just slightly below average, but he makes up for it with his quickness and ability to find shots through screens. He could be a nice seventh-round pickup when all is said and done.

10. Thomas Milic, G, 20 (Seattle, WHL)

Drafted: No. 151, fifth round in 2023

Milic was one of the best goaltenders in the CHL this year, posting a 43-6-1 record between the WHL regular season and playoffs. He also had a 5-0-0 run with a .932 save percentage at the world juniors and was outstanding during the Memorial Cup. Milic stands at just six-foot, which is undersized by NHL standards, and that’s why he was passed over twice. It’ll be interesting to see where he fits into the Jets’ system this year.

Other notables: Dmitry Kuzmin, D (20), Danny Zhilkin, C (19), Connor Levis, RW (19), Simon Lundmark, D (22), Parker Ford, C (23), Fabian Wagner, C (19), Artemi Kniazev, D (22), Zach Nehring, RW (18), Harrison Blaisdell, C (22), Jacob Julien, C (18), Austin Wong, RW (22), Garrett Brown, D (19), Anton Johannesson, D (21)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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