Jets 30-in-30: The Young Stars
Tonight the Jets open up the annual Penticton prospects tournament against those of the Calgary Flames. The group skated yesterday morning at the MTS IcePlex before flying out at 6 pm to the Okanagon. Who are these players and what do they mean to the Jets?
The Forwards- who to watch
Nik Ehlers is one of the best prospects currently not playing in the NHL. He had 100 points in 51 games for the Halifax Mooseheads last season. It is assumed that Ehlers has to play himself out of a spot on the Jets roster and this morning on TSN 1290 Ed Tait suggested that Ehler may even be slotted in with Ladd and Little on the top line based on what he has heard.
Nic Petan is coming out of the WHL and slated to begin his pro career either on the Jets but more likely the Moose. A centre of diminutive size he stands just 5’9… yet has put up impressive numbers in the rougher WHL with 84 points in 54 games. Some say he has the chance of being a Marty St. Louis- type player. Watch the passing as Jets fans will want to hear “Petan to Ehlers, and he scores!!!!… for years to come.
Brendan Lemieux was one of the prospects coming back to Winnipeg when Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian were traded. It’s not surprising he has a reputation for having a nasty streak when his dad is Claude Lemieux but aside from that what does he bring? First he’s a junior Jet..er Barrie Colt and comes with 41 goals in 57 games played. He can’t go to the AHL but this is a chance for the Jets to take a good look at him in their system before he inevitable heads back to his final year in junior.
Andrew Copp signed his first pro deal last year and came straight to the Jets from the U of Michigan. He played one game and cold be Jim Slater’s heir to centre the 4th line. 31 points in 36 NCAA game may not say too much but at 6’1… and 206lbs he may be the perfect body size to grind and battle as he begins his pro career. Will we see that in this tournament?
Scott Kosmachuk was a third round pick for the Jets in 2012 and has been on most fans radars for some time after scoring 84 goals in 136 games during his last 2 seasons in junior. He made the transition to the AHL last year and producing 14 goals in 70 games. Is he ready to make the move to he Jets, unlikely but he could be a depth forward that will need more time in the minors. This is a chance for him to get back on management’s radar too though.
Michael Spacek was a 4th round pick this past June for the Jets. He comes from the Czech Republic and had a whopping 19 points in 45 games last year overseas. Their is hype about him as he was taken by the Red Deer Rebels for the WHL next season in the import draft and head coach and GM Brent Sutter has said “different NHL scouts and GMs tell us he’s a jewel….
The Defense- who to watch
Josh Morrissey is every Jets fan’s answer to depth on the left side of the defense. A hyped pick from 2013 draft at 13th overall, Morrissey was taken earlier than some thought he would go but seems to have proved doubter wrong, at least at the junior level. After being drafted he had 73 points in 59 games and then went on to 2 appearances for Canada at the WJHC putting up 7 points in 14 games over 2 years. Morrissey will have to show he has matured, grown and can handle the rougher play of pro hockey. He did have the fortune of playing 8 games with IceCaps in their 2014 Calder Cup final run so he is not raw to the pro game. The biggest question is can he take the next physical step versus peers and then pros?
Jan Kostalek is another Czech fourth round pick, but from 2013. He played in QMJHL with Rimouski and for the past with 81 points over 160 games. Between those years he also played for the Czech in world under-18 championships and the WJHC. He’s ready to make the to pro by most accounts and if he is to be part of the Jets defence corps future the professional development part needs to happen in the AHL sooner as opposed to later.
The interesting part of the Jets organizational depth is that there’s not much left to get excited about on the defence after these two players. Sure Markus Karlstrom and Nelson Nogier may end up as future bottom pairing guys…one day, but is there likely to be much movement on defence for a position. The log jam of depth defence on one-way deals has already been outlined in this article and unless wholesale changes are made is it likely any prospects see a spot open?
It’s often believed that defenders need more time to adjust and develop to the professional game after coming out of whatever junior program they attend. This could be the case for Morrissey and Kostalek and it’s not a bad thing. There just isn’t the space on defence for youth that there is with the forward group and that may be by design. It will be interesting to see if the Jets add to the defence prospect depth in the near future as it appears a bit thin, but that’s first blush.
One thing to remember is that two key picks with the Jets are not eligible to attend the prospect tourney due to NCAA rules. Those players are Jack Glover and Tucker Poolman. Glover is part of the USA under-18 development program and played at the University of Minnesota last season while Poolman just finished his first year down highway 29 at University of North Dakota. If you add those two back into the mix the defence is not so bleak and there is plenty of time for them to develop in those programs based on the depth already in the Jets organization that exist as veteran pros.
The point in these tournaments is to see who matches well with peers and give the GMs, coaches and scouts some important information about where their future players sit in terms of development. It’s also out first taste of hockey so enjoy it for what it is too, not a tell-all on the state of the Jets future.