21. Winnipeg Jets – 69.0
Last Season Rank: 10
Top 15 Prospects:
Individual Breakdown:
The Winnipeg Jets made five selections in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and four made the top 15 2024 DobberProspects organizational rankings. Colby Barlow (2), Jacob Julien (9), Thomas Milic (10) and Connor Levis (14) made the top 15, with Zachary Nehring, the Jets’ 3rd-round pick (82nd overall), being the only one not ranked.
Jacob Julien, the Jets’ 5th-round pick (146th overall) in 2023, is 1% owned in Fantrax and scored 3.0 on DobberProspects. In his second season in the OHL with the London Knights, Julien put up 78 points (29 goals and 49 assists) in 67 games. Julien is a player worth monitoring and stashing in deep dynasty leagues.
Chaz Lucius’ 6.7 average could plummet in these rankings if he cannot stay healthy. The 2021 first-round pick (18th overall) had his 2023-24 season end due to an ankle injury that required surgery in January. This marks his fourth consecutive season ending with an injury. He’s worth holding onto in dynasty formats because of his high upside-scoring ability.
2022 1st round pick (30th overall), Brad Lambert, comes in 3rd on DobberProspects organizational rankings with an average score of 6.9; two contributors (Victor and Hayden) ranked him lower than 7. Lambert has impressed in his rookie season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose. He ranks 2nd in AHL rookie, scoring 51 points (20 goals and 31 assists) in 59 games. He’s a prospect who could play games for the Jets in 2024-25; while he won’t offer much in fantasy for peripheral stats, his offensive ceiling is high.
Prospects to Watch: Rank in parentheses
Thomas Milic (10)—Recency bias might have 2023 5th-round pick (151st overall); Thomas Milic ranked 10th overall and ranked by five out of ten DobberProspects organizational ranking contributors. He had a 15-8-2 record with a 2.68 GAA and .899 SV% during the 2023-24 season with the Manitoba Moose. Since a January 2024 recall from the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, Milic has helped the Moose get back into playoff contention with a 14-7-2 record.
Rutger McGroarty (1)—McGroarty’s Michigan Wolverines will play in the 2024 Frozen Four on Thursday, April 11-13, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He could sign with the Winnipeg Jets before the end of the 2023-24 season; the high-energy, versatile, skilled forward has the upside to be a multi-category high-ceilingfantasy player as soon as 2024-25.
Elias Salomonsson (8)—If Salomonsson moves to North America for the 2024-25 season, his 3.7 average score could surpass Ville Heinola’s 5.5 and make him the Winnipeg Jets’ top defensive prospect on the DobberProspects organizational rankings in 2025.
Team Overview:
Going into the 2023-24 season, the Winnipeg Jets looked like a team in transition, but the long-term extensions signed by Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, along with being a top-three team in the Central Division, have changed that. The Jets will look to maintain contender status while integrating their prospects into their lineup. They have prospects with high upside, but only so many players can play in the top six and be valuable fantasy contributors. Players like Rutger McGroarty, Colby Barlow, Chaz Lucius, Brad Lambert, and Nikita Chibrikov may have to accept a third or fourth-line role when they enter the NHL; while that could limit the fantasy ceiling early in their careers, they have the potential to move up the lineup and be high ceiling fantasy contributors. They are all worth owning in dynasty formats. Defenseman Ville Heinola is entering make-or-break territory in 2024-25; if the Jets can’t find a regular roster spot for him, it might be time to move on from their top defensive prospect. While patience may be wearing thin on Heinola for fantasy owners, he’s a hold in dynasty leagues until he gets an opportunity in the NHL.