Via sportslogos.net

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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects! Every day in August, we will bring you a complete breakdown of a team’s draft and insights into their off-season movements thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons. Check back often because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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By: Mark Henry

The Winnipeg Jets finished the 2023-24 regular season second in the Central Division with a 52-24-6 record. The Jets matched up in round one of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche. Even with 2023-24 Vezina and William M. Jennings Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes, the Jets were no match for the Avalanche—falling in five games.

Before the 2023-24, the Winnipeg Jets seemingly shocked the “nobody wants to play in Winnipeg” narrative with the signings of Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to matching seven-year, $59.5 million contracts on October 9, 2023. It turns out this wasn’t the case; not long after their first-round playoff exit to the Colorado Avalanche, rumors started to swirl about underrated and underutilized forward Nikolaj Ehlers not wanting to re-sign with the Jets after his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season and then before the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, one of the franchises top prospects, Rutger McGroarty made it known that he felt like his path to regular NHL playing time wouldn’t be in Winnipeg. This led to a summer of unknowns and speculation around the Winnipeg Jets, which seems like a yearly occurrence. That said, business must go on for the Winnipeg Jets; let’s look at their off-season so far.

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NHL Draft Recap

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Round Two, 37th Overall – Alfons Freij, D

Without a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets landed Freij early in the second round. Freij, a 6-1, 197-lb defenseman, is an excellent skater and playmaker from the blue line who could quarterback the power play. Defensively, he is a bit of a project as he often finds himself out of position due to playing overly aggressively in the offensive zone. Freij is worth selecting in dynasty rookie drafts heading into the 2024-25 season, but he could pay off in a big way with patience. While his lack of aggression may not boost your team’s hits stats, his skating, playmaking, offensive ability, and potential power-play usage are worth investing in. He is expected to spend the 2024-25 season in the second-tier pro-HockeyAllsvenskan with IK Björklöven on loan from Växjö.

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Round Four, 109th Overall – Kevin He, LW

The Winnipeg Jets moved up in a trade for the 109th overall pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. They traded their 2024 fourth-round pick (123rd overall) and their 2024 seventh-round pick (219th overall) to the Buffalo Sabres for pick 109. They then selected Niagra IceDogs forward Kevin He. Known for his speed and quick hands, He is agile and can easily find open space. He has shown offensive capabilities; he scored 31 goals in 64 games as a sophomore with Niagra and is projected as a middle-six, high-energy forward whose speed could be used on both the power play and penalty kill units. A wait-and-see approach is the route to take with He in dynasty leagues.

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Round  Five, 155th Overall – Markus Loponen, C

Since being drafted in the fifth round  (155th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Loponen was selected by the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League 23rd overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft on July 3, 2024, and has had his contract terminated with Kärpät of the SM-liiga in Finland, paving a path to sign the Royals and play in North America in 2024-25. He was named to Finland’s U20 Five-Nations team on August 18, 2024. The Five-Nations tournament took place August 27-31 in Zug, Switzerland. Loponen is an intelligent, responsible, two-way center. While he’s not a high-end scorer, he possesses a good wrist shot, providing some goal-scoring ability. He has limited upside and shouldn’t be considered in dynasty leagues.

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Round Six, 187th Overall – Kieron Walton, C

With their final pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected 6-6, 212 lb center Kieron Walton from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. Walton is a 200-foot power forward with good vision who can stickhandle in tight areas, often finding teammates easily. Due to his size on the offensive end of the ice, he easily maintains and protects the puck. He can become a top-six playmaking power forward with special team contributions or, at worst, a reliable bottom-six depth player. With more opportunity and development, Walton could make his sixth-round selection look foolish. He doesn’t warrant an add, even in deep dynasty leagues, but if his game makes significant strides in Sudbury in 2024-25, he will climb onto the fantasy radar.

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Off-Season Moves

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Incoming

Kaapo Kahkonen signed a one-year, $1,000,000 contract on July 1, 2024.

Eric Comrie signed a two-year contract with an AAV of  $825,000 on July 1, 2024.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan signed a two-year contract for $1,550,000 with an AAV of $775,000. It will be a two-way contract in 2024-25 and a one-way contract in 2025-26.

Haydn Fleury signed a one-year, two-way contract with an AAV of $775,000 on July 4, 2024.

Mason Shaw signed a one-year, two-way contract with an AAV of $775,000 on July 4, 2024.

Brayden Yager was acquired via trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Rutger McGroarty on August 22, 2024.

Dylan Coghlan was acquired via trade from the Carolina Hurricanes on July 6, 2024, for future considerations. He signed a one-year deal worth $775,000 in the NHL and $200,000 in the AHL, with $250,000 guaranteed on July 12, 2024.

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Outgoing

Tyler Toffoli signed a four-year,$24 million contract with the San Jose Sharks.

Collin Delia signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Edmonton Oilers with an AAV of $775,000.

Jeffrey Viel signed a two-year contract with the Boston Bruins with an AAV of $775,000. It will be a two-way contract in 2024-25  and a one-way contract in 2025-26.

Laurent Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kristian Reichel signed a three-year contract with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in May 2024.

Nate Schmidt was bought out of the final year of his six-year deal and became an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Florida Panthers on July 3, 2024, for one year with a cap hit of $800,000.

Brenden Dillon signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.

Jeff Malott signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings with an AAV of $775,000.

Sean Monahan signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kyle Capobianco signed a two-year contract with the Dallas Stars with an AAV of $775,000. It will be a two-way contract in 2024-25  and a one-way contract in 2025-26.

Artemi Knyazev is an unrestricted free agent.

Rutger McGroarty was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 22, 2024, for Brayden Yager.

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Re-Signed

Dylan DeMelo re-signed a four-year contract on June 26, 2024, worth $19.6 million with an AAV of $4.6 million.

Colin Miller re-signed a two-year contract on July 1, 2024, worth $3 million, with an AAV of $1.5 million.

Simon Lundmark re-signed with a one-year two-way contract on July 26, 2024, worth $775,000.

Ville Heinola re-signed a two-year contract on July 15, 2024, worth $1.6 million with an AAV of $800,000.

David Gustafsson re-signed a two-year contract on July 6, 2024, worth $1.67 million with an AAV of $835,000.

Logan Stanley re-signed a two-year contract on July 6, 2024, worth $2.5 million with an AAV of $1.25 million.

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Restricted Free Agent

Cole Perfetti remains without a contract for the 2024-25 season.

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Development Camp/World Junior Summer Showcase/NHLPA Showcase

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2024 Winnipeg Jets Development Camp

The Winnipeg Jets held their annual development camp July 3-7, 2024, at the Hockey For All Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The link below shows all the invitees who took part.

https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-announce-2024-development-camp-roster-and-schedule

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2024 World Junior Summer Showcase

2023 first-round pick (18th overall) Colby Barlow was the lone Jets prospect who attended the World Junior Summer Showcase held July 28-August 3, 2024, at USA Hockey Arena. The week-long camp includes international competitions between the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden in preparation for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

https://www.tsn.ca/video/jets-prospect-barlow-improves-playmaking-as-he-scans-for-wjc-opp~2969119

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2024 NHLPA Rookie Showcase

2021 second-round pick (50th overall) Nikita Chibrikov will attend the National Hockey League Players’ Association, and Upper Deck will host its 14th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia.

https://novacapsfans.com/2024/08/23/nhlpa-rookie-showcase-to-be-held-september-4-at-medstar-capitals-iceplex/amp/

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Final Thoughts

As the Winnipeg Jets and General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff continue to make the best of difficult situations with their NHL roster players and prospects, they must start turning some draft picks into full-time NHL players. Considering some of the Jets’ off-season moves, 2024-25 might be the season they give their prospects a more extended look in training camp. Keep an eye on Ville Heinola, Brad Lambert, Elias Salomonsson, Brayden Yager, Nikita Chibirkov, Chaz Lucius, Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Heinola will have to clear waivers if the Jets consider sending him to the AHL, Lambert could be considered to fill a second-line center role, Salomonsson would benefit from playing time in the AHL, Yager will look to leave an excellent first impression with his new club, Chibrikov could provide value in a bottom-six role to start his NHL career, Lucius needs to prove he can stay healthy, and lastly Anderson-Dolan could fill a fourth line role. While it’s not all negatives with the Winnipeg Jets, they continue to draft well and remain competitive. It would be a welcoming experience for all Jets fans not to listen to the “nobody wants to play in Winnipeg” narrative. Only the Winnipeg Jets themselves can change that.

Thanks for reading. Follow me on  X @markhenry and find Winnipeg Jets prospect updates here. Winnipeg Jets – DobberProspects