The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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Read past 32 series stories here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/

Make sure to check out the Winnipeg Jets team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/winnipeg-jets/

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The Winnipeg Jets are coming off a season that left plenty to be desired. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25, Winnipeg fell to 35-35-12 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22. Now, the organization enters 2026-27 looking to bounce back while also figuring out what the next version of this team looks like.

There is still plenty of work to do, but Winnipeg has a mix of established NHL talent and young players looking to make their mrk. Let’s take a look at the latest additions to the Jets’ prospect pool.

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NHL Draft Recap

Round 1, 8th overall – Viggo Björck ( C)

Björck may be undersized, but there’s nothing small about the way he impacts a game. The electric Swedish centre spent his draft season with Djurgårdens IF, carving out 15 points in 42 SHL games against grown men while continuing to tear up junior competition and make noise internationally. He was a key part of Sweden’s gold-medal run at the World Juniors, piling up nine points in seven games, before stepping onto the men’s World Championship stage as a teenager and looking right at home. At his best, Björck is an offensive spark plug — constantly moving, constantly scanning, and seemingly one step ahead of everyone around him. His hockey sense, skill and pace allow him to turn broken plays into scoring chances, while his competitive edge gives him the willingness to attack areas where his 5-10 frame would suggest otherwise.

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Round 3, 71st overall – Samuel Hrenak (G)

After a long wait between picks, Winnipeg went between the pipes with Hrenak. The 6-3 goaltender spent last season with Fargo in the USHL and gives the Jets another young goalie to work with in their system. There is obviously plenty of development ahead, but Hrenak has the size and athleticism to make this an interesting third-round pick.

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Round 4, 116th overall – Zach Wooten, (LW)

Wooten brings some size to the Jets’ forward group at 6-2 and 205 lbs. He played his draft season with Green Bay in the USHL and gives Winnipeg a bigger winger who can play with pace and attack offensively. There is some rawness to his game, but there is enough there to make him an intriguing project.

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Round 5, 135th overall – Alexandre Taillefer, (LHD)

Taillefer was the first defenceman selected by Winnipeg. The 6-0 defender played in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts and has the tools to develop into a mobile puck-moving option on the back end. As with most fifth-round picks, there is plenty of development ahead, but Winnipeg gets another young defenceman to work with.

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Round 6, 167th overall – Landon Hafele, (LW)

Hafele gives Winnipeg another forward with some size and skating ability. The Alaska product spent last season with Green Bay in the USHL and will continue his development at the collegiate level. He is the tpe of late-round pick who could take a few years to develop before we really know what Winnipeg has.

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Round 7, 199th overall – Noa Ta’amu, (RHD)

The Jets added some beef to the blue line with Ta’amu. Standng at 6-3 and 227 lbs, the defenceman certainly isn’t lacking in the size department. He is a project, but Winnipeg gets another physical defender to devel with its final few picks.

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Round 7, 220th overall – John Parsons, G

Winnipeg doubled up on goaltenders by taking Parsons with its final selection. The 6-3 netminder played at Providence last season and gives the Jets another option to develop alongside Hrenak. Taking two goalies in the same draft is a bit of a swing, but if either one develops into an NHL option, the late-round investment will have been worth it.

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Off-Season Moves

Incoming

• Stuart Skinner – 2 years, $3.750M
• Mario Ferraro – 3 years, $4.000M
• Noah Gregor – 1 year, $0.850M
• Henry Thrun – 1 year, $0.850M
• Viggo Björck -3 years, $1.075M ELC
• Jack St. Ivany – Acquired from Pittsburgh for David Gustafsson

Outgoing

• Jonathan Toews – Retired
• Eric Comrie – San Jose Sharks
• Jacob Bryson – Detroit Red Wings
• Ville Heinola – Vegas Golden Knights
• Mason Shaw – Minnesota Wild

Re-Signed

• Cole Perfetti – 5 years, $6.000M
• Isak Rosén – 2 years, $0.925M
• Tyrel Bauer – 2 years, $0.875M
• Walker Duehr – 2 years, $0.875M
• Isaac Poulter -1 year, $0.855M

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In the System

Risers

Alfons Freij

Freji has quietly become one of the more interesting defencemen in Winnipeg’s system. He went from the HockeyAllsvenskan to the SHL, won World Junior gold and then got a taste of the AHL –  all in the same season. He’s mobile, competitive and has more than enough offensive ability to make an impact from the back end. Freij is starting to look like a player who could climb the Jets’ prospect rankings pretty quickly.

Elias Salomonsson

It is getting to the point where calling him a prospect feels a little strange. He already has NHL experience under his belt and looks increasingly comfortable playing against men. The skating and puck-moving ability are obvious, while his defensive game continues to mature. The next step is pretty simple: stick in Winnipeg and make the job his.

Brad Lambert

He has spent enough time knocking on the door that it’s starting to feel like someone needs to let him in. The speed and skill have never been the question, but he’s beginning to put the pieces together more consistently. After getting a taste of the NHL last season, Lambert enters this year with a real opportunity to turn those flashes into something more permanent

Brayden Yager

Yager is starting to look like a player who could force his way into the Jets’ plans sooner rather than later. He’s a smart, competitive centre who does a little bit of everything and rarely looks out of place. The offensive upside is still there, but his biggest strength might be how reliable his game is from shift to shift. He’s knocking on the door – now it’s about kicking it down.

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Fallers

Nikita Chibrikov

Chibrikov is starting to enter the “okay, what are we waiting for?” portion of his development. The skill is still obvious, and there is plenty of bite to his game, but the NHL opportunity hasn’t really stuck yet. He has just 16 NHL games under his belt over the past three seasons, spending most of his time in the AHL. At 22, the Jets need to see more than flashes. Chibrikov has the tools to be a useful NHL winger, but he needs to turn the skill and compete into something Winnipeg can rely on every night.

Colby Barlow

Barlow’s fall isn’t about sudenly becoming a bad prospect – it’s about the runway getting shorter. The former 18th overall pick was a monster goal scorer in the OHL, but that production hasn’t carried over to the professional game in the same way. His shot remains his calling card, but the rest of his game hasn’t developed quickly enough to push him into the NHL conversation. Barlow still has time to change the narrative, but he needs to start showing that his game is more than just a great release.

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Likely to see NHL Action

Viggo Björck– Has a real shot to make his NHL debut this season.

Brayden Yager — Already saw three NHL games and should be near the top of the call-up list.

Nikita Chibrikov —Has NHL experience and could get another look with a strong AHL season.

Alfons Frei — Coming off a strong year in Sweden and should get a chance to push for NHL games with a good start in the AHL.

Sascha Boumedienne — A longer shot, but a strong season could accelerate his timeline.

Brad Lambert

Parker Ford

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Top 20 Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Washington Capitals prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Viggo Björck, C
2. Brad Lambert, C/W
3. Brayden Yager, C/W
4. Sascha Boumedienne, D
5. Alfons Freij, D
6. Elias Salomonsson, D
7. Kieron Walton, C
8. Kevin He, C
9. Nikita Chibrikov, RW
10. Colby Barlow, LW
11. Samuel Hrenak, G
12. Domenic DiVincentiis, G
13. Danil Zhilkin, C
14. Zach Nehring, RW
15. Owen Martin, C
16. Jacob Julien, C
17. Zach Wooten, LW
18. Thomas Milic, G
19. Landon Hafele, C
20. Fabien Wagner

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Make sure to check out the Winnipeg Jets team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/winnipeg-jets/

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Final Thoughts

GMKC (the most secured NHL GM in the NHL), has really done nothing this off-season and looks like his plan to fill the long vacant 2C role is on the shoulders of Viggo Bjork. He also has not done anything to address (as of now) the massive hole in net with Hellebuyck staying home. The defense is still very solid and the top line rocks, but GMKC is hoping the depth scoring roles can be filled by Bjork, Rosen and Cole Perfetti taking a step forward. Lambert may have a chance as well.

Considering the other teams in the Central worked to get better this off-season, it is tough for the fans that the Jets are just hoping the young players fill the void and missing their #1 goalie will not matter. The team will still compete for a playoff spot, so that is good, but this team needs some new direction (can you tell I am not a GMKC fan)

Pat Quinn

The Jets are in an interesting spot. This isn’t a system overflowing with prospects, but they have the talent to make things interesting. Viggo is a stud and Winnipeg has legitimate star power at the top of the pool, while players like Brad Lambert,and Elias Salomonsson are getting close enough to the NHL that their development could start having a direct impact on the roster. It may not be the deepest system in the league, but there are enough moving parts here to make Winnipeg one of the more interesting teams to follow over the next few seasons especially without Helly holding down the crease.

Owen Hilsinger

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If you want to see more hockey talk, you can follow me personally on Twitter/X – @OwenHilsinger

Owen Hilsinger