The Toronto Maple Leafs might have been the big winners of the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery, but no team made a bigger jump up the draft board than the Winnipeg Jets.
“I thought we struck it rich,” Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told Hockey Central at Noon on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Monday. “The emotion of having the opportunity to draft second for us was fantastic. We’re really excited about that opportunity.”
Originally in the No. 6 slot, the Jets leapfrogged the Flames, Blue Jackets, Canucks, Oilers to hold the No. 2 pick in the June 24 draft.
Presuming the Maple Leafs select consensus top prospect Auston Matthews with the first pick, this leaves the Jets with two choices. They can either take Patrik Laine or Jesse Puljujärvi, the second- and third-ranked draft-eligible players, respectively.
LISTEN: Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff on Hockey Central at Noon
The thought of a right-handed, goal-scoring winger from Finland (Laine and Puljujärvi both fit that mould) donning a Jets uniform is something Winnipeg fans have yearned for since the days of Teemu Selanne in the mid-’90s.
“There is still some scouting to be done,” Cheveldayoff said. “We had the fortune of seeing Puljujärvi play just down the road from us here in Grand Forks last week at the U-18s…. I’ll head over to the world championships as well and get the chance to see Laine and Matthews play over there.”
Inevitably there will be teams attempting to trade up on draft day. Cheveldayoff has all but closed the door on talk that he may consider moving the pick.
“Honestly, I haven’t gotten one [phone call] yet on No. 2. We’ve been pretty open that we’re excited about the prospects of drafting here,” he explained. “I couldn’t even tell you what it would take for me to stop considering drafting someone at No. 2. I’m not here to try and create intrigue and say that the pick is available. Like I say, there’s no certainties in this world, but if you’re a betting person, bet on us picking at 2.”
The fact Cheveldayoff is content to stay at No. 2 doesn’t mean the Jets won’t be able to pull off a trade during the first round of the draft.
Winnipeg also holds the 22nd-overall selection. It acquired that pick in the February trade that sent captain Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks.
While the No. 2 pick should ensure the Jets a blue-chip forward prospect, the team has plenty of other areas in which they can improve.
“One player doesn’t transform a franchise — Connor McDavid has done some great things in Edmonton — but you need a surrounding cast, and we’re still building on that,” Cheveldayoff said. “We’ve got a second first-round pick that we’ll put a lot of focus on as well with potentially some options maybe on the trade side or maybe on the draft side. That still remains to be seen.
“There’s some exciting things here. Some exciting options.”
The Jets missed the playoffs by nine points, but all things considered, Cheveldayoff was pleased with how his team closed out the season.
“The thing I’m really excited about and proud of is how we finished the season — 6-2-2 in our last 10…. Paul Maurice and our coaches and certainly players, they played their hearts out down the stretch.”
Cheveldayoff said the Jets could look to add a piece or two in free agency despite the fact Winnipeg isn’t a go-to destination for players on the open market. Outside of Mathieu Perreault two summers ago, Cheveldayoff hasn’t been able to coax any impactful free agents into joining the Jets since he began his role of GM back in 2011.
