Jets take Viggo Björck eighth overall

The Winnipeg Jets believe they’ve finally found the solution for their second-line centre dilemma in Viggo Björck.

The versatile and explosive Swedish forward was chosen eighth overall in the 2026 NHL Draft by the Jets and brings a combination of blazing speed and tenacity. He also has the versatility to play down the middle or on the wing and brings a defensive responsibility to go along with his offensive instincts.

Björck helped Sweden capture a gold medal at the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship with fellow Jets prospects Alfons Freij and Sascha Boumedienne, who was the Jets’ first-round selection in 2025.

The right-handed shooter also suited up for his country at the IIHF men’s world championship last month, chipping in one goal and six points in eight games.

“Super special,” Björck said during a Zoom interview from Buffalo, where the draft was being held. “You grew up playing hockey and getting to the NHL is your dream, and I think this is a good step on the way.”

The biggest question surrounding Björck is when he will be ready to make the jump to the NHL?

Although he is under contract to suit up for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League for next season, it’s possible Björck could make his NHL debut with the Jets as early as this fall.

“You’ve got to talk to the guys in the organization first to see what they think, but I think the most important thing is just to keep working and get better every day,” said Bjork. “If you get better all the time, eventually your chance will come.”

Björck spent the bulk of the season in the SHL with Djurgardens, but joined the U20 club team for the playoffs, racking up eight goals and 20 points in nine games.

Björck met with the Jets at the NHL combine in Buffalo earlier this month and felt there was a chance he might end up in Winnipeg with fellow Swedes Isak Rosen (who was acquired in a deadline deal with the Buffalo Sabres in March) and defenceman Elias Salomonsson (a second-round pick of the Jets in 2023 who made his NHL debut last season).

Björck also told Kevin Cheveldayoff during a meeting at the combine something that he wasn’t ready to repeat. When asked about it on a Zoom call the Jets general manager momentarily interrupted.

“Oh, I remember what you said. It’s been something I’ve been waiting for since that day,” Cheveldayoff said after welcoming Björck to the organization during the call. “I don’t know what you told all of those teams in those draft dinners that you went to, to make sure that you fell to us there (at eighth overall). But you did your part and we did our part to pick you. We’re looking forward to a great, long-term future.”

Björck wasn’t yet ready to reveal the details of that initial discussion.

“No, that’s probably not going to be told here,” said Björck, who was happy to provide a self evaluation. “I’m a competitive player. I play big, even though I’m not the tallest, and yeah, try and be smart out there too, use my brain a lot.”

Asked about which player he tried to pattern his game around, Björck pointed to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, though he offered a quick caveat.

“It’s hard to model your game after a player like him,” he said. “I really looked at his game a lot and it was super special to play against him in the world championship as well.”

Björck also had a fun interaction with Crosby following the match-up with Team Canada, one that ended with an autographed stick in his possession.

“I had an interview with Swedish television,” said Björck. “(Crosby) was just standing behind me. I was shocked, turning around and seeing him. It was a cool moment.

“When I saw him, I had promised my brother that I would take the chance to ask him for a stick. So yeah, I took it. Later on, when we went to the playoffs, (Crosby) left it outside our locker room. So super nice of him and it’s home now in my house.”

Speaking of his older brother, Wilson, Björck said that some of his competitive spirit comes from the various battles the two engaged in on and off the ice.

“I looked up to him a lot. Growing up and playing games with him and being out with him in every type of competitive game. It’s been a really fun journey and I want to thank him a lot,” said Björck. “Yeah, no one wants to lose. If you lose, you don’t get the bragging rights in front of your parents. For a couple of years, we had ice in the backyard and went head to head there. It’s been some tough battles, but I think that shaped you as well as a player and as a person.”

Speaking of Salomonsson, Cheveldayoff said during a Zoom call on Friday morning that Salomonsson’s recovery from offseason shoulder surgery was progressing and that forward Nikita Chibrikov (lower body) was also on the mend.

One of the major questions going into the weekend revolved around whether or not the Jets were going to trade franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

But after negotiations with the Buffalo Sabres broke down, Cheveldayoff opted to hold on to the three-time Vezina Trophy winner rather than make a deal he wasn’t comfortable with.

Sources said the two teams had some of the framework for a deal in place, but one of the sticking points was that the Jets wanted the fourth overall pick as the centrepiece of the deal and while the Sabres seemed to be okay with that, they wanted the eighth pick as part of the deal for Hellebuyck.

The Jets had also targeted goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if they had tried to acquire centre Josh Norris as part of the deal.

With that fourth overall pick on Friday, the Sabres selected Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph, who had been linked to the Jets in multiple mock drafts.

The lone Manitoban chosen in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft was defenceman Carson Carels of Cypress River.

Carels had 20 goals and 73 points in 58 games for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League last season and he’s scheduled to suit up for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the fall.

Now that the first round of the NHL Draft is complete, teams will turn their attention to Day 2 for rounds two through seven, where the Jets currently hold six more selections, including 71st overall (in the third round).

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