Jets iron out crease depth on day 2 of NHL draft

The biggest splash may have happened on Friday night when the Winnipeg Jets landed dynamic Swedish centre Viggo Bjorck with the eighth-overall draft pick.

But the organization took another important step on Saturday when it comes to the prospect pool, filling it with six more players they hope could one day swim with the big kids in the NHL.

Bjorck will grab most of the headlines, and rightfully so.

“I have to be honest. He’s one of the most exciting draft picks I’ve ever had. I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Jets director of scouting Mark Hillier.

“He’s the smartest player in the draft this year. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve scouted. I call him short but I don’t call him small. He doesn’t play small. He comes out of the corners with pucks. He uses a long stick. He’s got good skill, he’s a good skater, but his hockey sense is off the charts. He’s just a kid that naturally knows positioning.”

Might he be ready to jump right into the NHL as early as this fall?

“He’s got a chance. So, now it’s up to him,” said Hillier.

“We drafted him keeping an open mind that he’s gonna be given an opportunity. I don’t make those decisions at the end of the day, but he’s one of those players who, the first time he steps on the ice he might not blow you away, but the more you watch him, you’re gonna like him a little more each time.”

There will likely be a lot more patience required for the rest of the Class of 2026. But there’s no question Winnipeg made some intriguing selections.

G SAMUEL HRENAK (3rd round, 71st-overall)

The 6-3 Slovakian caught the eye of scouts after coming to North America and dominating in the USHL with the Fargo Force.

Elite Prospects described him as “absolute dog — something he no doubt learned he needed to be to survive against pro competition in Slovakia. He pairs that engine with quick feet, which allow him to reach the play with his feet, even if he’s late to a read.”

Hrenak, 18, played nine games with Fargo, going 7-1-1 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, while also starring for his home country at the U18s.

Funny enough, he woke up Saturday morning with the feeling the Jets might be calling his name.

“I couldn’t think of wearing any other jersey than the Winnipeg Jets. I’m not saying that because it sounds good, but that’s kind of the truth,” Hrenak said in a Zoom interview from the site of the draft in Buffalo.

“I’m excited and I’m so grateful that I can be part of this amazing organization. When I came to Fargo and I heard that the Winnipeg Jets are just three hours (away), I was hoping that it could be reality and I could be wearing Winnipeg Jets colours. It’s awesome. It’s an honour and I don’t have any words right now.”

Jets director of scouting Mark Hillier said Manitoba Moose goalie coach Drew MacIntyre was big on Hrenak and lobbied for the organization to grab him.

“I’m excited to show this organization what’s in me and I want to make them right, that they made the right choice,” said Hrenak.

C ZACH WOOTEN (4th round, 116th-overall)

Third time was the charm for the Minnesota product, who was passed over during his draft eligibility in 2024 and 2025. But the 6-2, 205 pound forward turned plenty of heads this past season as he dominated the USHL, with 62 points (35G, 27A) in 61 games with the Green Bay Gamblers which earned him All Star honours.

“It was surreal. I was kind of shaking when I got the call from my agent a couple seconds prior and he asked me if I was watching the screen. I was like ‘Yup.’ And then I saw the selection,” Wooten said of getting drafted by the Jets.

“I was with probably 20 other people in our house. There was a loud roar. Just super excited and pumped to get going.”

Elite Prospects describes Wooten as having “a motor that never stops; he overwhelms opponents with a breakneck pace and intensity, forcing turnovers in all three zones. When his unrelenting pressure inevitably creates opportunities for his team, he can generate offence, too.”

Wooten, 20, said he tries to model his game after young Toronto power forward Matthew Knies.

“I think I’m a hard, skilled, physical winger. I like to use my skating and my shot to my advantage. And I kind of pride myself on winning battles and being tough around the net and in the corners, too — especially on the forecheck,” he said.

“Everyone kind of develops during their own timeline. For me, during my first year of draft eligibility to now, I’ve grown two to three inches and gained 30, 40 pounds. Those first two years, I wasn’t really looked at as an NHL prospect. I wasn’t too happy about that. I knew I had more. I wanted to come into this past season looking for more.”

Wooten is headed to the University of Wisconsin this fall.

D ALEXANDRE TAILLEFER (5th round, 135th-overall)

The 18-year-old from Quebec has become a big fan of Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey in recent years. Now, they are part of the same organization, celebrating with plenty of family and friends inside KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

“I look up to him a lot, and watch him play a lot,” said Taillefer.

The left-shot defender, who stands 6-0 and weights 164 pounds, was limited to just 28 games this past year with the Quebec Remparts after suffering an Achilles injury. He put up 17 points (2G, 15A) and believes the best is yet to come.

“I think I’m a two-way defenceman. I’m a dynamic player,” said Taillefer. “I like to make the first pass. I like to make plays and stuff and I love to be a physical too. So yeah, I’d say, I’m like a (Miro) Heiskanen type of player.”

He’s committed to play one more year with the Remparts, then head to the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA.

“We feel he’s one of the best skating defencemen in the draft. Skating, puck mover, plays in a very good program there in Quebec,” said Hillier.

C LANDON HAFELE (6th round, 167th-overall)

He’ll need no introduction to fellow Class of 2026 member Wooten — the pair were teammates last year with Green Bay.

The Alaska native had a solid sophomore season in the USHL with 42 points (15G, 27A) in 52 games. Elite Prospects had this to say: “Pace is Hafele’s game. His feet never stop moving, using tons of rapid crossovers to close gaps and drive play forward. He finishes hits and disrupts breakouts with his speed.”

Hafele, 18, is headed to Arizona State this fall to continue his development.

D ALOFA TUNOA (NOA) TA’AMU (7th round, 199th-overall)

Some history was made in this pick.

Ta’amu becomes the first ever player of Samoan descent to be drafted in the NHL.

His father, who is from Hawaii, was an offensive lineman drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2002. A serious knee injury hampered his football career, which was limited to the Arena Football League. His mother is Canadian, and the family moved to Edmonton when Noa was a young boy, having been born in the U.S.

Ta’amu, who is 6-2 and 227 pounds, played last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. The left-shot defender had 12 points (3G, 9A) in 62 games along with 81 penalty minutes.

“He’s got good feet. He moves well for a big guy,” said Hillier. “Chipped in a little offensively there but kind of plays an old school, hard-nosed game. Not afraid to drop the gloves in a scrap. We liked his old school approach, stay at home D, and he plays hard.”

G JOHN PARSONS (7th round, 220th-overall)

Sure, the Jets have Connor Hellebuyck — at least for now. But the depth chart really thins out once you get past current Manitoba Moose goaltenders Thomas Milic and Dom DiVincentiis.

And so the organization grabbed a second goaltender from this class in Parsons, a 20-year-old from New York who had a terrific rookie season with Providence College.

The 6-3 puckstopper went 13-5-0 with a 2.05 GAA and .922 SV%.

“We really liked his progress throughout the year,” said Hillier. “So we thought it was great depth in the seventh round to add a second goalie. We just thought he was the best player available, better than any skater.”

Fans will be able to get their first look at the fresh new faces when Jets development camp begins Tuesday at the Hockey For All Centre with daily on-ice sessions open to the public at no charge at 9:30 a.m.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre