Jets prospects: first look into future after start of new season

The Winnipeg Jets are off to another hot start this season, proving that life in the present is pretty good. But as a “draft and develop” organization, there’s always an eye on the future.

Right now, 23 prospects are skating in various leagues at various levels — players who could one day work their way into the NHL or, in a few cases, make their way back to the big club.

To help you keep tabs, we’ll be checking in on the kids each month throughout the season.

---

Let’s start with 11 players who are, at least in theory, closest to “The Show.” The Manitoba Moose are off to a 3-4-2 start, although they do have points in four straight games (2-0-2) after a 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday to the Texas Stars at Canada Life Centre.

We’ll go in order of draft selection:

F DAVID GUSTAFSSON (2nd round, 2018): At the age of 25 and with 149 NHL games under his belt, Gustafsson is likely beyond the “prospect” stage. But he finds himself back in the minors after a surprise demotion out of Jets training camp. The two-way forward is leading the Moose in scoring with six points (2G, 4A) so far. He’ll likely be back in the NHL at some point this year.

D VILLE HEINOLA (1st round, 2019): Similar to Gustafsson, Heinola is at a bit of a career crossroads. The 24-year-old isn’t exactly tearing it up, with just two assists and a team-worst minus-9 rating so far. A change of scenery to another NHL organization may be for the best.

D TYREL BAUER (6th round, 2020): Bauer is likely going to be a career minor-leaguer, which is perfectly fine. The former captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds brings toughness and leadership to the Moose. He has no points through his first eight games — and one heavyweight, highlight-reel fight.

D ELIAS SALOMONSSON (2nd round, 2022): Winnipeg’s top blue-line prospect continues to make a strong case for a promotion. He’s been a rock on the blue line while also chipping in with three assists so far. An NHL debut at some point this season seems likely.

F DANNY ZHILKIN (3rd round, 2022): The 21-year-old looked like a different player at Jets camp and has continued that with the Moose. He has four points (2G, 2A) so far this year after just 10 (3G, 7A) in 53 games last year. Has become a play driver, and his 25 shots are third-most on the team.

F FABIAN WAGNER (6th round, 2022): He went on a short goal-scoring heater last year — six of his eight goals came in a five-game span — but that seems to be an offensive outlier. He has no points through eight games this year.

G DOM DIVINCENTIIS (7th round, 2022): A bumpy start so far in his second pro year, DiVincentiis has made five starts with the Moose, going 2-3-0 with a 3.45 goals-against-average and .891 save-percentage. He split last year between the AHL and ECHL, putting up strong numbers in both leagues including a combined 28-17-2 record, 2.90 GAA and .902 SV%.

F COLBY BARLOW (1st round, 2023): Barlow had an excellent training camp with Winnipeg but his momentum has seemingly come to a screeching halt, as he has just one assist through nine games as an AHL rookie. It can be a big jump from junior for some players, as the 20-year-old is discovering.

F BRAYDEN YAGER (1st round, 2023): The only player on this list not actually drafted by the Jets, but we include him because of the high-profile trade with Pittsburgh for 2022 first-rounder Rutger McGroarty. Yager has had a slightly smoother transition than Barlow to the pro ranks with two goals and two assists so far.

G THOMAS MILIC (5th round, 2023): Milic looks to have found his 2023-24 rookie form with the Moose after a tough 2024-25 campaign, which included a lengthy demotion to the ECHL. He’s gone 1-1-2 with a 2.27 GAA and .912 SV%.

F JACOB JULIEN (5th round, 2023): Unfortunately he has yet to get his pro career going. The 21-year-old is expected to be out another month after suffering a lower-body injury during Moose training camp. He had 54 points (11G, 43A) in 65 games last year with the London Knights, then another 19 points (16G, 13A) in 17 playoff games as he helped lead his team to the Memorial Cup.

---

It’s one thing to hit on your first and second-round picks. While nothing is ever guaranteed, the odds of success are much greater in those earlier rounds. But what often separates true contenders from mere pretenders is finding some hidden gold in the later stages of an NHL draft.

To that extent, the Jets might have hit paydirt when it comes to the Ontario Hockey League with four intriguing prospects.

F KEVIN HE (4th round, 2024): The 19-year-old might just be the most exciting prospect in the pipeline right now. He turned plenty of heads during Jets training camp and has carried that momentum with him to the Niagara IceDogs, where he’s put up 19 points (9G, 10A) in his first 13 games. He is on track to smash last year’s career-best season (36G, 39A in 62 games) and might just be playing himself onto the World Junior radar. Although he was born in Beijing, He is eligible to play for Team Canada. He’s got a motor that never stops and an incredible work ethic that should serve him well.

F KIERON WALTON (6th round, 2024): Chosen two rounds later after He, the towering Walton has turned into a true power forward. He’s already scored 11 goals in his first 11 games with the Sudbury Wolves after sniping 38 times in 66 OHL contests last year. Walton, who stands six-foot-six, also has eight assists. Another potential candidate to don the Maple Leaf at the end of December.

D EDISON ENGLE (6th round, 2025): The 18-year-old from Illinois has made a seamless transition from the USHL to the OHL, putting up 14 points (2G, 12A) and an incredible plus-14 rating through 13 games with the Brantford Bulldogs. Engle is fourth in league scoring among rookies and looking like the real deal. He’s expected to head to college next year to play with Dubuque.

F JACOB CLOUTIER (7th round, 2025): The speedy right-shot winger from Ottawa has 10 points (6G, 4A) through 13 games with the Saginaw Spirit, including his first career hat trick last week. Now in his second OHL year, that’s some solid progression after a good rookie year (23G, 24A in 67 games).

---

Over in the Western Hockey League, the Jets currently have just one player.

F OWEN MARTIN (3rd round, 2025): It’s been a slower start for the Oakbank product, with just two goals (one was an overtime winner) and one assist through 12 games with the Spokane Chiefs. Martin, 18, had 34 points (13G, 21A) in 39 games last year.

---

Heading south, Winnipeg has four prospects in the college ranks.

D GARRETT BROWN (4th round, 2022): Now in his third year with a powerhouse University of Denver program — they won the national title in 2024 — the 21-year-old right-shot is developing into a solid stay-at-home defender. Brown, the son of former NHLer Curtis Brown, has four assists through his first eight games this year. He had eight points (2G, 6A) in 42 games last year.

F ZACH NEHRING (3rd round, 2023): The North Dakota native won the Frozen Four last spring with his Western Michigan squad, putting up 30 points (13G, 17A) in 42 games. Nehring, 20, has six points (1G, 5A) in eight games so far this year.

F CONNOR LEVIS (7th round, 2023): Levis had a great 2024-25 season in the WHL, with 56 points (23G, 33A) in 64 games with his hometown Vancouver Giants. The 21-year-old is now skating with Bowling Green State University and has a goal and a helper through his first five NCAA games.

D SASCHA BOUMEDIENNE (1st round, 2025): The Swedish defenceman turned plenty of heads last year as the youngest player in college hockey, putting up 13 points (3G, 10A) in 40 games with a strong Boston University program. There’s been no sophomore slump to start this year, as Boumedienne has two goals and two assists through nine games.

---

Finally, we head overseas where there are three players skating right now.

D ALFONS FREIJ (2nd round, 2024): Now playing full-time in the top Swedish men’s league, Freij is still looking for his first point through 18 games. The Jets are very high on him — they signed him to a three-year entry-level contract last June — and will look to bring him over to North America at the end of this campaign.

F MARKUS LOPONEN (5th round, 2024): The 19-year-old Finn left home last year to play in the WHL with the Victoria Royals, putting up a solid 44 points (19G, 25A) in 65 games. He’s now gone back, suiting up with HPK Hameenlinna of SM-liiga where he has one goal and two assists through 16 games.

F VIKTOR KLINGSELL (5th round, 2025): The 18-year-old is lighting up the Swedish junior league, with 23 points (9G, 14A) in 13 games after putting up 39 (17G, 22A) in 43 contests last year. He’ll likely move up to the top pro league, where he appeared in three games last season but didn’t record a point.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg