Jets prospects update: two defencemen set for World Juniors

It’s among the most wonderful times of the hockey year — and the Winnipeg Jets will have a pair of prospects participating in the upcoming World Juniors over the Christmas holidays.

Defencemen Alfons Freij and Sascha Boumedienne will represent their native Sweden at the tournament, which gets underway on Boxing Day down in St. Paul.

They lead off our latest monthly look at Winnipeg’s talent pipeline, which involves 25 young drafted and developing players currently skating in various leagues and levels.

Freij, 19, is playing full-time in the top Swedish men’s league after tearing up the junior ranks a year ago. The second-round pick from 2024 has two assists through 25 games. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Jets last summer and is expected to join the organization once this season is complete.

Boumedienne, 18, has already put up six points (2G, 4A) through 17 games with Boston University in the NCAA after recording 13 (3G, 10A) in 40 games last year as the youngest player in college hockey. Winnipeg selected him in the first round, 28th-overall, last summer.

No doubt Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and other members of the organization will be keeping a close eye on how the duo fare in the high-profile holiday event.

---

Turning to the American Hockey League, where the Jets have 13 prospects on a Manitoba Moose team that has been climbing the standings lately, now at 14-10-2.

Here’s a look at their season so far, in order of draft selection:

F DAVID GUSTAFSSON (2nd round, 2018): He missed Sunday’s game — a 6-0 loss to Iowa — with illness. The 25-year-old is making a compelling case for a call-up back to the Jets. His 16 points in 24 games (4G, 12A) is tops on the team in terms of points-per-game, and he leads the Moose with a plus-11 rating.

D VILLE HEINOLA (1st round, 2019): Heinola got off to a terrible start following his training camp demotion but has really picked it up as of late. He now leads Moose defencemen with 12 points (1G, 11A) in 26 games. His name has been mentioned in trade rumours lately.

D TYREL BAUER (6th round, 2020): As tough as they come, Bauer is one of the true heavyweights in hockey. He has one assist in 18 games, along with 29 penalty minutes, while his plus-nine rating is second-best on the team.

F NIKITA CHIBRIKOV (2nd round, 2021): Not a great first month on the farm for Chibrikov, who began the year with the big club. Just one goal and one assist and a minus-seven rating through 11 games with the Moose. Much more is expected from a guy who had 65 points (24G, 41A) in 100 previous AHL games over the past two years.

F BRAD LAMBERT (1st round, 2022): He publicly expressed disappointment at being demoted by the Jets, but he hasn’t exactly shredded the competition at a level below. Lambert has five points (2G, 3A) through 13 games with the Moose while going minus-six.

D ELIAS SALOMONSSON (2nd round, 2022): Fresh off his first NHL call-up, Salomonsson remains Winnipeg’s top blue-line prospect. He now has six assists in 19 AHL games, and we’d expect to see him back up with the Jets at some point this season.

F DANNY ZHILKIN (3rd round, 2022): Moose coach Mark Morrison recently called Zhilkin a “true No. 1 centre” at the AHL level. He has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 26 games — the same amount he had through 53 contests a year ago. A bit of a late bloomer, one whose NHL debut could be just around the corner.

F FABIAN WAGNER (6th round, 2022): Wagner is still looking for the type of hot streak that saw him scoring six of his eight goals last year in a five-game span. To date, he’s dressed for just 11 games and has only a single goal to show for it.

G DOM DIVINCENTIIS (7th round, 2022): It sure looked like he was on the verge of his NHL debut, but Connor Hellebuyck’s quick return from injury has put that on hold — at least for now. DiVincentiis is having a strong season with the Moose, with a 2.59 goals against average and .912 save percentage in 14 appearances.

F COLBY BARLOW (1st round, 2023): The rookie is starting to find his stride, now with five points (2G, 3A) through 24 games. He went down with injury last week but isn’t expected to miss significant time.

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 is tied for fourth in scoring on the Moose with 13 points (4G, 9A) in 26 games so far.

G THOMAS MILIC (5th round, 2023): It was a great opportunity to see Milic at the NHL level recently, and he didn’t disappoint. Now back with the Moose, Milic has put up outstanding numbers in 11 games with a 2.25 GAA and .923 save percentage.

F JACOB JULIEN (5th round, 2023): Unfortunately he has yet to get his pro career going. The 21-year-old suffered a lower-body injury during Moose training camp and recently had a setback as he was training for a return. 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.

---

Off to the Ontario Hockey League we go, where the Jets have four prospects currently piling up the points.

F KEVIN HE (4th round, 2024): The heart-and-soul of the Niagara IceDogs has 29 points (14G, 15A) in 25 games, which has him right on pace with his career-best 75 points (36G, 39A) in 62 games last year.

F KIERON WALTON (6th round, 2024): Chosen two rounds after He, the towering Walton is among the OHL’s scoring leaders. The six-foot-six power forward with the Sudbury Wolves has 43 points (20G, 23A) in 26 games. A bit of a surprise he wasn’t given stronger consideration for the Canadian World Junior squad.

D EDISON ENGLE (6th round, 2025): The Illinois teen has cooled off a bit following a sizzling start to his OHL career — he spent last year in the USHL — but still has 17 points (2G, 15A) in 28 games for the the Brantford Bulldogs. He’s expected to head to college next year to play with Dubuque.

F JACOB CLOUTIER (7th round, 2025): He’s having a solid sophomore season with the Saginaw Spirit and is up to 17 points (7G, 10A) in 28 games after putting up 47 points (23G, 24A) in 67 games last year.

---

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

F OWEN MARTIN (3rd round, 2025): The Oakbank product had a slow start but has started to produce more offence with the Spokane Chiefs. He now has 13 points (8G, 5A) in 28 games after recording 34 points (13G, 21A) in 39 games last year.

---

Heading south, Winnipeg has three other prospects in the college ranks besides Boumedienne.

D GARRETT BROWN (4th round, 2022): He’s a big part of a terrific program in Denver and has produced eight points (1G, 7A) through 19 games so far this year. That matches the eight points (2G, 6A) he had in 42 games last year.

F ZACH NEHRING (3rd round, 2023): A key contributor for a Western Michigan squad which won the Frozen Four a year ago. The North Dakotan has nine points (3G, 6A) in 16 games so far this year after putting up 30 points (13G, 17A) in 42 games a year ago.

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 five points (4G, 1A) through 14 games.

---

Finally, we go overseas where there are two other players skating right now in addition to Freij.

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 to Finland, suiting up with HPK Hameenlinna of SM-liiga where he has one goal and three assists through 23 games.

F VIKTOR KLINGSELL (5th round, 2025): He would appear to be too good for the Swedish junior league, with 34 points (13G, 21A) in 17 games after putting up 39 (17G, 22A) in 43 contests last year. He’s now been promoted to the top men’s league, with one goal so far through seven games.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre