As the 2024 NHL Draft approaches, the Winnipeg Jets sit without a first-round pick for the second time since the team relocated to the Manitoba capital.
They traded their 2018 first round selection to the St. Louis Blues as part of the Paul Stastny deal. A year later, they sent their first-round pick along with Brendan Lemieux to the New York Rangers for Kevin Hayes. However, just before the 2019 NHL Draft, they got a first-round pick back from the Rangers along with Neal Pionk for Jacob Trouba.
Jets director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier says that despite the fact the team doesn’t have a first-round selection, it doesn’t change the way they are going to do business leading up to Vegas.
“We still have to be prepared for anything and there’s always the possibility of adding a pick. So, you have to be prepared right from the start and right to the end. We do whatever range we’re picking in or the picks we have at the present time, and we’ll concentrate a little more on those and make sure we’re crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s in that area,” said Hillier.
“But we will be prepared for anything and if Chevy was able to add a pick before the draft, we have to be prepared, like we have a full complement of picks.”
As Hillier mentioned, the Jets could add a pick in a variety of ways but as of this moment, the Jets will be picking early in the second round thanks to trade with the Los Angeles Kings at last year’s draft. Winnipeg acquired the rights to Montreal’s second round selection as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal. Maybe - just maybe - a first-round talent could slip to Winnipeg into the second round.
“I mean you’re talking about 32 picks now, right? Everybody’s draft list is different and a guy that we have at 20 or 25 could be a lot different than what other teams have and so forth,” said Hillier.
“So, I would fully expect with that pick, we’ll get a player in the twenties on our list.”
Hillier feels the strength is the defencemen at the high end of the draft.
“You just have to make sure that you’re taking players with the high character that we want to add to our roster someday,” said Hillier.
“Make sure that they check off all the boxes off the ice and they are going to be kids that put in the work and have good character. Hopefully we will be filling in spots on our depth charts to help us down the road.”
That character seems to be building within the organization with players like Rutger McGroarty and Colby Barlow the last couple of drafts.
“I mean when it works out that way, great. So, we try to find the best players, but we also hope they have the character and the personality and that stuff as well,” said Hillier.
“It doesn’t always work out that way. We’re just trying to do our best in finding the best players.”
Last season, the Jets locked up Connor Hellebuyck for the next seven seasons. It appears they have a couple of future NHLers in Domenic DiVincentiis (7th round, 2022) and Thomas Milic (5th round, 2023). From an organization viewpoint, Winnipeg can check off goaltending as a strength.
“We put in as much work on goalies as everybody else and have a strong goalie list. We have Drew MacIntyre (developmental goalie coach) that works with us now that does a lot of work on that end,” said Hillier.
“So, it’s not something like we don’t have a weakness that we have to draft a goalie or whatever. But if we get to a point of the draft where we think the goalie is the best prospect, you’re also drafting an asset and we’ll make the goalie pick.”
