This time, the Jets go for defense

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Last season the Winnipeg Jets were not yet named the Winnipeg Jets until draft day. A year later and everyone in the NHL knows who the Winnipeg Jets are. Now the Jets have to make the jump from also-rans to playoff team. Last year the jets took a risk by passing on Sean Couturier and selected Mark Scheifele. Who will it be this year? Let’s find out. Mark Scheifele played in only 47 games for Barrie (OHL) but did manage to get in seven games for the Jets and scored his first ever NHL goal. Scoring goals overall wasn’t the jet problem, defense was. Winnipeg was 12^th in offense and 26^th in defense, 12^th on the power play and 24^th on the penalty kill, and 21^st in face-offs. The Jets had balance scoring with 10 players with 10 or more goals. Evander Kane had 30 with Andrew Ladd coming in second with 28 followed by Bryan Little with 24. Most of the scoring came from left wingers and centers with Blake Wheeler the exception leading the team in points with 64. They do have a few centers in the system that could make someone trade bait at the draft for a defenseman. One defense Dustin Byfuglien was third in points but was a -8. Oddly enough half of the blueliners were a positive in the plus/minus category but most of their forwards taking a hit in that department. Still, adding a defensemen is a must come draft day. That shouldn’t be a problem this season. The Jets passed on Dougie Hamilton last year. Taking a quality defenseman at #9 won’t be a problem, especially with most of the teams at the top of the draft picking forwards. Cody Ceci, Jacob Trouba, Ollie Maatta Griffin Reinhart, and Derrick Pouliot along with Hampus Lindholm would make any NHL General Manager happy if they are sitting on the board. It is a shame the Jets can’t pick more than one but only one will have to do.
 
The Jets could draft a goaltender but taking one this high in the draft might not fly but they could take one in the second round. They would have the pick of the litter. They currently have solid goaltending in Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Mason but need one in the pipeline. Look for the Jets to address this at some point in the draft.
 
Look for Winnipeg to go for defense this time around and make the following announcement come draft day. “With the ninth pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets proudly select, from the Edmonton Oil Kings, defenseman Griffin Reinhart.”
 
To find out more about Griffin Reinhart click here .
 
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com