Post by Winnipeg Jets on Jul 9, 2024 14:26:35 GMT -6
In the above plane analogy, one would wonder how a 'jet' would right itself after having been in a nose-dive and seemingly all but certain to hit the ground.
For the Winnipeg version, it's simply a metaphor. About the only thing worse than where the Jets are currently would be at ground level - or perhaps lower.
But for all of the tumult of the 2023-24 season, the Jets have, at least in some minds, steered the craft into a more level descent. Players have rerated somewhat better (or not as badly) as once expected. There's an air of potential afoot with multiple youngsters slated to hit the pro roster. Free agency is near, and with it comes more possibilities (though Winnipeg figures to be positioning for small moves, if any).
The Jets have eleven picks in the upcoming 2024 PFHL Entry Draft from picks #15 through #87. Several A+ prospects are near. As things sit now, reports indicate that at least Nikita Chibrikov, the Russian phenom drafted in 2021 who potted 47 points in his first AHL season last year (along with a goal in his only NHL game), will be making his way to Manitoba. Another Russian, Dmitri Rashevsky, is also reportedly Manitoba bound after a 20-goal campaign in the KHL last season.
One thing is certain - it may be a long season in the great white North. The kids will be fed to the wolves in some cases. Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Alex Newhook, Kristian Vesalainen, and Mikey Eyssimont will all be expected to make big leaps in their games while with the pro club next season. Dylan Coghlan is currently the top right-handed shot on the defensive depth chart. Josh Brook and Sami Niku figure to compete for major minutes on the backend. Ilya Samsonov will need to get used to a steady diet of pucks as he mans the pipes for another season in Winnipeg.
At least it should be entertaining. Three of the Jets (Harvey-Pinard, Stefan Noesen, and Brook) all boast high fighting ability. So if you can't score, perhaps punching will be its own reward.
Either way, the Jets are starting from the bottom. Just how long it takes for their ascension is all up to their pilot.
