Well, here we are….almost at an end of Arctic Ice Hockey’s look at the Winnipeg Jets’ prospect pool. In case you joined up late, you can check out Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3 by clicking the links.
In our final installment of this series, we get to players who have a current NHL Certainty rating under 6.0. Yet when it comes to that & the Dobber Prospects’ PNHLe stat, both offer “snapshots” of where the prospect is on his developmental road….not where they think that road will lead. Therefore, certainly all of these kids’ big league futures shouldn’t be written off at this point…though some of the older ones may be nearing their ceilings.
Since we have a lot to get through…..lets get going!!
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 5.5
- Drafted in the 3rd round (77th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in 2022 after Danny Zhilkin put up 55 pts in 65 gms with the Guelph Storm (OHL) as an 18 yr old. The Canadian-Russian followed that up with a similar output split between the Storm & the Kitchener Rangers (56 pts in 60 gms).
- The center’s first two seasons with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose showed that he had the skating and defensive abilities to play the pro game, but the offense was very limited (17 pts in 97 gms). This past campaign saw Danny pick up the pace despite the mini-Jets’ horrible offense, as he amassed a career high 12 goals & 24 points in the minors. That improved play saw him get called up for his first 6 NHL contests, allowing him the chance to pick up his first NHL point (assist).
- Manitoba head coach Mark Morrison is of the opinion that the 22 yr old is NHL ready for a bottom six role, but it remains to be seen if Winnipeg’s front office thinks the same.
- Dobber Prospects says Zhilkin “has the size and speed to become a dependable bottom-six two-way center“. That matches what I’ve seen with the Moose, as the prospect has shown to be a good option at the face-off circle and to play a good defensive game. His wheels allow him to make an impact in transition and on the forecheck, both important things when they come from the bottom of a team’s forward units.
- Ceiling is limited by the lack of high end skill, but with the Jets’ disappointing bottom six this past season, you have to think the young forward will view the upcoming training camp as an opportunity to be apart of the club’s new direction.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Bottom Six Center
Most Likely: NHL 4th line Center/Depth Forward
Basement: AHL Middle Six Center
*****
- As a 17 yr old OHL rookie, the goalie started the campaign as the back up for the North Bay Battalion. Yet Dominic DiVincentiis was able to take over the starting role by the end of the regular season (2.59 GAA/.907 sv%) and that caught the eyes of the Winnipeg Jets’ scouts.
- GM Kevin Cheveldayoff ended up taking a gamble on him with the team’s 7th round pick in 2022 and the move seemingly paid off as Dom won the OHL Goalie of the Year the following season with impressive stats (2.33 GAA/.919 sv%).
- After a disappointing final Junior season that was impacted by a couple injuries, the Canadian tender turned pro for the 2024-25 campaign. Splitting his time between the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals put up okay stats as a rookie, but he wasn’t helped by the fact that the minor league’s roster took a step back talent-wise that season (2.84 GAA/.906 sv%). This season DiVincentiis continued to split the games with fellow goalie prospect Thomas Milic while putting up similar numbers on another poorly performing Moose squad (3.03 GAA/.896 sv%).
- Yet when the 22 yr old was handed the reins to the team’s playoff hopes, he certainly stepped up to the plate (1.43 GAA & a .955 sv% in 5 starts). The outstanding play of the Moose goalie was the only reason the low scoring Manitoba offense was able to win their opening playoff round and he continued the strong performance against the AHL’s #2 team in the 2nd round. While he couldn’t stop his team from eventual elimination, he greatly frustrated the Grand Rapids Griffins’ (DET) scorers and that possibly impacted their play going forward (got eliminated in the next round by the much lower ranked Chicago Wolves (CAR)).
- But that is the rub with DiVincentiis when it comes to his NHL potential…..he has shown that he has the game to play at an elite level…yet doing it on a regular enough basis to fully steal the starting job in Manitoba has remained beyond his grasp in his first 2 professional seasons. I will remind myself that goalies do take the longest to develop and also add that he was a 7th round pick…so it wasn’t like he was expected to take a quick path to the big league. The positive is thing is he has the size & tools to be an effective shot stopper….the rest is a mental thing, and we’ve seen that even a 3 time Vezina Trophy winner like Connor Hellebuyck has to continue to fight that battle (especially in the playoffs).
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Starting Goalie
Most Likely: NHL Back Up/Depth Goalie
Basement: AHL Starting Goalie
*****
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 5.0
- As a 17 yr old, the Swede played in multiple leagues with varying levels of production. He was successful in the country’s under 20 division (39 pts in 43 gms), international play (42 pts in 29 gms), and the World Junior Championships (8 pts in 7 gms), yet failed to get his name on the scoresheet in 3 contests in the top league (SHL).
- That led the Winnipeg Jets to select Viktor Klingsell in the 5th round (156th overall) of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. In his post-draft campaign, the under-sized forward has shown that he is too good for Sweden’s U20 league (43 pts in 25 gms). That earned him a decently long look with the SHL’s Skelleftea team (1 pt in 12 gms), while he continued to produce well on the international level & the 2nd highest league (17 pts in 16 gms).
- Since none of my hockey sites offer frequent coverage of Sweden’s top leagues, I haven’t gotten much chance to watch a prospect Elite Prospects says has “natural instincts and feel for the game are undeniable, showing in the way he links up with and plays off his linemates while also being capable of setting the pace and slowing the game down. While the brain drives his value, Klingsell is also smooth and effortless both as a skater and puck-handler, capable of chaining together crossover-heavy rushes and inside-out attacks“.
- Dobber Prospects echoes those thoughts with their “an elite playmaking forward that needs to fine-tune his overall game, he has sneaky middle-six upside“.
- The 19 yr old has already agreed to play another season overseas, after which I would assume that he would make the move to North America. I believe he will have to make his mark in the AHL in order to give Winnipeg’s front office a reason to take a chance on the under-sized forward in the NHL. Too early for me to guess his Most Likely final development level, but I think the scouts give us a good clue on the range he should fall in.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Middle Six Winger
Most Likely: ????
Basement: AHL Top Six Winger
*****
- As an 18 yr old, the big forward started the season in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, but after scoring at an almost 2 pts/gm pace, he was called up to make his OHL debut with the London Knights. As a rookie playing limited minutes in the bottom six, Jacob Julien put up 16 pts in 40 gms before he was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the 5th round (146th overall) of the 2023 Entry Draft.
- Returning for a second season with his hometown Knights, the 19 yr old saw a great uptick in his production as London went on to win the OHL Championship (78 pts in 67 reg season gms & 18 pts in 18 playoff gms). Just a bit too young to join the AHL, the Canadian center returned for a final Junior campaign in 2024-25, where he saw his production fall off a a bit in the regular season (54 pts in 65 gms)…though he continued to be very effective in the playoffs (19 pts in 17 gms).
- Set to make his professional hockey debut with the Manitoba Moose this past season, Julien’s rookie year got off to a rough start when an injury cost him part of training camp & the first 3 months of the AHL campaign. Despite a couple warm up games in the ECHL, it took the 21 yr old a while to get up to speed again and when you combine that with the Moose’s meagre offensive production, it probably wasn’t that surprising that Jacob only ended up with 7 pts in 31 games.
- Mark Henry from Dobber’s says this about the Ontarian’s game & potential: “Julien was not drafted for his goal-scoring ability, but was better known for his playmaking ability and defensive game, making it hard for his opponents to play against him. For a 6-4 player, he skates well and does not take a shift off. He will not be relied upon in the pros for his point production; instead, he will be looked at to kill penalties and be a reliable bottom-six player who can match up against the opposing team’s better players. Julien will not have a high ceiling but will have a solid floor and should become a dependable bottom-six NHL player“.
- One of the few Jets’ prospects in this article that have a PNHLe chart, you will see that Jacob’s ceiling has dropped from his impressive post-draft OHL campaign to settle where it likely belonged all the time…the bottom six.
- Even though my first chance to watch Julien play regularly was impacted by injury, once he was up to speed he did bring a lot of the things on ice that I expected. A defensively responsible forward who can be counted to sacrifice the body to block a shot or to free up the puck on the forecheck. He appeared to be good in the face-off circle and has the ability to improve a penalty kill. Think Adam Lowry, but possibly with even less of a scoring touch. Hopefully Manitoba will find a way to unleash the offense next season and we’ll have a better idea on if Jacob can contribute to that more consistently at the pro level.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL 3rd Line Center
Most Likely: NHL 4th Line Center
Basement: NHL Depth Center/Winger
*****
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 4.5
- In his season prior to becoming NHL draft eligible, the 18 yr old took over the starting reins of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and delivered in both the regular season (2.44 GAA/.912 sv%) and playoffs (2.29 GAA/.925 sv%). Despite that, the under-sized Thomas Milic wasn’t drafted by an pro team that summer.
- Undeterred, the goalie returned to the WHL for another year and even delivered better stats (2.08 GAA/.925 sv% reg season & 1.95 GAA/.933 sv% in the playoffs). That helped the Thunderbirds win the championship that season, while the British Columbian picked up a bunch of hardware along the way. His strong play made the Winnipeg Jets take a shot on the Canadian in the 5th round (151st overall).
- Immediately turning pro, the 20 yr old started off by splitting his first season between the AHL’s Manitoba Moose (33 gms, 2.72 GAA, & .900 sv%) & the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals (18 gms, 2.45 GAA, & .908 sv%). The following campaign saw Milic be given the Moose’s starting job, but struggles (21 gms, 3.44 GAA, & .877 sv%) saw him sent down to the Admirals to work on his game (which he did very well,18 gms, 1.82 GAA, & .935 sv%). The tender followed that up with a strong EHCL playoff run too (9 gms, 1.61 GAA, & .945 sv%).
- Finally, this past season Thomas was able to edge out Dominic DiVincentiis for the #1 role in the minors (41 gms, 2.64 GAA, & .905 sv%), but after a so-so opening playoff performance Dom got the chance in Game 2 and his hot play kept the 23 yr old in the back up role.
- Milic mixes good position and speedy reflexes to make up for his under-sized frame (for an NHL goalie), as well as using good foot work and a strong compete level to out-perform expectations. Just look at the accolades he has picked up in his career to date: Gold Medal in both the under 18 & 20 World Junior Championships, CSSHL Goalie of the Year, WHL 1st & 2nd All Star nominations, WHL Goalie of the Year, WHL Championship, & WHL Playoff MVP.
- Despite all those awards, Thomas has an uphill battle to become an NHL regular. We’ve seen even more highly touted 6′ goalies like the Calgary Flames’ Dustin Wolf (.899 sv%) and the Buffalo Sabres’ Devon Levi (.872 sv%) struggle to gain traction in the big league. Milic put up similar numbers when he was thrown into action with the Winnipeg Jets for 3 games (.871 sv%), though it has to be said the our team was playing some awful hockey at the time.
- Even though the True Northers’ back up situation is still unknown with Eric Comrie hitting free agency, I doubt that the GM will go with one of the tender prospects in that role next season. So if DiVincentiis or Milic want to get into some NHL action next year, they will likely have to perform very well in the minors to grab the front office’s attention. With the Canadian’s fighting spirit, I will never write off his chances….but as of now, here is how I am predicting his potential.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Back Up Goalie
Most Likely: NHL Depth Goalie
Basement: AHL Starting Goalie
*****
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 4.0
- The Illinois-born defenseman was 17 yrs old in his pre-draft season, where he split his time between a couple of USHL clubs (17 pts in 54 gms), while also getting the opportunity to represent his country at the World Juniors (U18). Something in there drew the attention of the Winnipeg Jets’ scouts, as our team opted to select Edison Engle in the 6th round (188th overall) of the 2025 draft.
- The American opted to take advantage of the recent NCAA rule changes to spend a year in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs before he makes the move to college in 2026-27 with Western Michigan University. The move appeared to pay off, as the 18 yr old had a strong campaign (28 pts in 61 gms) while also getting the chance to play a couple playoff rounds (5 pts in 15 gms).
- Dobbers’ indicates that Edison is a “deceptive two-way defenseman with excellent speed and skating ability who can make an impact in all three zones“. They also are saying that he could have a top 4 potential ceiling at the NHL level, according to his PNHLe chart.
- Engle has the size and defensive attributes to appeal to the Jets’ front office, though he could certainly use some weight training to up his bulk this off-season. It will be interesting to see how his game adjusts to the older & likely bigger NCAA competition, but I do expect the 19 yr old to spend a couple of seasons there before making the jump to the pros. I could be wrong, as he will be eligible for the AHL by 2027-78.
- Still early on in his development, so really my Most Likely prediction is closer to an outright guess. Though I do like what the scouts have to say about his defensive game, which is usually the sticking point for prospects trying to make the jump to an NHL blueline.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Middle Pairing Defenseman
Most Likely: NHL Bottom Pairing Defenseman
Basement: AHL Top Pairing Defenseman
*****
- As a 17 yr old, the big forward raised eyebrows in the US High School Prep league, as he piled up 115 points in 74 games (including 51 goals). That lead to Chevy & company taking a shot on Zachary Nehring in the 3rd round (82nd overall) of the 2023 Entry Draft.
- Always viewed as a long-term project, the North Dakotan saw his production dip when he made the jump to the USHL (14 pts in 44 gms). The following season the winger made the move to the NCAA with the Western Michigan University and his numbers rebounded a bit (30 pts in 42 gms). Unfortunately, this past year’s campaign didn’t go as well statistically (17 pts in 35 gms), though Zachary did walk away with an NCAA Championship.
- Dobber’s scouting report indicates the 21 yr old is a “big, physical winger who isn’t afraid to crash the net. A long-term prospect with a chance to be a middle-six forward who can play in all situations and contribute offensively, also adding value in hits and blocks categories“.
- Already at an age where he could leave school to become a professional, it remains to be seen if the Winnipeg Jets will offer him a contract this summer. They have until June 1st of next summer to ink the prospect and I expect that he will return to college for one final season before he decides to sign with the True Northers or just wait to reach unrestricted free agency. Yet Nehring is still young enough to continue to build on his game and it sometimes takes these larger players a bit long to hit their top potential….so where he ends up in the following ranges is up in the air.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Bottom Six Winger
Most Likely: NHL Depth Winger
Basement: AHL Middle Six Winger
*****
- At 24 yrs old already, the Moose defender may have left the “prospect” territory but since Isaak Phillips is coming off his best AHL season (29 pts in 67 gms), I thought I would keep him in.
- Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 5th round (141st overall) in 2020, the defenseman has played a total of 59 NHL games (12 pts) which includes the 3 he got into with the Winnipeg Jets this year.
- Dobber’s PNHLe chart below doesn’t seem to match the NHL Certainty rating (4.0) or the words the scouts used…”A depth defenseman with a good combination of size and skating ability. Will be a full-time AHL player, barring significant injuries to multiple players at the NHL level for Winnipeg“.
- I liked how the Canadian defender used his skating to join in the rush with Manitoba this season and he provided them with a lot of valuable minutes in his own end as well. A solid all-around year for the veteran AHLer.
- Unless the Jets get him into 21 contests next season, the Ontario-born player will reach Group 6 UFA status next summer….but in the meantime, he will play big minutes for the Moose while also providing our club with a decent 8th or 9th defenseman option in the depth chart.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Bottom Six Defenseman
Most Likely: NHL Depth Defenseman
Basement: AHL Top Pairing Defenseman
*****
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 3.5
- As an under-sized winger in the OHL, the 17 yr old had a promising season from the Saginaw Spirit’s bottom six (47 pts in 67 gms). As a result, the Winnipeg Jets ended up taking a gamble on the Jacob Cloutier in the 7th round (220th overall) last summer.
- Unfortunately, the kid wasn’t able to take a step forward with his offensive production in 2025-26 (47 pts in 64 gms) so his PNHLe chart from Dobber’s has seen a dip to his potential ceiling.
- The young Canadian plays a “fast, intense, high-energy physical game” according to the scouts at that site and has shown a level of consistency over his first 2 Junior campaigns. Still a year away from being eligible for the AHL, Jacob will be looking to build his overall game in his final season.
- Elite Prospects also confirmed Cloutier’s high motor, but also mentioned that he thrives on the cycle game using his speed & tenacity to win board battles, as well as using his body to protect the puck when he’s got it on his stick.
- Still too early to really guess on the Most Likely category, another full campaign should give us a better idea on whether Jacob can be a rare 7th round pick to become a full time NHLer.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Middle Six Winger
Most Likely: ???
Basement: AHL Bottom Six Winger
*****
- As a 17 yr old in USHL (16 pts in 36 gms), Garrett Brown drew the Winnipeg Jets’ attention enough to select him 4th round (99th overall).
- The big defenseman followed up with 18 pts in 54 gms in the same league before making the move to the NCAA the next season. An injury limited the New Yorker to only 8 games with Denver is a freshman, but the defender was able to play a bigger role in the next two seasons (which included a national championship).
- Dobber has kept Brown’s PNHLe rating fairly even over the years, with a potential ceiling of a 3rd pairing defenseman at the NHL suggested.
- The lack of offense noticed in the stats and in the scouting comments is surprising from the little I’ve seen of Garrett’s game. When his NCAA career came to an end after this past season, the American signed his first professional contract and was able to join the Manitoba Moose for 4 playoff games. The 22 yr old defender seemed to be a good skater for someone 6’3″ and didn’t seem to be shy when it came to jumping into an offensive rush up the ice. He didn’t pick up any points, but when the Moose had problems scoring more than 1 goal per game…that isn’t too surprising.
- I liked my first impression of his game, but until I get to see him on regular basis during the AHL’s 2026-27 campaign…I don’t have any personal feeling of where Brown will end up.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Bottom Four Defenseman
Most Likely: ???
Basement: AHL Top Four Defenseman
*****
NHL CERTAINTY RATING = 3.0
- Another overaged prospect that I thought to include in our review….mainly because Tyrel Bauer had a good enough season for the Manitoba Moose that it deserved to be talked about. A 6th round (164th overall) in 2020 by the Winnipeg Jets after he captained the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds for multiple seasons, he joined the True North franchise’s AHL affiliate in 2022-23
- After spending most of his first 3 professional season playing in the Moose’s bottom six and providing entertainment with his fists (over 100 PIMs in 3 of 4 campaigns), the 24 yr old moved into the top four this year and he played some good hockey (even though he didn’t provide much offense – 5 pts in 52 gms). The Albertan had his best defensive season though, as his -2 rating isn’t bad when you consider his club ended with a -31 Goal Differential.
- Yet Bauer’s contributions go beyond the ice, since his work in the Winnipeg community not only earned him his teammates vote for the AHL’s Man of the Year award…..he actually got enough votes from the rest of the league to walk away with the trophy.
- Dobber’s calls him a stereotypically “stay at home defenseman” and he builds on that by standing up for his teammates, making him an extremely valuable asset to protect the Jets’ high end prospects in the minors.
- The latest PNHLe has seen a slight uptick in Bauer’s potential, but it still seems likely that the Canadian tops out as an depth defenseman. Regardless, I would like to see him get at least a game in with Winnipeg next year if the season goes awry, since his leadership & play in the minors deserves to be rewarded. Only 49% of drafted players end up suiting up for an NHL contest, so it would be great if the Jets could help Tyrel slip into that category at some point.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: NHL Depth Defenseman
Most Likely: AHL Top Four Defenseman
Basement: AHL Top Four Defenseman
*****
UNRANKED NHL CERTAINTY
- As an 5’10” under-sized forward, Fabian Wagner did well in his pre-draft campaign when he was playing in the under 20 league (38 pts in 43 gms). That was enough for the Winnipeg Jets to select him in the 6th round (175th overall) in 2022.
- He followed that up with a similar season, though he did get into 22 SHL games with Linkoping HC (0 pts). In 2023-24, the Swede struggled in his country’s top league (6 pts in 41 gms) and when that happened to start the next campaign (0 pts in 16 gms), Fabian was moved to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately that didn’t unlock his offense either (13 pts in 50 gms), though he hinted at that potential with a strong finish.
- Alas, this season went even worse (3 pts in 29 gms) as Wagner often found himself a healthy scratch in the minors.
- While the prospect did grow a couple inches since he was drafted, the much needed added weight didn’t really come with that spurt. As a result, the under-sized winger can easily get knocked off the puck by the opposition…which isn’t a great trait when you are hoping to carve out a bottom six role in the NHL.
- Personally, I haven’t seen anything in his time with the Moose to even remotely suggest a big league future, so my potential ratings are pretty pessimistic.
POTENTIAL:
Ceiling: AHL Bottom Six Winger
Most Likely: Returns to Europe after his ELC
Basement: ECHL Middle Six Winger
*****
Well, that finally wraps up Arctic Ice Hockey’s look at the Winnipeg Jets’ prospects heading into the 2026-27 season. It certainly has taken me a while to research & write it…and from the lengths of the articles, it likely has taken you a long time to read them. Hopefully after all that effort we have a better idea what is in the True North prospect pool. Now we just have to wait until June 26th & 27th to see who else GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be adding (WPG has 1st, 3rd, 4th (EDM), 5th, 6th, 7th, & 7th (BUF) round selections).
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Despite a lot of people in the media & fans on PuckPedia advocating that the Jets’ move #8 for some immediate help…..I really hope they don’t do that. My rationale is that while Winnipeg does have some promising prospects in the fold, we are missing the real high end ones. As of now, I don’t see any player coming up in the system that will eventually replace an aging 1st liner like Mark Scheifele or Kyle Connor, nor a top pairing defenseman like Josh Morrissey (who only has 2 yrs left on his current deal).
So I don’t even care that much about who Chevy will take with the 8th overall pick….just as long as he keeps it. Though I do have to say my feelings of under-sized Viggo Bjorck have improved since I did the 2026 NHL Entry Draft: Top Prospects article. The young Swede is giving my a Nicholas Ehlers’ vibe, so now I am not even scared if Winnipeg takes a chance on the 5’10” forward. Still think the True Northers need to add some size to their forward corps and fill that long empty 2C hole…so won’t be upset if they go for a larger player or for a center.
Let me hear in the Comment section whether you are excited about any of these “longer shot” prospects? Which kids’ hockey skills intrigue you the most? When it comes to all 4 parts of the review….do you have any prospects you feel have the best chance to make an impact for Winnipeg in the future? Are there any that you wouldn’t include in a trade for a middle sixer to help the Jets next season?
Not exactly sure what is on tap for my next AIH article…..though will probably take another look at the upcoming draft before the end of the month with the hopes of narrowing down who Chevy may select with the 8th overall pick. Let me know if there are any other topics that you would like to see discussed over the summer. Stay healthy and enjoy the off-season everyone!!