Wrong Sport, Proper Metaphor
It appeared that for the first time in a couple of years the Winnipeg Jets would use their own first round selection. That was until Tom and Julien rekindled conversations left idled at the deadline. Dylan Larkin's name had been discussed before. Zach Budish has been described as the affordable complementary player the club has sorely missed. So, with a young core that snuck into the playoffs, GMTK decided immediate help would be more valuable.
As the selections slowly came in, the talents available at twenty-seven soon became clear. Some early surprises left highly coveted prospects at the vacated spot. In press interviews, Kennish stated that there was some second guessing as Calgary selected Nicolas Roy, a forward very similar Nick Bjugstad out of the Quebec league. His final analysis, "None of these guys are helping us on day one next year."
The Jets also acquired two third round selections from Colorado after shipping away M.E. Vlasic at the deadline. Intriguing prospects littered the second round. Unfortunately, those players rapidly came off the board as the round was concluding. Dallas was still interested in thirds, so the organization was happy to return Keaton Ellerby to the fold. A subsequent deal with St. Louis continued the trend of burning up early round selections. But the transaction cleared the path for Ellerby on the 15-16 blue line.
Veteran Chris Kunitz and faceoff whiz Ryan Spooner came from the Blues at a steep price. [1st and 2nd round 2016 selections] Both appear to be ticketed for third line roles, a seemingly low return for high selections. Chris [Kunitz] provides reliable production from the wing who can slide up and down the top-9. Ryan came highly recommended from our scouts. Face off wizard, developing defensive side, sneaky shot, and smooth hands. Not to mention his contract is a steal if it all comes together.
On to the selections..
6th Round
D Sami Niku, Finland
Potential AHL contributor down the line.
7th Round
C Brett McKenzie, North Bay (OHL)
AHL will probably be his highest level of competition.
