07-17-2020, 05:22 PM
2228 words, ready for grading, 2x draft media
Flight School: Winnipeg Jets Draft and Prospect Report (S55 Edition)
Hello and welcome to another edition of Flight School: Winnipeg Jets Prospects and Draft Report! A lot has happened since the last edition, and I hope that you, dear reader, forgive me, your Flight School Instructor, for not releasing an interim edition to keep you all updated. Winnipeg didn’t have much of a S54 class to speak of, and unfortunately it meant that the pipeline was pretty barren. However, this draft nicely stocked it and will rejuvenate the Jets in the future!
The Winnipeg Jets seem to be quite set in Defense, with the 1-2 punch of Slip McScruff and Adam Barron leading them, and new graduate Magnus Liljestrom taking over Gary Grease’s third pair spot. Their forward depth is still quite strong, with the first line of Shepard-Brain-Crudelli holding their own nicely among the league’s first lines, and fellow S53 graduate Reid Sutherland taking over third-line pivot duties. However, many of the older players on this roster are entering regression or starting to be hit hard by the loss of TPE, and stocking the prospect cupboard with new forwards seems to be the new order of the day.
Without further ado, the S55 Draft Class for the Winnipeg Jets:
S55 Draft, in Descending Order:
21st Overall: Zakkira Diporov, Right Wing - @TheSparkyDee
Taken with the 21st overall pick of the S55 SHL Draft, many seem to think this is a bit of a jump for Diporov, who wasn’t really mentioned in the mock drafts for many people. Diporov is a right wing who played with the Detroit Falcons during the S54 season, having been picked 53rd overall in the S54 SMJHL Draft, and has been one of the Falcons’ brighter prospects in that draft as they attempted to repeat their charge for the Four Star Cup. Unfortunately that particular plan didn’t come to fruition, as the Falcons cratered back to earth with a forgettable S54 season performance and barely squeaking into the playoffs. They showed some signs of life, taking the Laurifer Trophy holders Newfoundland Berserkers to 7 games in the first round, but did not advance to the second round.
Diporov played a total of 50 games with Detroit, amassing 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) on a fourth line that saw roughly 9 minutes a game. Diporov led the team in PIM, having gotten 62 penalty minutes, and was second in hits behind Edward Williams with 122 hits. The fourth line for DET unfortunately bled chances against and that left Diporov and his fellow linemates with not so good advanced stats, with Corsi and Fenwick numbers below 40 percent, and some of the worst relative Corsi/Fenwick values on the team. With further time, Diporov can hopefully grow further and address the defensive deficiencies that they have and become a more well-rounded player. Their TPE earning is quite good, and their recent media push means that they should have more funds for training and equipment in order to boost their TPE.
37th Overall: Zelma Zuntnere, Left Wing - @Jogurtaa
Zelma Zuntnere was drafted with the 37th overall pick of the S55 SHL Draft, falling from a predicted 2nd round selection. With a player that they thought would be unavailable falling to them, Winnipeg might have found a bit of a gem in the rough. Zelma is a Left Wing selected in the fourth round of the S54 SMJHL draft by the Carolina Kraken, and recently won the Four Star Cup in the S54 season. Part of the strong S55 class that played a part in the recent win for the Kraken, Zuntnere projects similarly to Diporov, being an offensive-oriented player that might need further development on the defensive side of the game. Especially slippery, the Latvian player is adept at slipping the check of opposing players and finding soft seams to receive the puck and direct it at the opposing net.
Zuntnere played 50 games for the Kraken, and registered 9 points (4 goals and 5 points) on the season, averaging 12 minutes a game. With not much special teams time to boost her points, she doesn’t stand out in any particular manner, but the tools are there to develop in the future to be a more complete player. Zuntnere had decent advanced stats numbers with a Corsi hovering in the 50% range and a Fenwick similar to that. Slightly unlucky with a PDO of 97.4, she can hope that her puck luck improves in this coming season.
48th Overall: Fleetway Super Sonic, Left Defense - @Taxman100
Picked with the 48th pick of the S55 SHL Draft, Fleetway Super Sonic could be a late round steal for the Jets as this undrafted free agent might have been overlooked by other teams. Kelowna took on the late create halfway through the season, and he has been earning quite well since then, having almost caught up to quite a few of his S55 classmates. FSS played 29 games with the Kelowna Knights, gathering 5 points (all assists) on a scant (for a defenseman) 12 minutes average per night. With a great set of physical tools - one of the strongest in his draft class - this defenseman has aggression and bravery aplenty and does not hesitate to dive into the corner to dig out the puck and get it for his team. Surprisingly, he only has 11 penalty minutes on the season even with the aggression that he displays.
A late create, Sonic has yet to fully develop his game and has major potential to be a stud defenseman in the future as he gains TPE and fleshes out his skills to go with his physical capabilities.
S54 Prospects:
Richard Majors, Goal - @Hefe4711
Though Majors seemed to develop fairly well in his first season, now he has gone inactive and flattened out at 273TPE. Majors was selected with the 53rd overall selection in the S54 SHL Entry Draft, and plays for the St. Louis Scarecrows. This season, he split starts with new S55 netminder Nicolae Andrescu with an average performance, with a Goals Against Average of 2.83 and a 0.901 save percentage.
Pojo Biscuit, Left Defense - @.bojo
Pojo Biscuit was acquired recently by the Winnipeg Jets by trading the 6th overall pick in the S55 SHL Entry Draft to the Baltimore Platoon in exchange for Pojo Biscuit, who is related to SHL legends Bojo Biscuit and Beaujeaux Biscuit. The S54 Left Defenseman was selected 11th overall in the S54 SHL Entry Draft after being a late create for that SMJHL season, and though he is a bit behind his classmates in terms of sheer TPE, the pedigree and promise that Biscuit holds strong.
Biscuit spent the season playing for the Anchorage Armada, holding down the left side defense as a 2nd pairing defenseman beside Bork Lazer. During the course of the season, Biscuit amassed 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists), while averaging close to 19 minutes a game, including some special teams time. Biscuit was the defenseman on Anchorage with the best plus-minus rating, as well as the 2nd highest defenseman Corsi and Fenwick (including relative Corsi and Fenwick) just behind phenom defenseman Matthew Sawful. With a couple more seasons of developing in the juniors, Pojo Biscuit could prove to be an important part of the Winnipeg Jets defensive corps in the future.
Recent Graduates:
Strom Chamberlain, Goal (S52 Draft Class) - @Geekusoid
Having recently backstopped the Anaheim Outlaws to a second finals appearance in three seasons time, Strom Chamberlain now graduates to the major leagues and replaces Vivian Leblanc as the starting netminder of the Winnipeg Jets. Having been picked at 7th overall pick of the S52 SHL Entry Draft, Chamberlain was the highest goalie draft pick in recent history, and has continued to prove that by being the highest TPE goalie in his S52 draft class, ahead of Olli Saarinen Jr. who currently plays for the New Orleans Specters. Chamberlain also accepted a co-GM position alongside current General Manager Goku Muerto, and will play a large part in Winnipeg’s push for the playoffs this season. He also headlines the call-ups made to the senior squad this season, with Winnipeg clearing out its prospect pipeline of S53 and earlier prospects by either releasing them or calling them up.
Chamberlain was the clear starter for the Anaheim Outlaws, playing 34 games in the regular season with a Goals Against Average of 2.89 and a save percentage of 0.903%, but where he really shined was in the playoffs, with a sterling 2.14 Goals Against Average and 0.929% Save Percentage, leading all goalies who started more than one game in the postseason. Unfortunately that wasn’t quite enough, as the high-powered offense of the Carolina Kraken would eventually overwhelm the Outlaws, and Anaheim would end up losing the Four Star Cup finals in six games against the Kraken, who beat out odds-on favourites Newfoundland to advance to the finals.
Reid Sutherland, Center (S53 Draft Class) - @"reid_sutherland"
The first of the two call-ups made by the Jets from the S53 class, Reid Sutherland was picked in the first round using the 14th overall pick of the S53 SHL Entry draft after a series of trades that saw the Jets picking 1st and 14th in that particular draft, and picking exclusively Detroit Falcons players during a fairly deep draft. A playmaking center, Sutherland is a versatile player who can take on a variety of roles, and he had to do exactly that for a faltering S54 Detroit squad who looked listless and underperformed after they dominated the SMJHL in the S53 season. Bouncing between different lines, Sutherland handled what the management and coaches asked with aplomb, and was probably one of the better players during a forgettable season for the Falcons who looked unlike their S53 selves.
Sutherland scored 23 points during the S54 season, split between 6 goals and 17 assists, and was one of the better forwards for Detroit based on advanced stats, with a positive Corsi/Fenwick and relative Corsi/Fenwick. He had some special teams time, and was utilized in all situations. For the Jets, Sutherland will be going up to take on the 3rd line pivot role, centering Ricky Spanish and Bale. Currently, he is 3rd in the TPE standings for the S53 class, just a few TPE ahead of fellow teammate Magnus Liljestrom, and looks to continue his excellent performance since his draft debut.
Magnus Liljestrom, Left Defense (S53 Draft Class) - @roastpuff
The second call-up for the S53 draft class for the Winnipeg Jets, Liljestrom was picked at the 1st overall pick of the S53 SHL Entry Draft after Winnipeg traded up from their 4th overall pick. A fellow Detroit Falcon, Liljestrom wasn’t quite as a standout as fellow Falcon defensemen Guy O’ Shea or Jack Kanoff, but is a very solid contributor to the blue line for the Falcons as someone to eat up the tough minutes against the other teams’ first lines. Though he has been mainly deployed in a defensive role in the SMJHL in order to let his partners (Guy O’ Shea, Jack Kanoff) shine in a more offensive role, Liljestrom still shows plenty of offensive potential when given the chance to strut his stuff. Deployed as the power play quarterback for the Swedish World Juniors team, his puck distribution has been excellent, as well as being decisive when taking shots from the point. Tied with Ulrik Bergstrom for international points on that team, Liljestrom has the better plus-minus and the best defensive game rating for the Swedish WJC Team, and shows his future potential as a first-pairing defenseman.
In terms of the S54 SMJHL season, Liljestrom also has the best defensive game rating on the Falcons team excluding Toki Wartooth, who only played a total of 4 games on the season. His offensive game rating is not as good, unfortunately, due to the role he played, but he did put up 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) and maintained a positive plus-minus rating. He had a tough deployment, taking on the most short-handed time (excluding the small sample size of Toki Wartooth) and blocking the most shots for defensemen on the team with 75, just behind Frederick Wanesly who had a monster 89 shot blocks as a forward. Unfortunately, with the tough deployment, his Corsi and Fenwick suffered a bit as they dipped below 50%, unlike last season which hovered around 60% as the whole team was doing better overall. Detroit had a tough postseason as they faced off against Newfoundland in the first round, and Liljestrom managed to be leading defensemen on the team with 5 points, all of them even-strength assists, and 14 shot blocks for the most on the team. Unfortunately that would not be enough and the Falcons would fall, thus ending his ignominious third season in the Juniors.
Ending Remarks
Thus ends this edition of Flight School, and I am happy to report that this draft has nicely started a new pile of prospects for the Winnipeg Jets to continue to develop for the future. The recent graduates being called up bolster an already strong core, and with several other teams in the West facing age-related or cap-related woes of their own, this can mean that the Winnipeg Jets have a larger chance at finding success during the season and the postseason. Until next time, this is your Flight School Instructor signing off!
Flight School: Winnipeg Jets Draft and Prospect Report (S55 Edition) Hello and welcome to another edition of Flight School: Winnipeg Jets Prospects and Draft Report! A lot has happened since the last edition, and I hope that you, dear reader, forgive me, your Flight School Instructor, for not releasing an interim edition to keep you all updated. Winnipeg didn’t have much of a S54 class to speak of, and unfortunately it meant that the pipeline was pretty barren. However, this draft nicely stocked it and will rejuvenate the Jets in the future!
The Winnipeg Jets seem to be quite set in Defense, with the 1-2 punch of Slip McScruff and Adam Barron leading them, and new graduate Magnus Liljestrom taking over Gary Grease’s third pair spot. Their forward depth is still quite strong, with the first line of Shepard-Brain-Crudelli holding their own nicely among the league’s first lines, and fellow S53 graduate Reid Sutherland taking over third-line pivot duties. However, many of the older players on this roster are entering regression or starting to be hit hard by the loss of TPE, and stocking the prospect cupboard with new forwards seems to be the new order of the day.
Without further ado, the S55 Draft Class for the Winnipeg Jets:
S55 Draft, in Descending Order:
21st Overall: Zakkira Diporov, Right Wing - @TheSparkyDee
Taken with the 21st overall pick of the S55 SHL Draft, many seem to think this is a bit of a jump for Diporov, who wasn’t really mentioned in the mock drafts for many people. Diporov is a right wing who played with the Detroit Falcons during the S54 season, having been picked 53rd overall in the S54 SMJHL Draft, and has been one of the Falcons’ brighter prospects in that draft as they attempted to repeat their charge for the Four Star Cup. Unfortunately that particular plan didn’t come to fruition, as the Falcons cratered back to earth with a forgettable S54 season performance and barely squeaking into the playoffs. They showed some signs of life, taking the Laurifer Trophy holders Newfoundland Berserkers to 7 games in the first round, but did not advance to the second round.
Diporov played a total of 50 games with Detroit, amassing 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) on a fourth line that saw roughly 9 minutes a game. Diporov led the team in PIM, having gotten 62 penalty minutes, and was second in hits behind Edward Williams with 122 hits. The fourth line for DET unfortunately bled chances against and that left Diporov and his fellow linemates with not so good advanced stats, with Corsi and Fenwick numbers below 40 percent, and some of the worst relative Corsi/Fenwick values on the team. With further time, Diporov can hopefully grow further and address the defensive deficiencies that they have and become a more well-rounded player. Their TPE earning is quite good, and their recent media push means that they should have more funds for training and equipment in order to boost their TPE.
37th Overall: Zelma Zuntnere, Left Wing - @Jogurtaa
Zelma Zuntnere was drafted with the 37th overall pick of the S55 SHL Draft, falling from a predicted 2nd round selection. With a player that they thought would be unavailable falling to them, Winnipeg might have found a bit of a gem in the rough. Zelma is a Left Wing selected in the fourth round of the S54 SMJHL draft by the Carolina Kraken, and recently won the Four Star Cup in the S54 season. Part of the strong S55 class that played a part in the recent win for the Kraken, Zuntnere projects similarly to Diporov, being an offensive-oriented player that might need further development on the defensive side of the game. Especially slippery, the Latvian player is adept at slipping the check of opposing players and finding soft seams to receive the puck and direct it at the opposing net.
Zuntnere played 50 games for the Kraken, and registered 9 points (4 goals and 5 points) on the season, averaging 12 minutes a game. With not much special teams time to boost her points, she doesn’t stand out in any particular manner, but the tools are there to develop in the future to be a more complete player. Zuntnere had decent advanced stats numbers with a Corsi hovering in the 50% range and a Fenwick similar to that. Slightly unlucky with a PDO of 97.4, she can hope that her puck luck improves in this coming season.
48th Overall: Fleetway Super Sonic, Left Defense - @Taxman100
Picked with the 48th pick of the S55 SHL Draft, Fleetway Super Sonic could be a late round steal for the Jets as this undrafted free agent might have been overlooked by other teams. Kelowna took on the late create halfway through the season, and he has been earning quite well since then, having almost caught up to quite a few of his S55 classmates. FSS played 29 games with the Kelowna Knights, gathering 5 points (all assists) on a scant (for a defenseman) 12 minutes average per night. With a great set of physical tools - one of the strongest in his draft class - this defenseman has aggression and bravery aplenty and does not hesitate to dive into the corner to dig out the puck and get it for his team. Surprisingly, he only has 11 penalty minutes on the season even with the aggression that he displays.
A late create, Sonic has yet to fully develop his game and has major potential to be a stud defenseman in the future as he gains TPE and fleshes out his skills to go with his physical capabilities.
S54 Prospects:
Richard Majors, Goal - @Hefe4711
Though Majors seemed to develop fairly well in his first season, now he has gone inactive and flattened out at 273TPE. Majors was selected with the 53rd overall selection in the S54 SHL Entry Draft, and plays for the St. Louis Scarecrows. This season, he split starts with new S55 netminder Nicolae Andrescu with an average performance, with a Goals Against Average of 2.83 and a 0.901 save percentage.
Pojo Biscuit, Left Defense - @.bojo
Pojo Biscuit was acquired recently by the Winnipeg Jets by trading the 6th overall pick in the S55 SHL Entry Draft to the Baltimore Platoon in exchange for Pojo Biscuit, who is related to SHL legends Bojo Biscuit and Beaujeaux Biscuit. The S54 Left Defenseman was selected 11th overall in the S54 SHL Entry Draft after being a late create for that SMJHL season, and though he is a bit behind his classmates in terms of sheer TPE, the pedigree and promise that Biscuit holds strong.
Biscuit spent the season playing for the Anchorage Armada, holding down the left side defense as a 2nd pairing defenseman beside Bork Lazer. During the course of the season, Biscuit amassed 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists), while averaging close to 19 minutes a game, including some special teams time. Biscuit was the defenseman on Anchorage with the best plus-minus rating, as well as the 2nd highest defenseman Corsi and Fenwick (including relative Corsi and Fenwick) just behind phenom defenseman Matthew Sawful. With a couple more seasons of developing in the juniors, Pojo Biscuit could prove to be an important part of the Winnipeg Jets defensive corps in the future.
Recent Graduates:
Strom Chamberlain, Goal (S52 Draft Class) - @Geekusoid
Having recently backstopped the Anaheim Outlaws to a second finals appearance in three seasons time, Strom Chamberlain now graduates to the major leagues and replaces Vivian Leblanc as the starting netminder of the Winnipeg Jets. Having been picked at 7th overall pick of the S52 SHL Entry Draft, Chamberlain was the highest goalie draft pick in recent history, and has continued to prove that by being the highest TPE goalie in his S52 draft class, ahead of Olli Saarinen Jr. who currently plays for the New Orleans Specters. Chamberlain also accepted a co-GM position alongside current General Manager Goku Muerto, and will play a large part in Winnipeg’s push for the playoffs this season. He also headlines the call-ups made to the senior squad this season, with Winnipeg clearing out its prospect pipeline of S53 and earlier prospects by either releasing them or calling them up.
Chamberlain was the clear starter for the Anaheim Outlaws, playing 34 games in the regular season with a Goals Against Average of 2.89 and a save percentage of 0.903%, but where he really shined was in the playoffs, with a sterling 2.14 Goals Against Average and 0.929% Save Percentage, leading all goalies who started more than one game in the postseason. Unfortunately that wasn’t quite enough, as the high-powered offense of the Carolina Kraken would eventually overwhelm the Outlaws, and Anaheim would end up losing the Four Star Cup finals in six games against the Kraken, who beat out odds-on favourites Newfoundland to advance to the finals.
Reid Sutherland, Center (S53 Draft Class) - @"reid_sutherland"
The first of the two call-ups made by the Jets from the S53 class, Reid Sutherland was picked in the first round using the 14th overall pick of the S53 SHL Entry draft after a series of trades that saw the Jets picking 1st and 14th in that particular draft, and picking exclusively Detroit Falcons players during a fairly deep draft. A playmaking center, Sutherland is a versatile player who can take on a variety of roles, and he had to do exactly that for a faltering S54 Detroit squad who looked listless and underperformed after they dominated the SMJHL in the S53 season. Bouncing between different lines, Sutherland handled what the management and coaches asked with aplomb, and was probably one of the better players during a forgettable season for the Falcons who looked unlike their S53 selves.
Sutherland scored 23 points during the S54 season, split between 6 goals and 17 assists, and was one of the better forwards for Detroit based on advanced stats, with a positive Corsi/Fenwick and relative Corsi/Fenwick. He had some special teams time, and was utilized in all situations. For the Jets, Sutherland will be going up to take on the 3rd line pivot role, centering Ricky Spanish and Bale. Currently, he is 3rd in the TPE standings for the S53 class, just a few TPE ahead of fellow teammate Magnus Liljestrom, and looks to continue his excellent performance since his draft debut.
Magnus Liljestrom, Left Defense (S53 Draft Class) - @roastpuff
The second call-up for the S53 draft class for the Winnipeg Jets, Liljestrom was picked at the 1st overall pick of the S53 SHL Entry Draft after Winnipeg traded up from their 4th overall pick. A fellow Detroit Falcon, Liljestrom wasn’t quite as a standout as fellow Falcon defensemen Guy O’ Shea or Jack Kanoff, but is a very solid contributor to the blue line for the Falcons as someone to eat up the tough minutes against the other teams’ first lines. Though he has been mainly deployed in a defensive role in the SMJHL in order to let his partners (Guy O’ Shea, Jack Kanoff) shine in a more offensive role, Liljestrom still shows plenty of offensive potential when given the chance to strut his stuff. Deployed as the power play quarterback for the Swedish World Juniors team, his puck distribution has been excellent, as well as being decisive when taking shots from the point. Tied with Ulrik Bergstrom for international points on that team, Liljestrom has the better plus-minus and the best defensive game rating for the Swedish WJC Team, and shows his future potential as a first-pairing defenseman.
In terms of the S54 SMJHL season, Liljestrom also has the best defensive game rating on the Falcons team excluding Toki Wartooth, who only played a total of 4 games on the season. His offensive game rating is not as good, unfortunately, due to the role he played, but he did put up 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) and maintained a positive plus-minus rating. He had a tough deployment, taking on the most short-handed time (excluding the small sample size of Toki Wartooth) and blocking the most shots for defensemen on the team with 75, just behind Frederick Wanesly who had a monster 89 shot blocks as a forward. Unfortunately, with the tough deployment, his Corsi and Fenwick suffered a bit as they dipped below 50%, unlike last season which hovered around 60% as the whole team was doing better overall. Detroit had a tough postseason as they faced off against Newfoundland in the first round, and Liljestrom managed to be leading defensemen on the team with 5 points, all of them even-strength assists, and 14 shot blocks for the most on the team. Unfortunately that would not be enough and the Falcons would fall, thus ending his ignominious third season in the Juniors.
Ending Remarks
Thus ends this edition of Flight School, and I am happy to report that this draft has nicely started a new pile of prospects for the Winnipeg Jets to continue to develop for the future. The recent graduates being called up bolster an already strong core, and with several other teams in the West facing age-related or cap-related woes of their own, this can mean that the Winnipeg Jets have a larger chance at finding success during the season and the postseason. Until next time, this is your Flight School Instructor signing off!