With the Stanley Cup playoffs completed after Carolina’s 3-0 win in Vegas Sunday Night, the focus for hockey fans will now be on the lead-up to the draft in Buffalo. And that could create a window of much-needed positivity for the Winnipeg Jets.
Between the most disappointing season in 2.0 franchise history, coupled with the electric performances of Nikolaj Ehlers for Carolina in the playoffs, Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets’ hockey department have been subjected to a crushing load of criticism. Not just in this market but across the National Hockey League as well.
Add in the reports of a Connor Hellebuyck trade request — unsubstantiated at this point — and the debate over whether to move the star goalie, trade the No. 8 overall selection in the draft, the outside noise has been deafening to say the least.
One way for the Jets to counter the overwhelming negativity of this off-season would be for Chevy and his management team to find a way to position themselves to draft Carson Carels.
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Judging by the myriad of mock drafts to date, that would require the Jets to make a deal with the NY Rangers to move up to No. 5 on the big board.
In any kind of order, the first four picks “figure” to be Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra. And in almost every one of those scenarios, Carels does not get past Calgary with the sixth overall selection.
The highly skilled 6-2, 198-pound blueliner from Cypress River will not be a saviour. That would be grossly unfair to a young man who won’t even celebrate his 18th birthday until next week.
But Carels projects to be a solid all-around top four defenceman. And he’ll continue to develop those skills just down the road in Grand Forks after committing to UND earlier this spring.
For sure, it will cost Winnipeg to move three spots up on draft night. But it feels like an investment worth any perceived risk.
In my opinion, selecting Carels would have an intrinsic value for the Jets in terms of hope.
On the ice, and from a marketing standpoint, Carels ticks off every conceivable box.
And boy, could the Winnipeg Jets ever use a healthy dose of positive PR right about now.
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