- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun: The Jets own the 17th and 25th overall picks, plus the 47th, but there’s no clear indication if one or both are in play for a trade to immediately improve the NHL roster. As GM Ken Cheveldayoff notes:
“Yeah, we would think about moving up,” Cheveldayoff said from Las Vegas earlier this week. “Those conversations do happen throughout the course of time. With the picks we have and where they’re clustered, does that give us some added currency maybe to try and move up if the opportunity presents itself? But again, the opportunity has to present itself. And you don’t move up just for the sake of moving up. You have to have a purpose.
“The combination of continuing to stock your prospect pool with quantity is also something that a lot of teams need and covet, but if you have an opportunity to take a swing at a guy you really like and it unfolds in front of you, then you have to be prepared to want to do it.”
- Mike Deal of the Winnipeg Free Press: The Jets are one of six teams with a pair of picks in the first round, but they’re the only team with two picks in close proximity:
“Edmonton (1 and 16), Buffalo (2 and 21), Arizona (3 and 30), Toronto (4 and 24) and Philadelphia (7 and 29) — meaning the jockeying for spots could be intense.”
Picking at No. 17 and 25, it’s hard to say who will be available for the Jets.
“You’ve got the Top 2 players that everyone talks about and then at No. 3 all of a sudden you start hearing different opinions on players,” said Cheveldayoff. “Where our picks are situated there’s not a lot of certainty of what you’re going to get or who you’re going to get. But that can add to the intrigue as well. And when you have two picks that close (17 and 25), your list governs and guides what you are going to do so it does make for an interesting time.”
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun: The Senators own the 18th overall pick, and appear comfortable picking there based on their recent history of picking in the middle of the first round. As Assistant GM Pierre Dorian notes:
“For us, where we’re picking, can we find a Curtis Lazar? Can we find a Cody Ceci? That’s a more fair assessment going into this draft than trying to find an Erik Karlsson. I think there’s only one Erik Karlsson,” said assistant GM Pierre Dorion during last week’s availability. “I feel really good about No. 18.”