r/winnipegjets

Fresh off signing a two-year contract with the Jets last week, we caught up with defenceman Tyrel Bauer as he prepares for his fifth season in Winnipeg. Bauer discussed getting his new deal done, his summer in Manitoba, reflecting on the Moose’s playoff run, head coach Mark Morrison’s comments on his importance to the team, what he’s worked on this summer, using video in his development, the NHL opportunity ahead of him this season, goal setting, what he got up to off the ice and more.

Viggo Björck is a very intelligent and competitive center with top-six upside, while Sascha Boumedienne provides a lot of mobility on the blue line. The concern is that the depth behind those two is questionable, and it’s not clear what the path forward is for the Jets to win again in the near term.

2025 ranking: 25

2026 NHL Draft grade: C

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There are several ways Arniel could upend these projections, ranging from likely (Gabriel Vilardi up top, Lambert on line two, Alex Iafallo on the third or fourth line) to curious (promoting Tyrel Bauer to the NHL for toughness unmatched by other Jets). Zhilkin or Brayden Yager could steal a job if injury strikes (or if Arniel were willing to sit a veteran), and Cheveldayoff could blow it all up with a Hellebuyck blockbuster. It’s also hard to imagine Cole Koepke as a 13th forward for very long, given his impact at the end of last season.

There is also legitimate cause for excitement about at least one young player. Björck is at the front of that class, despite his youth and size, but best-case scenarios for Lambert or Rosén would shake up the forward depth chart. It’s odd in some ways to think of Björck, 18, as the most likely to exceed expectations, but he’s so smart and wins so many of his battles that he stood out at development camp in ways that Colby Barlow, Rutger McGroarty and other recent first-round picks never did.

My best guess? Even the bluest-sky version of Björck’s trajectory saves his best work for his second and third NHL seasons. It’s reasonable to try him in a feature role — what a boon it would be if he excelled while Scheifele were still a point-per-game scorer — but also reasonable to be patient when assessing his quality. There will still be a great case for Björck as a long-term impact player even if he’s not a productive scorer out of the gate. Salomonsson, meanwhile, should be playing like a top-four defenceman by midseason, but it’s not a guarantee that he’s ready for opening night.

As for Hellebuyck, I’ve listed him as the starter, unwilling to guess at a late-August trade.

Possibly the most Buff quote I have ever heard