What The Winnipeg Jets Are Adding To Their Future With Alexander Command Acquisition

The long-awaited trade of all-world netminder Connor Hellebuyck has finally happened, and he’s off to the New Jersey Devils. He will get to play with USA Olympic teammate Jack Hughes, as well as stabilize the goaltending position that has been in limbo since the days of Corey Schneider or Martin Brodeur.

The return was Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Daws, as well as prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. A collection of current NHLers, a prospect and a couple of picks.

Mercer is a solid piece who can step right into the lineup as a middle-six center for the Jets. Bjugstad is a trusted vet who will play in the bottom six, and Daws will likely step into a backup role for the Jets. The picks are magic beans for the future.

The Jets will be unlikely to recoup the total value that Hellebuyck could have brought them – three Vezina Trophies and a Hart Trophy. The biggest reason for hope, though, is likely the prospect that they got in the deal.

Command was drafted 12th overall this past June as one of the fastest-rising prospects in the lead-up to the 2026 NHL draft. He’s played in the Orebro system in Sweden, getting a bit of run at both the J20 and the pro level last year. The Swedish center is likely to be a key player for the Swedes at the World Junior Championship this winter.

Speaking on the trade, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke glowingly about Command and the draft process.

“The reality of things is that we’d be sitting here, certainly with the one player that we have right now, regardless of what position we picked at the draft. That would be Viggo Bjorck,” Cheveldayoff explained.

“The interesting part, and this is something that came into play as time went on, we talked about if Viggo wasn’t there, we talked about moving back because there was a cluster of players that we felt comfortable with,” said Cheveldayoff. “There was a couple of D-men and a player named Alex Command.”

Cheveldayoff was excited to add a center of Command’s quality to the Jets' young Swedish contingent that features Bjorck, Alfons Freij, and Sascha Boumedienne. Cheveldayoff mentioned that when he spoke to Command, he had already started texting with Bjorck and getting the lay of the land from a player already on the Jets roster.

Command is an interesting prospect. He was ranked 30th on my 2026 NHL draft board and 40th on THN’s Editor-in-Chief Ryan Kennedy’s final rankings. He was a player we saw shoot up draft boards right at the end of the year. This is the scouting report from my final ranking, a few weeks before the draft.

“A highly energetic center who does a little bit of everything, Command plays a pro game already," cited from my final 2026 draft ranking. "Command is a physical player who isn’t afraid to get in the battle along the boards or down low. He can get outmuscled at times, but he’ll get stronger as he develops. He’s a solid dual-threat offensive player with a good shot and crisp passing. He projects as a bottom-six player as is, but if he can find another level as a shooter or develop a bit more creativity as a passer, there might just be a bit more there.”

When Cheveldayoff was asked about Command and what they were attracted to in the draft process, he praised the mindset that he came into the draft process with.

“He’s a very serious, no-nonsense type of competitor," Cheveldayoff said. "He’s probably a throwback North American playing in Sweden right now, and that’s what he’s going to bring to the table. “You fall in love with what you see on the ice, and hopefully it matches the personality.”

Cheveldayoff praised Command’s awareness of his own game, understanding of where he needs to develop and overall demeanor off the ice as ways that he was able to match the level of play that they saw from him on the ice.

Command is a very solid prospect who has a very high floor. He is going to be in Sweden for the rest of the season, hopefully finding his groove at the pro level in the second half of the season.

Will the 18-year-old make this trade less painful for Jets fans? That remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, Command is a player that the Jets view as a potential foundational piece who can help build toward the next era of Jets hockey alongside Bjorck and some of the other Swedes in the system.

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