Consensus Top-10 Pick Ryan Lin Opens Up on Jets Meeting, Names Josh Morrissey as His NHL Comp

Among the many conversations happening on the floor of Saturday's NHL Scouting Combine, Ryan Lin's stood out. The consensus top-ten pick revealed he had met with the Winnipeg Jets as part of his team meetings throughout the week, offering one of the more intriguing glimpses into how the draft is shaping up at the top end of the first round.

The 18-year-old from Richmond, BC, was also asked which NHL player he models his game after, and his answer fit neatly with the team he had just met with. Lin named Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey as his NHL player comparison, citing a shared size profile along with Morrissey's elite offensive upside and what Lin described as a player who is "really reliable and efficient and with that comes with his offense." 

Lin is a five-foot-eleven defenseman who put together one of the more impressive offensive seasons of any blueliner in this draft class, finishing with 14 goals and 43 assists for 57 points in just 53 games.

At the 2025 U18 World Championships, he managed just two points in seven games, but this time around at the 2026 tournament, he made sure to leave a lasting impression, recording six points in five games.

On the meeting itself, Lin said it was a good conversation and that it went really smooth. When asked what it would mean to join a Jets organization with a track record of developing top-end defensemen, he smiled and explained "The proof is in the pudding, it would be really cool."

Winnipeg picks eighth overall and while there is no shortage of options at that spot, their combine meeting requests have told a pretty clear story. The Jets have met with nearly every top defensive prospect in the class, sitting down with Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Daxon Rudolph, Carson Carels and now Lin.

The decision not to request a meeting with elite forward prospect Caleb Malhotra may say just as much as the meetings they did take. All signs point to Winnipeg having its mind made up that a defenseman is coming to the Jets with the eighth pick.

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