Winnipeg is reportedly weighing a blockbuster move to secure Buffalo’s fourth overall selection, potentially adding elite defensive prospect Chase Reid.
On Friday, reports continued to build around the idea that the Winnipeg Jets are aggressively exploring ways to move up into the top four of the upcoming NHL Draft, with multiple league insiders confirming ongoing conversations with the Buffalo Sabres.
The latest wave of speculation follows a busy week of reporting. On Wednesday, insider Frank Seravalli suggested that a major swing deal could see Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck moved to Buffalo in exchange for the fourth overall pick.
That framework would allow Winnipeg to retain its own eighth overall selection while adding a second top-eight pick, a rare draft capital scenario for any club.
By Thursday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added further fuel to the speculation, reporting that Winnipeg remains actively engaged in discussions around the fourth pick.
Friedman also noted that the Jets are not alone, with the Calgary Flames among multiple teams pursuing Buffalo’s selection, signaling a competitive trade market forming around the pick.
On Friday’s edition of his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman reiterated that both Winnipeg and Calgary have continued conversations with the Sabres, while emphasizing that interest in the fourth pick is widespread and evolving quickly as draft day approaches.
Winnipeg could consider a smaller jump, moving from seventh into the four spot without necessarily paying the premium of a blockbuster trade. They could position themselves towards potentially adding a marquee player in this draft like Chase Reid.
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound blueliner from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, who some scouts have ranked as the second-best player in the class, met with Winnipeg during the NHL Draft Combine. Reid made clear he would welcome the opportunity to join the organization.
“I think that’d definitely be an honor to go play for them,” Reid said at the Combine when asked about the Jets.
Reid has put together two strong seasons with the Greyhounds, improving his offensive production each year. After posting 40 points in 39 games in his first OHL season, he followed it up with 48 points in 45 games this past year, establishing himself as a dynamic, offense-driving defenseman.
Draft projections across the league continue to shift, with several mock drafts now projecting a top three of Gavin McKenna going first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ivar Stenberg selected by the San Jose Sharks, and Caleb Malhotra joining his father Manny Malhotra in Vancouver at third overall.
If that scenario holds, Reid could be available at fourth, making Buffalo’s pick one of the most pivotal assets in the entire draft.
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