With a draft stock slipping toward the eighth pick, a towering defensive cornerstone could land in Winnipeg as the Jets prioritize relationship-building at the NHL Combine.
This past Saturday, the hockey world turned its attention to Buffalo as 90 draft-eligible prospects took part in the NHL Scouting Combine, running through a series of physical and skills-based exercises in hopes of strengthening their standing ahead of next week's draft.
For the Winnipeg Jets, holding the eighth overall pick and eager to inject new life into a prospect pipeline that took a hit following a disappointing season, the event carried significant weight.
This draft class is widely regarded as one of the deepest in recent memory when it comes to top-end defensive talent, and one of the best blueliners who figures to land right in Winnipeg's range is Keaton Verhoeff.
For much of the past year, the towering six-foot-four defenseman out of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta was viewed as a consensus top-three pick. In recent months, however, his stock has slipped in some rankings to right around where the Jets sit at eighth overall, and Winnipeg wasted no time making sure they had face time with him at the combine.
Verhoeff spoke very highly of his meeting with the Jets, calling it awesome and describing the organization's management group as a "super nice group of guys."
He acknowledged that in these team meetings, the goal as a player is to get to know the organization as best you can, and noted that he had already been building those relationships throughout the season by talking with Jets scouts on a regular basis. Having more face-to-face time with the staff at the combine only deepened that familiarity.
"Get more of a read and a kind of understand what type people they are so it was exciting," Verhoeff said of the sit-down with Winnipeg's management group.
It speaks to the culture the Jets have built within their organization as they have made a habit of fostering strong relationships with their players, a philosophy that has helped them lock down cornerstone talent like Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor to long-term commitments. It would not be surprising if the same approach is being applied here as the Jets look to get off on the right foot with a player they may very well be selecting in a matter of days.
On the ice, Verhoeff's game has drawn comparisons to Canadian hockey legend Drew Doughty, a player he has cited as an influence in the past. More recently, though, Verhoeff has found a new model in Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, and it is easy to hear the genuine admiration in the way he talks about him.
"Watching him after the Four Nations last year, I think just seeing the way he plays and the way he's able to move the puck up the ice, create some offense but also defended, also have that trust with his coaches and his teammates, something I really admire and try to model my game after," Verhoeff explained.
The 17-year-old had plenty to draw from this past season. He made the jump from Canadian juniors to the NCAA with North Dakota and held his own against older competition, finishing with six goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 36 games.
On the international stage, Verhoeff was named captain of Team Canada's U18 squad at the U18 World Championships, recording four assists in five games. Perhaps even more impressive was his inclusion on Canada's World Junior roster at just 17 years old, where he appeared in five games and again posted four assists in what was a strong showing for a player his age competing at that level.
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