Why the Winnipeg Jets should select Lukas Dragicevic
With the No. 18 overall pick, the Winnipeg Jets select … Lukas Dragicevic of the Tri-City Americans (WHL).
Why pick him? Dragicevic is the perfect mix of brute strength and offence from the back-end. The Canadian defender put up 15 goals and a whopping 75 points for the Tri-City Americans in a breakout 2022-23 season. He also finished fourth overall at the 2023 NHL Draft Combine on the bench press.
Scouts say:
"He's at worst a second power-play guy." one scout told The Hockey News. "He has an excellent shot from the blueline and a very good knack for getting it through, which makes him dangerous."
Who are the other options?
Also of consideration for Winnipeg should be forwards Matthew Wood (Connecticut), Gabe Perreault (USNTDP) and Nate Danielson (Brandon) should any of those players be available at 18th overall spot.
What else is on the agenda?
This option, of course is up for considerable change, should Jets' general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff pursue other avenues related to potential pre-draft trades involving forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler, as well as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Acquiring earlier draft capital could go a long way for a team possibly entering a rebuild. The next two weeks may be the most critical set of 14 days in Jets 2.0 history.