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Arctic Ice Hockey reacts to the NHL Draft – Day 2 Thoughts

Continuing on from yesterday’s Round 1, the AIH Musketeers gave their reactions to Day 2’s happenings. These are their stories:

Brian

Aside from lacking a 2nd round pick (and what seems like no effort to reacquire one), there isn't too much to complain about for today's rounds. Luke Green should impress people and might be the best defender the Jets have taken since Josh Morrissey in 2013. I have no idea how he slipped that far. Jacob Cederholm is a good value pick with some scouts giving him a third round grade. I'm not sure of his upside but I'm willing to assume he can be a very good piece for the Moose down the road. Hometown boy Stallard looks to be on the rise and is a good bet; he'll be a nice addition to the ever growing forward depth. The last pick, Mikhail Berdin, is fantastic. The more I read about him the more I like him. With NHL starter upside, the Jets now have another player who should deeply cement them as one of the top goaltender prospect pools in the league.

Despite some decisions I wouldn't have made on the first day, Chevy and Co. pulled out another pretty good draft.

Allan

With the lack of picks between 18th and 79th overall, I thought for sure Drew Stafford would be traded to acquire picks to fill in the gap. With that not happening and the Jets trading their 7th rounder for a 2017 7th rounder, the amount of picks today were less than I expected. They only chose three skaters. This all screams to me one thing: Jets scouts think the 2016 draft class is weak after the first round.

Luke Green at 79th seems like a decent value. His projection could jump after he takes a larger role in juniors. The Berdin pick is interesting, with many on Twitter saying he shouldn't have gone so late. Overall, it was a much less exciting day than I was expecting from both for the Winnipeg Jets and the league.

Tim

Hard not to be pleased with the Winnipeg Jets second day on the draft floor. After moving their 2nd round pick, the Jets had to wait to select Luke Green, a skilled D man with some offensive flair. The Jets continued their back end trend with Jacob Cederholm in the 4th round. Many scouting services give Cederholm a 3rd round grade, so there was value here. Stallard is a 6'2" centre who's on a strong upward curve. Mikhail Berdin was considered by some to be a top 5 goalie in this draft class.

All in all, the Jets were able to find a number of players who carry upside across a variety of positions. After nabbing two of their top ranked prospects – including likely 30 goal scorer Patrik Laine – I think it is safe to call this draft a success.

Ian

I thought the Jets had a very good Day 2. Luke Green could be a potential steal and Jacob Cederholm, despite being a shutdown defenseman, may be better than most people think. Apparently, some even think he's "top 30 good". Both are right handed defenseman but at least we addressed the blueline this draft. Mikhail Berdin was a top goalie prospect that the Jets were able to select in the sixth round. There's lots of praise regarding his ceiling with a legitimate chance he could be an NHL starter from the sound of things.

What were your reactions to Winnipeg's Day 2 at the 2016 NHL Draft? Did their four selections make up for a certain pick in Round 1? Was there anything to make up for in the first place? How soon do you hope to see Cederholm and Berdin in North America? Share your thoughts, questions and concerns in the Comments section below, and as always, thanks for reading!

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