The Winnipeg Jets had to make a trade to ensure that Toby Enstrom and Marko Dano were not selected in the expansion draft. In the stead of taking one of these two players, the Vegas Golden Knights selected Chris Thorburn. The price the Jets paid for this help was surrendering their first round pick at 13th overall and a third round pick in 2019 for the Columbus Blue Jackets pick at 24th overall.
LV gets a 2017 first and 2019 third from WIN for the 24th overall selection, acquired from CLB
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 22, 2017
While the price seems steep, it is fair to ask if any player selected at the spot would most likely be better than Enstrom and Dano. Even if they are, would there be space for them when they were ready to play. By trading the 13th pick, the Jets are losing out on a chance to draft a defenceman who is probably at least two years away if everything goes perfectly.
So in the end the Jets lose Thorburn, who is a UFA in a matter of days while keeping Enstrom and Dano on the roster until a later date. In all, this is an excellent move for the Jets as it allows them to keep a top four defenceman and a top nine forward at the price of moving down 11 spots in the draft.
