A potential blockbuster is brewing ahead of this year's NHL Draft, and the Winnipeg Jets may find themselves at the center of it.
According to multiple reports from The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta over the past couple of days, the San Jose Sharks are seriously considering trading the second overall pick they recently acquired.
The reasoning, per those reports, stems from San Jose's belief that they are already well-stocked at forward, making the selection of another high-end offensive prospect at second overall less of a priority than addressing other areas of need. The pick is widely expected to land on either Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg or, should he slide one spot, consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna.
The news has apparently turned heads around the league and while no deals have materialized, unconfirmed reports suggest several teams have expressed interest in trading up to second overall, with the Jets among those in the mix alongside the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.
The appeal for Winnipeg is obvious as both Stenberg and McKenna project as game-breaking talents at the NHL level, and either one could conceivably make an immediate impact, potentially slotting into the Jets' opening night lineup from day one. For a team navigating a pivotal stretch of its rebuild and looking to add star power, the opportunity to land a generational prospect is difficult to ignore.
The challenge, of course, is the price as the Jets currently hold the eighth overall pick, and moving up six spots to second overall for a player of this caliber would not come cheap. High picks are rarely moved in the NHL, and any deal with San Jose would almost certainly require a significant package of assets heading back to the Bay Area. What that package looks like, and whether Cheveldayoff is willing to pay it, remains to be seen.
For now it is a situation worth monitoring closely, and one that could dramatically reshape the direction of the Jets franchise depending on how the next few weeks unfold.
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