Winnipeg Jets know their man ahead of NHL Draft

WINNIPEG — In just 10 days the Winnipeg Jets will get to use the second overall draft pick they won in the NHL Draft Lottery.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff discussed the club’s plans for the draft and without saying who they’ll pick, Cheveldayoff indicated they know who they’ll take with the number two overall selection.

“The list I think is getting pretty much in ink,” said Cheveldayoff. “I think you’re still doing some due diligence. You can’t watch anymore hockey with it, so the evaluation on the hockey side is essentially left to video or whatever which you’ve done a lot of already. Unless something really dramatically makes a shift that you just don’t see and obviously you saw some crazy things in the NFL draft this year. Yeah our minds are very set.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The list I think is getting pretty much in ink," said Cheveldayoff. "I think you're still doing some due diligence. You can't watch anymore hockey with it, so the evaluation on the hockey side is essentially left to video or whatever which you've done a lot of already. Unless something really dramatically makes a shift that you just don't see and obviously you saw some crazy things in the NFL draft this year. Yeah our minds are very set."

Of course the Toronto Maple Leafs could throw a wrench in the Jets plans by taking somebody other than Auston Matthews with the first overall pick. And the Jets had a good sit down with the possible number two selection Patrik Laine.

“We had a good interview with him. He’s got a good sense of humour. He’s someone that’s obviously is confident. We talked a lot about just him as a person, his family, obviously the year, a variety of different topics.”

Regardless of who the Jets pick, they believe they’ll be getting a player who can play in the NHL right away.

“The players at the top end of the draft look like they’re ready to step in.” said Cheveldayoff.

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Cheveldayoff also addressed the rumours that Jacob Trouba, who will soon be a restricted free agent, is on the trading block.

“I’m not trying to trade anybody.” Cheveldayoff said. “I think in this game there’s a distinct possibility that anybody can get traded. We’ve got some good young players here. We’ve got two of them that are up for contracts in Trouba and (Mark) Scheifele and we’re going to do our best to get those contracts done in the books. So trying to trade him ? No.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm not trying to trade anybody." Cheveldayoff said. "I think in this game there's a distinct possibility that anybody can get traded. We've got some good young players here. We've got two of them that are up for contracts in Trouba and (Mark) Scheifele and we're going to do our best to get those contracts done in the books. So trying to trade him ? No."

The first round of the 54th NHL Draft is on June 24 in Buffalo, N.Y.

WATCH: Jets G.M. Kevin Cheveldayoff discusses the NHL Draft, Patrik Laine and Jacob Trouba

1:32 Winnipeg Jets Kevin Cheveldayoff