Ground Control with Jamie Thomas
Ground Control is the official podcast of the Winnipeg Jets and hosted by Jamie Thomas
Join JT and special guests as we go behind-the-scenes to bring you fun stories from the world of hockey.
Ground Control with Jamie Thomas
Draft Preview with Paul Edmonds
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We're ready for the DRAFT in Las Vegas!
Jaime Thomas and Paul Edmonds bring you all the reaction and analysis leading up to the big day at Sphere.
To open the show, we take a look at the Jets' hirings' of Dean Chynoweth and Davis Payne and their potential impact on the incoming roster.
There's also a number of young talent from Manitoba looking to hear their name called on Draft Day.
Dawson Cowan, Clarke Caswell, Luke Mistelbacher, Josh Fluker and Gavin Hodnett are all eligible to be picked this year, and Paul & Jamie bring you insight on each player!
What are you looking forward to seeing at the Draft? Paul shares his takes to wrap the show.
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In a draft where you're looking at the first round and you're saying, okay, it might be a little thinner than in the past, there's 12 defensemen projected to be first round picks. So it could be the year of the D-Man, it could be the year of the blue liner. So let's just see how many defensemen get selected in the first round of 32.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to another offseason edition of Ground Control, the official podcast of the Winnipeg Jets. I'm alongside the voice of the Winnipeg Jets, Paul Edmonds. Of course, I'm Jamie Thomas. A few things to take care of. It is draft season. We're getting that right up the corner. The Stalica file is still going as we tape this podcast. So three things we're gonna go over the Jets hiring of their assistant coaches, the five Manitobans that are listed by Central Scouting ahead of this NHL draft, and the three things that Paul Edmonds is looking forward to at the National Hockey League draft coming up this weekend in Vegas. So first order of business, Paul. Assistant coaches. Dean Chenelth, Davis Payne, Scott O'Neill is routed out as coaching staff. Exciting times, right? Yeah, I think all great hires.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So let's just look at it. Uh both Davis Payne and Dean Chenelth have played in the league. So there's credibility and relatability from that standpoint for both of these guys. Plus, when you look at the resume and the amount of time that they've coached in the National Hockey League, um, Davis Payne is a head coach in St. Louis, a lot of assistant coaching and associate coaching time with Dean Chenelth. I mean, these guys in their roles, they're going to understand what they need to do and be part of the team, the coaching team. So Dean Chenoth, I mean, this is where it gets interesting for me. He was a rugged player when he played in the Western Hockey League. He won a Memorial Cup. He was captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He led the Tigers two years in a row in penalty minutes. So does the defensive core now, because that's what he's going to be responsible for and the penalty kill, take on a little bit of that role of that coach, right? A little bit of that persona that we always talk about and hear about, where uh a coach, a head coach, can have his persona kind of go through the team and permeate through the team to some degree. Does that happen with the defensive core here? Yeah. The other part is, you know, Davis Payne, 14 years in the National Hockey League, he knows his role as well. He knows how to scheme probably for some power play. And I'm sure he's looked at some film of both uh penalty kills from other teams that had success against the Jets, and then the Jets power play and how he can make it better. And I'm sure those were all conversations that went into the hiring process and the interview process with Scott Arneal. So, you know, a couple of things. They've got the credibility, they've got the relatability, they've got the experience, they know their roles, but most importantly, I think the hiring of both Davis Payne and Dean Chanel comes with the fact that they know the league. It should be seamless when they kind of start to scheme together on what they want to do as a coaching staff.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not just because he's here, but Michel Clinton wrote a wonderful article on WinnipegJust.com on both uh both the new coaches here in Winnipeg and the excitement about coming here. Of course, Dean Chanel will handle the defense and the penalty kill. Davis Payne forwards and power play. Just quickly on the on the power play. Almost looks like the same personnel coming back, obviously. What do you where do you think Davis Payne, his experience plays into this? And he's he had a pretty good power play in Ottawa for a long stretch there as well.
SPEAKER_00Well, I've always said that I'd like to see a little more puck movement. Yeah. And and I wonder and and rotation as well. So you don't just necessarily have to have somebody stationary at the ash marks looking for one-timers. That's an option. They started to move the puck into the middle, um, not necessarily as effectively as you would like to have seen, but it became another option. And then I think the other two that I think that you want to open up would be Josh Morrissey shooting the puck from up top more, giving him that rule just to kind of wind up and fire, kind of like what you saw with Dustin Bufflin over the years there and why it was successful. But Gabe Villardi gives them that spot down on that goal line that was a new wrinkle to the Winnipeg Jets power play last year. So I think the combination of all of that, you look at what you want to do, you don't want to be predictable, but at the same time, you want to kind of throw a different wrinkle at at some of these penalty kills. Because listen, there's there's no secrets on video, right? Everybody can see it. But if you have options in real time, then it's hard to defend. So I think maybe more shots from up top might be a possibility, and then really utilizing Vellardi from that goal line, whether it's the drop step move out in front, yeah, or maybe moving it to the wing for the one timer at the hash marks, or then into the middle and that slot area and everybody crashing from there. So I think there's options and we'll see what uh what they do. That'll be a topic of conversation for sure when we get an opportunity to talk to Davis Payne about how he sees things. I don't think he's gonna give us all of his secrets, of course, but we'll get to see that over practice time on what they're trying to employ this year.
SPEAKER_01It is draft week, and five Manitobans were listed by Central Scouting, the final rankings. We'll go through them here momentarily, but let's begin with your relationship with Hockey Manitoba and of course Hockey Canada, which leads us to this podcast here today.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, uh I grew up in the in the province and uh I've I've coached, I have my coaching levels through Hockey Canada. Um, you know, I've always been involved with people, I know a lot of people in that hockey Manitoba office through when we first started out and everybody's graduated to bigger and better things, and I've just always felt I've had kids that I'm kind of pushing through myself, and and I just kind of always wanted to feel like I wanted to give back and and a lot, I just have a general interest in in what's going on with hockey in in our market, and then those elite players as well, right? So there's always kinds of great stories that come out of of these types of things. And you know, for the kids, there's five of them that that could potentially be drafted this year, and they're all 18 years old. I I kind of look and say, well, it's not the end of the line here if you don't get drafted by a National Hockey League team this year. It's the Ryan Garbit story for me. A Winnipegger that played high school hockey at Vincent Massey was never drafted, ended up playing 300 plus games in the National Hockey League. So the dreams can still come true despite the fact that you might not get drafted uh in this for most of them, their first year of eligibility to be drafted. Um, I've just had a general interest in in hockey and elite hockey and prospects in the province, and I tried to assign myself to know what's kind of going on in and around uh the market. Hi, I'm Gabriel Vallarti. And this is the Ground Control Podcast.
SPEAKER_01Okay, one of the one of the five players is a goaltender. We'll get to him last year, but let's begin with the four skaters. Uh left winger Clark Caswell, a Brandonite uh at the rank 77th. Tell us a little bit about him.
SPEAKER_00Well, this is a guy that had a real good uh year this year in the Western Hockey League with Swift Current, and he's projected to go probably second or third round in a round there. He's the highest Manitoban skater projected. Um, 5'11, he's got decent size, he certainly can make some plays, and he's a very good defensive player as well. Uh, the projecting that this coming year, this next season in the Western Hockey League will be a real breakout season for him. So when he goes, and I I predicted he's going to go, somebody's going to have a player that's only going to get better before they make the jump to the National Hockey League. Again, probably a guy that you're going to look at as a third or fourth wider in the National Hockey League. Um, but we'll keep an eye on Clark Caswell this year going into his Western Hockey League season in Swift Kirk because I think the numbers, and while he wasn't a point per game player, the numbers will dictate this year that he'll have a real breakout offensive season, and we'll see where he goes. But probably a late second, early third round selection by uh the National Hockey League in this draft.
SPEAKER_01All right, his teammate, and you mentioned just a little bit earlier, Luke Misselbacher from Steinbach. Uh, tell us a little bit about him, 119th in Central Scouting.
SPEAKER_00Steinbach Marshand areas, so down and around that area, and uh he's a swift current Bronco as well. He'll be 19 years old coming up in November. This guy is the sleeper of the five Manitobins. Um, he had some changes in where he was playing halfway through the year and really took off offensively. He's got pretty good size at six feet, um, comes from a big stock family. Uh they're actually they used to own a cattle ranch uh in the in the province. They're they're cattlemen. So you know he's probably worked and and thrown a few bales around as well. Uh the old Bobby Hull kind of stories. Um, but this was for my kind of reporting and and research, this is uh a guy that a lot of teams are going to keep an eye on to see where he goes. And again, probably a third rounder, a little bit behind his teammate in uh in Clark Caswell. But Luke Misselbacher, I think, has the potential to jump up in the draft and not only be a sleeper, but a fielder's choice, as somebody once said to me recently about you you look at him and he might be that player that you really like, or some would just pass on him. But if you really like him, you really like him. And if he's available, you might take a chance on him. Point per game player, and that really took off in the second half of the year. He's got an elite shot, can curl and drag. Um, they'd like to see him certainly improve his skating, and that's always an issue for these young players. I mean, I look at I tell stories to kids all the time, including my own. Sidney Crosby, every offseason still works on his skating. Yeah, so there's always that improvement to make. So I like Luke Misselbacher in this draft, and let's see where he gets to.
SPEAKER_01All right, let's move back to the blue line. 216, Josh Flucher uh from Lenatche, and he is from Boise. Boise Vane. Boise Vane. Boise Vane. So I'll play this game with you. Okay. Where the heck is Boise Vane?
SPEAKER_00Boise Vane is in kind of the south uh southwest portion of the province. It would be, if I had to characterize it, it would kind of be like R Alberta. It has a lot of cattle, it has a lot of oil and gas, has a lot of natural gas. So it has some money down in that corner. And uh it's a rich area for sports for sure. Um and Josh Flucher is just another one of those kids that has come out and and and really kind of established himself. You know, he was in Swift Current and then ended up halfway through the year in Wenatchee. This is the one defenseman of the whole lot. And I'll get to the defenseman of this draft when we get to kind of getting through this, but he has the ability to be a very good offensive defenseman. His skating is top-notch. It's NHL level already. Um, he has to kind of work his way into moving the puck uh efficiently, which he can do, but then making the plays finish, if you know what I mean. Whether that's a pass to get to a shot to the net or actually taking the puck to the net and also being a better defensive player. But Josh Flucher, I think, is going to probably show up on somebody's radar just because his ability to skate and move the puck. So um good player. Let's see what happens. Um, you know, got settled in uh in Wenatchee, and it's always tough to get traded for the first time. Um, and I mean he he kind of struggled with some points, so the the numbers offensively weren't there. But I think that you're going to see again, just like I said with uh with Clark Caswell, I think bigger and better things in the Western Hockey League as he gets more comfortable going into another season this fall.
SPEAKER_01We're at another winger. Uh he is actually from Winnipeg, Gavin Hodnett, uh plays for the Edmonton Wild Kings.
SPEAKER_00Well, this guy you can look at it and say at five foot eight he's undersized. Uh but I look at a guy like Brad Marshan, and he was undersized all his career and some of a lot of examples. Yeah, you know, there certainly is. And I think the new rules in the game in the last 10, 15 years have allowed guys that can skate and are tenacious to find a place in the game for sure. And and that's where Gavin Hodnett is at. I mean, he had a lot of points this year. And he can skate, he can make plays, he's dynamic. Uh the knock on him is he, because of his size, is going to have to improve in making physical contact. That's not running somebody through the wall. It's not an open ice body check. It's getting it on somebody's hands and winning that battle along the boards or in the corners. And from that standpoint, then emerging off the boards or the corner boards with the puck and making a play. He can make the play when he's got open ice. They just want to see him improve his defensive game and his physical game along those lines. So he's the last one that's that's going to, you know, be projected to be picked. Yeah. Um, but somebody might take a chance on him just because of the high-end offensive skill that he does have and the skating ability.
SPEAKER_01We never like to leave goaltenders out because you can't win championships without them. So Dawson Cowan from Spokane and Warren, Manitoba. That's just up number six, by the way. It's not that far from the game.
SPEAKER_00You know, good size at six foot one, and had a real breakout year with Spokane this year, played over 40 games, kind of assumed the number one role. Yeah. Um, very comfortable in games that are kind of predictable. Um, they want to see him improve when the game gets out of that predictability, right? And I think that's the growth for all of these guys. I mean, when you look at the players that we're talking about, they all have high-end skills in in certain aspects of the game, but there's also improvements in portions of their game that that need to be worked on. And if they didn't have anything to work on, of course, we wouldn't be having these conversations and they'd all be first round, first overall picks, but they're not. So, you know, when it comes to Dawson Cowan, I think bigger and better things for sure as well. Another year in the Western Hockey League. And and then I think we got Spokane to the playoffs, and they they didn't do a great job. They ran into Prince George in the first round, and you know, yeah, not a great opponent. But I think what you're trying to do is build on that 40 plus games and assuming the primary role and then getting them to the getting them to the playoffs once again, and then performing in the playoffs, and that's the cyclical nature of major junior hockey is every year that the more guys you keep, the better you're going to get, right? Because a lot of guys age out, guys move on uh when it comes to opportunities in the AHL or or the NHL. So you know a pretty good overall pick of Manitobins this year, and then we get the goaltender in there. Now, he's also, you know, he's ranked pretty high. I mean, fifth overall in central scouting for goaltenders. So from that standpoint, let's see where he goes. Typically now, though, I mean, the days of selecting goaltenders in the first or high first round or second round picks are over. So we'll see exactly where Dawson Cowan lands this year.
SPEAKER_01All right, uh, those are five Manitobas listed on Central Scouting ahead of the National Hockey League draft, which goes Friday, Saturday in Vegas. Should be very interesting in Vegas. Um, moving out of the three things you're looking to see at the National Hockey League draft, the Winnipeg Jets, as we do this podcast, do not have a first round pick. Is that included into what you're looking to see this weekend coming up?
SPEAKER_00Indeed, it is. And um in kind of again going and asking some questions, unless something drops on the Jets lap from that standpoint where irrefutably they they just cannot not do a deal, I don't know that they're going to be all that pursuant in trying to get a number one pick, just to get a number one pick. And the reason for that is this yeah, when you get past that first five or six picks in this draft, it's a lot of a lot of uh players that are are very similar. So again, you come back to that, you really love this guy or you don't. And so it's not like it's a draft that's gonna knock your socks off. So if you're comfortable with selecting number two and having one pick in the first three rounds and knowing that you can get somebody that you like at at that spot where they are right now, then why give up an asset or somebody from your roster just to have a first round pick? It might not be the year, it might not be sage to do that this year because the draft is it's not weak, but it's a little thinner than it has been in the last few years. And again, cyclical nature of what comes with with the the birth ages of whatever's coming down the pike. So I'll be looking to see if something changes in that regard. Um, but I was told it's not a high priority right now for the Jets when it comes to acquiring a first round pick or getting that first round pick back that they gave up to Montreal in getting Sean Monahan. All right, and then uh number two things you're looking to see. Utah. I mean, they get their first pick, and I think it's seventh overall this year, or sixth or seventh overall. Uh, you know, similar situation to 2011 and seventh overall for Mark Sean.
SPEAKER_01Is this gonna be the jersey? There's not gonna be the same jersey they're gonna have going forward. It's pretty interesting.
SPEAKER_00Right. I mean, Mark Scheifley will always go down in the annals of Winnipeg Jets history as being their first pick since relocation. Same thing here, you know, Mark Scheifley, Atlanta to Winnipeg, and he gets selected in the first round, seventh overall. Arizona to Utah. So who's gonna be that player that becomes the Utah Hockey Club's Mark Scheifley? So I'm looking to see who they select and how that player fits into the grand scheme of things and and where they project that player to be in a year or two. So, you know, just for I guess uh sentimental sake, I'm I'm interested to see what uh Utah does.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a lot of uh top prospects already in that pipeline for the Utah Hockey Club. And then last but not least, number three.
SPEAKER_00That would be in a draft where you're looking at the first round and you're saying, okay, it might be a little thinner than in the past, there's 12 defensemen projected to be first round picks. So it could be the year of the D-man, it could be the year of the blue liner. So let's just see how many defensemen get selected in the first round of 32. And like I said, 12 are projected to be first rounders. Guys can slip, guys can move up, so we'll see what happens. But it could be the uh the year of the defensemen in this draft, so I'll watch for that as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a lot of fun to have coming up this weekend. A little a heavy, heavy schedule of the National Hockey League. Uh a lot of stuff going on this week leading up to the NHL draft, of course, free agency coming afterwards. Paul and my friend, thanks so much for doing this. My pleasure. On behalf of Paul Edmonds, I'm Jamie Thomas. This is the latest edition of Ground Control, the official podcast of the Winnipeg Jets.
