Before I begin this article, I must acknowledge the tragic news that occurred in the NHL yesterday. Rest in peace to Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were struck and killed by a drunk driver while bike riding near their hometown in New Jersey. The immense number of tributes and overall praise around the hockey world over the past day for Johnny and Matthew has been just amazing. All of it goes to show how special (as people) the two were, as well as reflecting on Johnny’s terrific NHL career with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.

We’re now just over a month away from Jets opening night, 39 (shoutout to Laurent Brossoit) days to be exact. Tomorrow, the hockey calendar begins to get interesting, as September begins, the month of training camps, the pre-season, and final roster decisions. September is also a great time to begin your yearly fantasy hockey drafts. Whether you participate or not, in free groups, or maybe even for some cash with your friends, it’s always a fun way to get involved with the upcoming hockey season.

Jets fans will of course want to include some of their favourite Jets on their fantasy teams, but which players are the ones that will help lead you to victory? The top candidates appear to be fairly obvious, but there’s some hidden value in certain players (depending on which rules you use) that could make these Jets players worth drafting in what some might think is a “too early” round.

Starting with the player that should be the 1st Jet taken in most fantasy drafts, regardless of the specific rules, Kyle Connor. I project Connor to get somewhere between 75-85 points this season, but it’s the elite goal scoring that makes him a fantasy hockey must have for any team. Connor’s 34 goals led the Jets last season, and it’s a safe bet that Connor will once again lead the team in goals as a member of their top line. A good spot to take Connor in a fantasy hockey draft is between 25th – 35th overall, but if your a Jets fan and a Kyle Connor fan, I say go for it even a little earlier than that.

The 2nd obvious choice for a star Jets player being selected in your fantasy hockey drafts is Connor Hellebuyck. Goalies are always very interesting when it comes to fantasy hockey. If you’re in a league where a goalie loss results in you losing points, you must be very careful in considering which goalies you take. Lucky for Jets fans, Hellebuyck doesn’t do much losing, and finished in 2nd in wins last season. Hellebuyck also plays more games than most starting goalies, and he was one of just 3 goalies to finish the season with at least 60 games. Hellebuyck should be an easy consideration for your fantasy team, and he’ll be a reliable goalie that will provide you with good value throughout the season.

Last but not least, the 3rd Jets player that is a must-have for your fantasy hockey team this season is Josh Morrissey. After his 2022-23 breakout season, Morrissey did almost just as well last season, finishing with 69 points in 81 games. What makes Morrissey extra valuable in fantasy hockey is the other stats he puts up throughout the season. Morrissey stood out in the hits, blocks, and +/- categories, not to mention he finished the season with 196 shots on goal. Morrissey is an easy top 10 fantasy defenseman this season, and someone you should try to grab at the right time in the early to mid rounds (depending on the number of players).

To round off this list, one player that I have not mentioned yet, who appears to not be getting the fantasy hockey respect he deserves is Mark Scheifele. I’ve seen mixed opinions on how Scheifele will play this season. Some say he will be good for 80+ points this season with a healthy Gabriel Vilardi, while others appear to think that this year will be a slight step down for him in terms of points production. The top projected line for the Jets of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi should work well together, meaning that Scheifele should be poised to have a good fantasy hockey season. The NHL ranks Scheifele 82nd on the top 200 fantasy players, which seems a little low, but all things considered it’s a valid spot to pick Scheifele in your draft.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with any of these 4 Jets players for your dream fantasy hockey team. Other great options in later rounds include Nikolaj Ehlers, Gabriel Vilardi, and as a breakout pick, Cole Perfetti. It’s always exciting to draft players for your fantasy team from your favourite NHL team, as it gives you that extra little bit of excitement whenever you see that player performing well when the games begin. Bring on September hockey news tomorrow, including hopefully sometime soon the long-awaited announcement of Cole Perfetti’s contract extension.