It’s been a quiet week in news surrounding the Winnipeg Jets. The Manitoba Moose (the Jets AHL affiliate) made some signings to improve their roster, but the Jets remain patient as the league enters one of the most uneventful weeks in the NHL off-season. Before the league begins ramping up for training camp in September, now is a good time to look at an updated ranking of the Jets top 5 prospects. While none of the 2025 draftees immediately slot into this list, there’s definitely some potential for the newest members of the Jets organization to make their way up the rankings in the coming seasons. Here’s my take on the Jets top 5 prospects post 2025 NHL draft, with a look into their development in 2024-25 and a look ahead to where they might be playing in the 2025-26 season.

While he’s older than the rest of the players mentioned on this list, Chibrikov still deserves his spot at number five. The 22-year old Russian forward had a very promising 2023-24 season with the Manitoba Moose, collecting 47 points in 70 games. After scoring a goal in his NHL debut at the end of the 2023-24 regular season, Chibrikov missed over half of the 2024-25 season with a lower-body injury. Despite a shortened season, Chibrikov remained fairly productive, collecting 18 points in 30 games with the Moose, and 2 goals and an assist in 4 games with the Jets. The development of Chibrikov seems to still be trending in the right direction, and he’ll be poised to have a big season with the Moose in 2025-26 season. Chibrikov should be one of the first members of the Moose to earn a call up to the Jets, and I’m hopeful he will get a good look with the Jets in a position that lets him showcase his offensive talent.

One thing to consider in my rankings is how close these five players are to being full time NHL players. Colby Barlow plays the type of game that can easily translate to the NHL. Although he’s not the fastest player on the ice, Barlow is a scoring “power forward” who excels in being a physically mature player. Barlow got a quick look in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose at the end of the 2023-24 season, where he collected 3 points in 3 games. This season, with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL, Barlow had a very solid season, scoring 32 goals while adding 29 assists for 61 points in 62 games. Barlow really stood out in the OHL playoffs, collecting 33 points in 21 games for the Generals before they lost to the eventual Memorial Cup Champions – the London Knights. Barlow is now 20 years old, making him eligible to make the transition to his first full season in pro hockey, where he will be looking to do much of what he’s shown in the OHL with the Manitoba Moose.

Most Jets fans remember the “blockbuster” prospect trade to acquire Brayden Yager. The deal sent former Jets top prospect Rutger McGroarty to the Penguins. While McGroarty got some limited playing time with the Penguins last season, the Jets continue to monitor Yager as a future 2nd line centre. Yager, just like Colby Barlow, found himself on a new WHL team for his final season in junior hockey, with a blockbuster trade deadline move that sent him from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. It took Yager a bit of time to adjust to his new team, but he quickly regained his scoring form. In 33 games with Lethbridge, Yager scored 14 goals and added 38 assists for 52 points. The 20-year old from Saskatoon will be headed for his first season of pro hockey with the Manitoba Moose, where he will look to help a team that finished 31st in the AHL standings last season. There’s a small chance Yager could make his NHL debut at some point in the 2025-26 season, but even if he doesn’t, he seems to be on the right path to becoming a future key member of the Jets.

A prospect that was at one point the number one Jets prospects finds himself at the number two spot. Lambert took a slight step back last season, and fans continue to wonder when the Jets will give the centre from Finland a real chance in the NHL. After a terrific first full pro season with the Moose in 2023-24 (55 points in 64 games), Lambert couldn’t replicate that success with the Moose last season. In 61 games, Lambert scored only 7 goals and added 28 assists for 35 points. Some of Lambert’s struggles do relate to the fact that the Moose were a bottom five AHL team last season, but it just wasn’t the same Lambert fans were used to seeing the prior season. Lambert got to play 5 games with the Jets this season, but he was usually placed in a “sheltered” role, and he only collected 1 assist in those 5 games. Jets fans shouldn’t begin to panic that Lambert is “trending the wrong way” just yet, and I think that Lambert will get more games in the NHL in the 2025-26 season in a spot that lets him excel in what he’s best at, which includes his strong skating abilities and play making in a top six role.

The “new” number one prospect in the Winnipeg Jets organization is Elias Salomonsson. The 20-year old Swedish right handed defender has risen from a promising prospect in the Jets organization to potentially the next Jets prospect to make a full time impact in the NHL. After concluding a strong final season in the Swedish Hockey League in 2023-24, Salomonsson made the move to North America for his first season of pro hockey with the Manitoba Moose. In 53 games, Salomonsson scored 5 goals and added 22 assists for 27 points. Salomonsson was an important member of the Moose last season, and despite the team’s struggles, Salomonsson looked like he was getting closer to being able to make the jump to the NHL. The Jets current right side may already set for next season, with Dylan DeMelo, Neal Pionk and Luke Schenn looking to be the Jets right handed defencemen. If Salomonsson has a strong training camp, he might find his way into the Jets opening night roster, but it’s likely that he will take his time and continue his positive development in the AHL next season, with a strong possibility of being one of the first players to be called up on the blue line. Salomonsson’s noticeable improvements didn’t come “out of no where”, but he went from a good Jets prospect to potentially “the guy” to watch for in the upcoming hockey season.

There’s several other Jets prospects that have trended in the right direction in the 2024-25 season. Zach Nehring is a 6’5″ right wing who stood out for Western Michigan University, collecting 30 points in 42 games. Another tall Jets prospect, Kieron Walton (6’6″), is a 6th round pick from 2024 who really impressed in the juniors last season with the Sudbury Wolves. In 66 games, Walton scored 38 goals and added 54 assists for 92 points. Also in the OHL last season was Kevin He, the Jets 4th round pick from the 2024 draft. In 62 games, He scored 36 goals and added 39 assists for 75 points. On the blue line, Alfons Freij and newly drafted Sascha Boumedienne will look to “grow” and stand out more in their respective leagues in the 2025-26 season as they continue to develop.