So rather than writing a new blog today I thought I would add some thoughts to this one. After the pick as I put the bit of information below I spoke to a few people who were involved in many of the prospect sites that are at the draft and do a ton of work beforehand.
The context of this pick is when he was taken. He was a player that a team may have done a reach for should that team have maybe had their preferred player taken and were drafting for position or specific skill set. What Heinola translates into right now is a safe bet to be a decent player should his development curve keep up the same way.
One particular detail I like about Heinola, and this is after doing some research last night by talking to people, is that there's a sense that his development curve is not peaking yet, there's more to give because it started later. Mark Scheifele was that way coming through the junior ranks. They aren't comparable as players but in that facet they are. I did stand next to Heinola as he made his rounds for the NHL and said congratulations to him, he was at least eye-level with me. He's not small but he is 18 and all of the guys are slender, that's what 18 year-old athletes look like unless they are genetic anomalies. Size will not be a concern.
The Jets obviously had him targeted and were ready to take him. There was no action at the table in terms of phone calls, huddled chats or jumping up to talk to other teams. They were relaxed and focused.
When I finally had a chance to get near Chevy he seemed very confident in the choice and happy with how the draft developed to take the pick. My microphone could not pick up that part of the audio until I got a bit closer due to the music and background noise. (I updated my iPhone and forgot my old mic does not work on the new iPhone with no mini-jack! Rogers Arena does not sell adapters!)
What I did ask Chevy was if he had pressure to trade the 20th pick, if he thought about trading down or moving up? "No," he said. "It was real quiet and not a lot of talk so I was never asked and I didn't feel we needed to move at all".
I think the message to take away from this pick is it's safe, it plays to need now and in the future, and fits the model of the kind of player the Jets want.
For those who believe that this is a Trouba replacement- well he's not. Heinola could be special though and that's what Jets fans have to focus upon for the future. He will be at the prospect camp and he should be fun to watch develop think a bit of Enstrom mixed with Niku with some maturity that is perhaps a bit premature.
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From last night on the draft floor prospect info and youtube highlights
With many players going off many draft site's predicted order the Jets were left with a few options as the picks counted down. Many sites and scouts saw the Jets potentially getting Harley but the was taken 2 picks ahead of Winnipeg by the Dallas Stars. In Jan Levine's mock draft I had the Jets taking Ryan Suzuki from the Barrie Colts.
In the end they went with Finish defenseman Ville Heinola this is what Elite Prospects had to say:
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