With the 50th pick of the draft the Jets took 5’10 left-shooting winger Nikita Chibrikov from SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL which is where he is slated to play for the next two seasons.
Here is how he was ranked ahead of the draft according to Eliteprospects:
Ranked #20 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #39 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #21 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #16 by NEUTRAL ZONE
Ranked #24 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #26 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #26 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #4 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters)
Ranked #21 by SPORTSNET
Ranked #11 by ISS HOCKEY
Ranked #13 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #17 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #23 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #26 by SMAHT SCOUTING
Ranked #25 by THE PUCK AUTHORITY
Here is what Elite Prospect said about him:
If you give him space, a runway through the neutral zone, or a pocket in the offensive end, he will cut around the opposition with a combination of rapid handling and crossovers moves. He locates teammates early in possession sequences and finds ways to reach them by going to his backhand, by saucing the puck above sticks, banking it on the boards, or the goalie’s pads.
And draft expert Chris Peters said:
Winnipeg Jets picks Nikita Chibrikov, the most skilled player available and one of the draft’s best playmakers. He’s got a little bit of a mean streak. Under contract until 2022-23 with SKA. I had him No. 15 on my list. So Jets get my No. 10 and No. 15 players at 18 and 50.
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