Winnipeg Jets top prospects neglected in NHL Network’s ranking of league’s top 25 prospects.
The Winnipeg Jets have several prospects on the rise heading into the upcoming season with names like Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert, Colby Barlow and Nikita Chibrikov. However, when the NHL Network released their top 25 prospects in the league, not one Jets prospect was mentioned.
The list has garnered some controversy as 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer sits a top the list of prospects ahead of established names like Ivan Demidov and Zeev Buium.
The list is certainly disjointed from a glance as most of the selections are recent draft choices that are still quite fresh and we won’t know their true upside for quite some time. NHL Network’s Research Development Team is the reported curator of the list and it’s not surprising to see the Winnipeg Jets neglected on another front of the NHL media.
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Nikita Chibrikov vs Jimmy Snuggerud
Chibrikov is one of the most neglected of them all as he was a second round pick back in 2021 and has shown over two seasons now that he can handle an NHL role. With four points over his first five NHL games, he doesn’t get mentioned in the same conversation as other talent getting the same opportunity like Snuggerud, who put up stellar numbers in the NCAA while Chibrikov has been producing solid numbers at a pro level for two seasons now. Both players have the potential to be top six forwards throughout their career.
Colby Barlow vs Brady Martin
Before Brady Martin was selected in the top five of the 2025 NHL Draft, a player with a nearly identical build and similar point production, Colby Barlow, has already been developing since being picked 18th overall in 2023. Barlow stands an inch taller and carries a bit more weight than Martin, but he may not possess the same creative and savvy play style.
What he does have, however, is an elite shot that helped him score 46 goals at the same age Martin is now. While Martin still has a year or two before making the jump to pro hockey, Barlow is…