SUNRISE, Fla. — They mined Finland and the Czech Republic and found a potential gem in Western Canada. But the Winnipeg Jets’ work at the 2015 NHL draft was all about their tapping the talent pool down south.
The Jets made eight selections over the seven-round draft Friday and Saturday and took four Americans (three of them in the team’s first four picks). And they paid particular attention to scouting the United States Hockey League as all four Yanks — first-rounders Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic, third-rounder Erik Foley and sixth-round selection Mason Appleton — spent time in America’s top junior league.