Breakdown of Winnipeg Jets Training Camp Roster: Breakouts, Prospects and Storylines

The Winnipeg Jets released their 53-man training camp roster Tuesday with many exciting storylines layered within the players picked.

We are going to breakdown the Jets entire training camp roster and give details on interesting players to look out for early on. Players with an asterisk are unsigned draft picks, while player names that are italicized are free agent invites.

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Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie, Thomas Milic, Kaapo Kahkonen and Dominic DiVincentiis

No surprise to see any of these names here as Hellebuyck will be the consensus Jets starter next year, while newcomers Comrie and Kahkonen will provide an interesting position battle in camp as one of them looks to claim the backup netminder job.

Milic returns for another season of development and hopefully can build off his stellar 2023-24 season. DiVincentiis enters his first season at the professional level and will look to take in much advice and coaching from the Jets top professionals and staff while preparing likely for a role with the Manitoba Moose this upcoming season.

Defencemen: Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg, Colin Miller, Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Haydn Fleury, Simon Lundmark, Dylan Coghlan, Elias Salomonsson, Dmitry Kuzmin, Tyrel Bauer, Ashton Sautner, Dylan Anhorn and Dawson Barteaux

The regulars like Morrissey, DeMelo, Pionk and Samberg won't have to worry about losing their spot as a top four blueliner but Stanley and Miller will need to prove themselves as they may have more competition than ever this camp.

Heinola has been looking to log serious minutes on the main roster for years now and will look to get his chance. Fleury was once a first round talent, when he was drafted a decade ago and could still show some upside.

Free agent invite Dylan Anhorn should be an interesting name to watch as he joined the Moose for two games last season following a 33-point campaign in 38 games at St. Cloud State University.

Prospects Salomonsson, Kuzmin and Bauer are still all quite young and will likely use camp to continue growing as players towards a future main roster jump. The remaining players appear most likely to find roles at the AHL level with the Moose.

Forwards: Cole Perfetti, Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry, Gabriel Vilardi, Chaz Lucius, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Mason Shaw, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Rasmus Kupari, Danny Zhilkin, David Gustafsson, Connor Levis*, Dominic Toninato, Morgan Barron, Vlad Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Jacob Julien*, Kieron Walton*, Mason Appleton, Henri Nikkanen, Brayden Yager, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Colby Barlow, Kevin He, Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov, Markus Loponen*, Brad Lambert

The forwards see the most storylines as Perfetti rejoins the team without a new contract and is still an restricted free agent, while newcomers like Anderson-Dolan and Shaw look to use camp as a chance to carve out a spot for themselves on the main roster.

There will be an overabundance of exciting young talent on display like the highly-touted Brayden Yager, who the Jets recently acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is debatably the top prospect in the organization.

Other notable names like Barlow, Chibrikov, Ford and Lambert helped carry the Moose's offence last season and have all looked impressive so far this offseason in exhibition games and camps. When speaking with Moose head coach Mark Morrison in the summer, he noted the four could all be looked at for a bump to the main roster.

Chaz Lucius will look to also get involved in the conversation as a once first round pick for the Jets three years ago but has since struggled to stay healthy.

The remaining youngsters like He, Walton, Levis, Julien, Nikkanen, Zhilkin and Loponen will all be fun to watch as they will be battling for different things like a potential roster spot or contract.

The Jets kick off their preseason on Saturday, when they take on the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre.