MILAN — Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But when it comes to professional sports, it’s always fun to play the what-if game.
For example, what if the Winnipeg Jets had opted to select hometown product Seth Jarvis — who made his Winter Olympics debut Friday night against Switzerland — with the 10th overall pick in 2020?
Winnipeg instead took Cole Perfetti at that spot, and Jarvis had to wait two more turns before the Carolina Hurricanes called his name. Perfetti has shown plenty of promise, but he’s not at the level of Jarvis, who brings both a big game and a huge personality to the table.
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Team USA forward Brock Nelson scored two goals Thursday against Latvia in his Olympic debut. Nelson’s family has a storied past of men’s hockey Olympic glory. The forward almost followed in the footsteps of his 1.0 Winnipeg Jet uncle Dave Christian, but opted to sign with the Colorado Avalanche last NHL season.
Well, here’s another what-if scenario that dawned Thursday night while watching Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor and Team USA skate to a 5-1 victory over Latvia.
What would have happened to the Jets during their playoff run last year — and again this regular season — if their attempt to land star centre Brock Nelson had not fallen through at the last minute?
You’ll recall Winnipeg was very much in the hunt for Nelson at the trade deadline, believing he would solidify their second-line centre position behind Mark Scheifele. Although he was a pending unrestricted free agent, there were rumblings Nelson, who hails from nearby Warroad, Minn., would have been interested in signing a long-term extension in Winnipeg.
Then along came the Colorado Avalanche with a package that, according to pundits and insiders, blew the doors off what the Jets were willing to offer: a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 draft, prized forward prospect Calum Ritchie, defenceman Oliver Kylington and a conditional third-round pick in the 2028 NHL draft.
It was an offer the New York Islanders couldn’t refuse.
Nelson later signed a three-year contract extension with the Avalanche at a very reasonable average annual value of US$7.5 million, and the rest is history. At age 34, he’s on pace for a career year, piling up 49 points (29 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games for the NHL’s top regular-season team.
The Jets, meanwhile, saw their Presidents’ Trophy campaign come to a crushing end last spring with a second-round elimination at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Could Nelson have been the piece that pushed them over the top? It says here he would have had a far bigger impact than the two players they did add in Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn.
And the search for a second-line centre continues this season, with a rotating cast of characters auditioning for the role on a Winnipeg team languishing near the bottom of the standings. Jonathan Toews — who drew interest from Colorado last summer before ultimately signing with the Jets — has been the most frequent occupant.
No offence to Toews, but Nelson brings considerably more to the table at this stage of his career.
Just listen to what Hellebuyck had to say Thursday night after watching Nelson deliver the game of his life — scoring twice, having another goal wiped out for goaltender interference and ringing a shot off the post.
“He’s got a big, long stick. He’s got poise with the puck. He plays his system very well. He plays two ways with the puck. I just think he’s a full-on, complete player, with the vision of scoring. I just think he’s a dangerous guy,” said Hellebuyck.
There’s also a Winnipeg connection with Nelson that would have been fun to explore had he landed here. His uncle is Dave Christian, a second-round pick of the 1.0 Jets in 1979 who spent four seasons with the organization before moving on to the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks and appearing in 1,009 career NHL games.
“He’s just such a good hockey player. I just think he’s got a mature game. He plays on both sides of the puck. He can score goals. He’s a cerebral player,” said Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan.
“He’s conscientious defensively. You can use him on the penalty kill. If we needed him on a power play, we could use him on a power play. There’s a lot of options on this team, so we’re trying to cast guys in roles where they know they can hang their hat on what their contribution is to try to help our team win. But Brock’s a guy that just brings a complete game.”
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Sure sounds like someone the Jets could have used, eh?
Nelson is now enjoying his first Olympics and looking to follow in the footsteps four family members. Uncle Dave was a member of the legendary “Miracle on Ice” team that won gold at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. His great-uncle Gordon Christian aptly won Olympic silver with Team USA at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, while his great-uncle Roger Christian and grandfather Bill Christian helped Team USA win its first men’s hockey Olympic gold at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games.
“It’s an incredible story. First of all, I’m thrilled for him. He had a terrific start to the tournament here, so I’m thrilled for him,” said Sullivan.
“But his family story is a great hockey story. We couldn’t be more proud of him. I’m sure his family is thrilled that he’s had the impact on this team the way he has immediately in this tournament so far, but what a great story.”
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Mike McIntyre
Reporter
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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