Winnipeg Jets make 5 selections on Day 2 of the NHL draft

The Winnipeg Jets have added to their stable of young talent.

One day after welcoming wingers Rutger McGroarty and Brad Lambert with first-round selections, the Jets picked two defencemen, two centremen and a goaltender to complete the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal on Friday.

Winnipeg opened Day 2 by with the second-round selection of six-foot-one, 183-pound Swedish blue-liner Elias Salomonsson with the 55th overall pick, which was acquired when the Jets dealt forward Andrew Copp to the New York Rangers at last season's trade deadline.

In Round 3, the Jets tapped Russian centreman Danil Zhilkin with the 77th overall pick, which was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in January 2021 when Winnipeg acquired forward Pierre-Luc Dubois in exchange for forward Patrik Laine. 

In 66 regular-season games with the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm last season, Zhilkin netted 23 goals and chipped in with 32 helpers for 55 points, while adding 24 penalty minutes.

Winnipeg selected its second defenceman of the day in Round 4, making six-foot-two, 178-pound Garrett Brown of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers the 99th overall pick in the draft. Brown, whose father Curtis Brown recorded 300 points in 736 career NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, tallied four goals and 12 assists in 16 regular-season contests for the Musketeers last season.

The younger Brown has committed to play NCAA hockey with the University of Denver Pioneers next season.

The Jets didn't have a fifth-round pick, but with the 175th overall pick in Round 6, Winnipeg nabbed five-foot-11, 180-pound Swedish centre Fabian Wagner.

With the team's final selection of the day, the Jets selected the lone Canadian among their seven draft picks when they added six-foot-two, 184-pound goaltender Domenic Divincentiis from the North Bay Battalion of the OHL with the 207th pick in Round 7.

Divincentiis, who is from Bolton, Ont., posted a 14-8-1 record last season with North Bay. His 2.59 goals-against average was the lowest among all OHL rookie netminders. 

"I'm speechless right now. I'm very honoured to be a Jet. It was a roller coaster of a couple days. It all worked out in the end. I couldn't be happier being a Winnipeg Jet," Divincentiis told nhl.com/jets.

While the Jets added five new young pieces, five more Manitobans heard their names called Friday following the Round 1 selections of Conor Geekie of Strathclair, Man., to the Arizona Coyotes, Denton Mateychuk of Winnipeg to the Blue Jackets, and Owen Pickering of St. Adolphe, Man., to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

The Nashville Predators took centre Adam Ingram of West St. Paul, Man., with the No. 82nd overall pick in Round 3.

The six-foot-two, 161-pound Ingram, who is the son of Golf Canada men's team head coach Derek Ingram, posted 55 points, including 26 goals, in 54 games last season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. The younger Ingram previously spent time in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Selkirk Steelers.

New Jersey added six-foot-four, 185-pound goalie Tyler Brennan of Winnipeg with the 102nd selection in Round 4 and in Round 6, the Devils selected fellow Winnipegger Josh Filmon 166th overall.

The six-foot-two, 157-pound Filmon registered 23 goals, 22 assists and 45 points in 67 regular-season games with the Swift Current Broncos during the 2021-22 campaign. He scored twice in 17 contests the season before.

Brennan completed his third full season with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, posting a 11-25-2 record and 3.58 goals-against average in 39 regular-season games this past season. 

The sixth round produced two more Manitoba-born selections in forward Ryan Hofer of Winnipeg to the Washington Capitals 181st overall, and six-foot-three, 190-pound netminder Reid Dyck of Winkler, Man., two picks later to the Boston Bruins.

The six-foot-three, 181-pound Hofer completed his second season with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, netting 25 goals, 33 helpers and 58 points in 67 regular-season games. He added 10 points in six playoff games.

Dyck, who also plays in Swift Current, made 23 appearances this past season and compiled a 6-12-1 record.

Mikey Milne of Abbostsford, B.C., joined his Winnipeg Ice teammates Geekie and Matthew Savoie as 2022 NHL Draft selections when the Minnesota Wild picked the five-foot-10, 185-pound winger in Round 3 at No. 89 overall.

Brandon Wheat Kings forward Rylen Roersma, who was ranked 99th among North American skaters, did not hear his name called on Day 2 of the NHL Draft.