The Colorado Avalanche do not have a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. However, the rest of the Central Division has a total of eight selections in the first round.
The Winnipeg Jets made the first of two top-10 selections by the Central Division, selecting Viggo Bjorck ninth overall.
Bjorck is an 18-year-old center out of Sweden. He spent the 2024-25 season playing on Djurgardens Jr. of the Swe. Jr. league and Djurgardens IF of the Swe-1 league.
The reason I’m writing this, about a rival’s draft selection, is that Bjorck stands at a shocking 5’9” and weighs 177 pounds. Realistically, it’s probably safe to say that Bjorck won’t grow taller, making this selection kind of questionable if you ask me.
I could be dead wrong about this, but it feels like the type of selection that could end up failing, especially in a dififcult division as the Central is.
That’s not to say that he absolutely will fail. The Avalanche have a 5’9” player themselves in Nick Blankenburg. However, the big difference is the positions. Blankenburg is a defenseman, while Bjorck is going to be up against other forwards who might eat him alive.
It certainly is possible that this was a good pick for Winnipeg, though. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the Jets’ war room when discussing this selection. It just doesn’t feel like the smartest move.
One of his weaknesses is his strength, which isn’t a surprise. Someone like Nazem Kadri or Parker Kelly could take him on in a fight for the puck. I like my chances with that idea.
Several smaller players have made it work in the NHL, including Cole Caufield, Brad Marchand, and Logan Stankovan. They have developed into star players, and that’s what happens with Bjorck.
The Jets felt confident enough in Bjorck’s skillset to take him inside the top-10, so, we will just have to wait and see what types of things he can get done in the NHL. I hope I’m not eating my words in a couple of years, but right now, this feels like a win for the Avalanche.
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