Viggo Björck Could Give the Jets What They’ve Been Missing

There is something I like about the situation Viggo Björck is walking into in Winnipeg. The kid is only 18 years old, and yet the Jets are apparently prepared to give him a legitimate chance to become their second-line centre this season. That's a pretty big ask.

Björck was the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, and there is plenty to like about his game. He played against men in Sweden, represented Sweden at the World Championship and has already shown that he can handle himself against older players.

But here's the part I find more interesting than his Calder Trophy chances. Maybe the Jets don't need Björck to be a superstar right away.

Sometimes Being Ready Is More Important Than Being Great.

The Athletic's scouting report describes Björck as a tenacious, responsible two-way player who should be able to earn the trust of an NHL coaching staff. That's a pretty important quality for an 18-year-old centre. Centres have to do a lot.

They have to think. They have to defend. They have to win battles. They have to understand where everybody else on the ice is supposed to be. And they have to do all of that while trying to create offence.

Björck doesn't have to come into Winnipeg and score 50 goals. If he can play responsibly, make smart decisions and produce 35 or 40 points while continuing to develop, that could be a very successful first season.

And maybe that's exactly why the Jets are willing to give him the opportunity. Winnipeg isn't asking him to carry the franchise. It's asking him to fill a hole. That's a much more reasonable assignment.

The Jets May Have Found the Right Player at the Right Time.

There is always a danger when an 18-year-old jumps into the NHL. Things move faster. Players are stronger. Mistakes get punished. But Björck has already spent time playing against men, and he has the kind of two-way game that can keep a young player on the ice when the offence isn't coming.

The temptation with a highly drafted player is to look at the points first. How many goals? How many assists? Is he producing like a top-five pick? I'd be watching something else with Björck. Does the Jets coaching staff trust him? If the answer becomes yes, the points may take care of themselves.

And that's where this gets interesting. Winnipeg may not need Björck to win the Calder Trophy. They may simply need him to become a good NHL centre sooner than most 18-year-olds are expected to. Sometimes that's how a young player changes a team.

For Björck, it might not be by becoming the star everybody expected. It might be by becoming the player the team needed.