Jets All Out Top 25 II: Honourable Mentions

We begin our second annual Jets All Out Top 25 player rankings with the honourable mentions - or the players who are on the cusp of making the list as they work their way up or even the players who have been here before and haven't quite confirmed a spot on the regular Jets roster.

Here are those honourable mentionees...

Meech returned from injury to help in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

Derek Meech, 28, D, 5'11, 200 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention 
This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention
Difference: 0


Winnipeg native Derek Meech finds himself once again on the honourable mentions list.  Main reason being that his season was grossly shortened by a knee injury he sustained in the early part of the season after spending time with the Jets, including two games in uniform.  However, Meech did return to the St. John's Ice Caps lineup in time for the Calder Cup Playoffs which he was a big reason the team made it to the third round.  In 15 playoff games, Meech had nine points (four goals, five assists).


Arturs Kulda, 24, D, 6'2, 215 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked 
This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention
Difference: 0

Arturs Kulda caught many by surprise last season, even in the Jets management.  Kulda, a hulking, but still sizable looking defenseman, spent nine games early in the 2011-12 season with the Jets and did not look too out of place.  His play with the Jets rocketed him up the defensive depth chart, especially with the injury to Derek Meech and others throughout the season.  In 63 games with the Ice Caps, Kulda had 20 points (six goals, 14 assists).  As of now, Kulda is starting the 2012-13 season with the Novosibirsk Siber of the KHL.

Aaron Gagnon, 26, C, 5'11, 186 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked
This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention
Difference: 0

The ex Seattle Thunderbird centre made a small impact late in the season with the Jets lineup decimated with injuries.  Gagnon played in seven games, mostly as a faceoff man to help the Jets struggling draw game.  Though he did not register any points, Gagnon was used in certain situations when needed on the fourth line and saw his stock rise a little.  In St. John's, Gagnon had 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 63 games and added nine points (five goals, four assists) in 15 playoff games.

Zach Redmond, 24, D, 6'2, 205 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention
This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention
Difference: 0

Another player who saw their stock rise in a big way was defenseman Zach Redmond.  In his first professional league season at age 23, Redmond helped anchor the Ice Caps defense in St. John's in a big way.  In 72 games, he tallied 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists), which helped him earn a spot in the AHL All-Star Classic, and he had three points in ten playoff games.  Redmond shot up the defensive depth chart as well and will be looking to take another step up the ladder to the NHL.


Ben Maxwell, 24, C, 6'1, 195 lbs
Last Year's Ranking: 20

Ben Maxwell bounced around in 2011-12.
(Photo Courtesy Yahoo! Sports)

This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention

Difference: -10

Ben Maxwell's 2011-12 season was a strange one.  First he started the season in the Jets system, playing a few games with the Jets and in St. John's.  He was then waived and picked up by the Anaheim Ducks, played six games, scoring one assist and then spent the majority of the season with the Ice Caps scoring 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 43 games.  He was later reclaimed on waivers by the Jets and played nine games in total scoring five points (one goal, four assists).  Maxwell is a dark horse to make the team this season if he could jump ahead of top prospect Mark Scheifele and Patrice Cormier as a centre.

Ed Pasquale, 22, G, 6'3, 210 lbs

Last Year's Ranking: Not Ranked

This Year's Ranking: Honourable Mention

Difference: 0

Eddie Pasquale made himself known with a solid rookie 2011-12 season.  Usurping Peter Mannino of the starting spot in St. John's after battling him and NHL veteran David Aebischer, Pasquale would go 23-12-1 with a 2.41 goals against and a .911 save percentage.  In the playoffs, Pasquale kept up his great play going 7-8-0 with a 2.41 goals against and a .917 save percentage as he anchored the Ice Caps to the third round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.  At 22, Pasquale is another diamond in the rough who will only get better as he enters 2012-13 as the possible stater again.