Winnipeg Jets Prospect Update: 2 Prospects to Follow with NHL Locked out

If you're missing the Winnipeg Jets as much as me, there's another way to get your fix. The NHL might not come back at all this season, but that doesn't mean you can't cheer for your Jets.

Two prospects that should be followed on a nightly basis currently reside in the OHL. One is Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts; the other, Scott Kosmachuk of the Guelph Storm. Both of these young kids have very bright futures with the Jets. Now might be a good time to become familiar with the future.

Scheifele is already well-documented, but it's one thing to know how good he is on paper and another to know how good he is from watching him tear up the OHL. And Scheifele has done nothing but tear up the OHL every time he's taken the ice.

The Colts are one of the OHL's best teams mostly because Scheifele has taken the next step as both a leader and a playmaker, Schefiele's game has developed tremendously since the time he was taken by the Jets in 2011. He's dominating the OHL and making his presence known on the scoreboard each game.

As of today, Scheifele is fourth in points with 39 and fourth in goals with 17. His production has never been better. The OHL is filled with some of the best young players in the world, and Scheifele sits amongst them all. Before the year ends, Scheifele could be the very best player in the OHL.

It'll be interesting to see if Scheifele can keep pace and possibly overtake Ryan Strome for the OHL's point leader as the season progresses. However, that's probably not nearly as important as the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in December.

The World Juniors is one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of hockey, especially to Canadians. Last year, Scheifele had a disappointing tournament, as he and his country underperformed. However, Scheifele's progression has him poised to become Canada's leader and top center. The tournament is a month away, but it will be an opportunity for Scheifele to make a name for himself.

As opposed to Scheifele, you probably haven't heard much about Scott Kosmachuk. Now is also a good time to become familiar with his name, because if Kosmachuk continues to impress as he is now, he'll be a top-six forward for the Jets in no time.

I don't want to sound like I'm jumping the gun, but Kosmachuk deserves some attention. He's a goal scorer and a very gifted one. Through 26 games, he has 15 goals and 28 points, which ranks him sixth amongst goal scorers.

The Storm are relying upon him to become a leader and a player who can take over a game. It's a good thing because Kosmachuk has the Storm off to a solid start. He doesn't do it all by himself, but it's becoming more and more clear that he's becoming the focus point of the entire team.