Kevin Cheveldayoff has often told media that there’s opportunity for young players with the Winnipeg Jets. He has a habit of signing veteran depth players, who his coaches often give ice time at young players’ expense.It’s as though Cheveldayoff dares his top prospects to surpass replacement level veterans, only for his coaches to decide those veterans are better “win now” options. It may also be that the prospects simply haven’t been ready, but that narrative began to shift at the end of last season, when playing time opened up for Brad Lambert, Elias Salomonsson, Isak Rosen, Brayden Yager, and Nikita Chibrikov.Which of these players can help next season’s Jets? Who’s ready for a bigger role? And when Cheveldayoff’s offseason work is done, which Jets aged 23 or younger will end up earning NHL jobs?Here are best- and worst-case scenarios, my projections, and a look at one potential 2026-27 Jets roster.Brad Lambert, RW/C, 22Best reasonable case: Lambert puts his speed on display early and often. He cuts wide and into the middle with equal aplomb, making defenders guess more often than when he was primarily a perimeter player and beating them as a result. He channels his speed into forechecking and backchecks with such vigor such that he earns Scott Arniel’s trust. He plays a second line, second power play unit role, and scores close to 50 points.Worst reasonable case: Lambert struggles to create space for himself despite his outlandish speed. Whether he’s unable to sell outside routes before surprising with inside movement or it’s more about strength in battle situations, Lambert fails to score enough to earn a top-six job or defend well enough to play on Winnipeg’s third line.Projection: Lambert sticks in the NHL for the full season, finishing around ninth or 10th in even-strength minutes while getting second-unit power play time. He is an inconsistent scorer, finishing 82 games with 30-40 points.Elias Salomonsson, RD, 21Best reasonable case: Salomonsson recovers from shoulder surgery ahead of schedule. He opens the season on the Jets’ third pair, playing with a more effective partner than incumbent Haydn Fleury. The Jets commit to Salomonsson as an NHL player, despite his waivers exemption (and any early-season rust). He gets stronger, despite or perhaps as a response to his injury, and becomes a top-four option who impacts the game in all three zones. Fans are incensed that he’s not used as Josh Morrissey’s partner on the top pair.Worst reasonable case: Salomonsson misses camp and gets assigned to Manitoba, where he’s slow to get going and fails to assert himself as Winnipeg’s early call-up option. By midseason, Winnipeg is committed to its wild card push and won’t try Salomonsson ahead of veterans like Colin Miller or Jacob Bryson, who it signed in the offseason to compensate for Salomonsson’s absence. He stagnates.Projection: Salomonsson starts slowly — maybe even in the AHL, pending health — but earns his NHL job all over again. By season’s end, he’s the Jets’ clear No. 5, sometimes outplaying Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk.Isak Rosén, RW/LW, 23Best reasonable case: Rosén’s first full NHL season provides secondary scoring and tenacity that helps win games when that scoring goes cold. He plays with the same confidence he’s demonstrated in the AHL, waterbugging his way into scoring areas and finding dangerous opportunities to shoot. Rosén’s season proves that the point-per-game AHL scorer can play a top-six role in the NHL, too.