No doubt he's winning out on plays because of his physical advantages, but 6'6" is still a physical advantage in the AHL/ NHL, and unlike some big fellas Walton seems to have skating, hands and shooting that are tracking well also. Haven't seen enough of him to add anything useful firsthand but several who do have noted his playmaking and vision as positives, and his engagement when not scoring as a past negative. I guess we'll see over the next few years but watching prospects grow into their games is a key part of fandom for me, and I'm genuinely uninterested in trotting out negatives at this point. Jets fans have been short on great prospects for a while now, and I'm here for the ride up the rollercoaster.
He also an intriguing prospect -- skill, physicality, speed and a relentless motor make him potentially a very useful prospect for a Jets team and fanbase that have been wanting a scoring superpest for years, Pionk notwithstanding.
If the chips fall perfectly, the next 2-4 years might being a solid 2C with defence and some offence in Yager, a strong top 4 all-situations RHD in Salmo, a physically dominant forward with offence in Walton and a quick, demon forechecker who can transition, defend and pot greasy goals and be a netfront presence also in He.
Given how few picks the Jets have had in the last 3-4 years, and with none in the highest end, this would be a pretty great haul. Not as much pedigree and overall eliteness as in the glory years of Schief, JMo, Laine, Ehlers and KFC, but hopefully a solid impact and triple shot of energy into an aging lineup.
Yeah one or all could bust. But until they do, we should dare to dream. And dream big. There ain't no harm in it, and plenty of hope and adrenaline along the way.