Jets’ Evgeny Svechnikov has become most underutilized forward

It’s become apparent that 25-year-old, Yuzhno-Sakalinsk product, Evgeny Svechnikov has become one of the Winnipeg Jets’ most under-utilized players this season. The former 15th-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft struggled to find his game with the Detroit Red Wings. He found success in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he amassed 101 points (39 goals, 62 assists) in 186 career games. In 2016-17, he helped guide the Griffins to a historic Calder Cup victory, recording 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 19 playoff games. Despite his success in the AHL, he flipped flopped back and forth between the Griffins and the Red Wings. In 41 career games with the Red Wings, he accumulated just 12 points and his time there came to a screeching halt last summer. In August 2021, he signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose. Then, following training camps, Svechnikov signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets that holds a $750,000 average annual value (AAV). Currently, he has 19 points (seven go