Winnipeg has found a place for another one of its prospects to play as the team announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned winger Skyler McKenzie to EHC Freiburg of the DEL2. As has been the case with the majority of these international loans, it will last until NHL training camps begin.
The 22-year-old was a seventh-round pick (198th overall) of the Jets back in 2017 in his second year of eligibility following an impressive offensive season with WHL Portland. He improved on those numbers in 2017-18 with a 47-goal, 87-point campaign which was enough to earn him an entry-level contract with Winnipeg.
McKenzie has spent the first two years of his professional career exclusively at the AHL level with Manitoba and he improved upon his rookie numbers with nine goals and 14 assists in 58 games with the Moose last season. With one year left on his entry-level deal, he will need to take another step forward in 2020-21 to secure a qualifying offer and while he’s going to a second-division league in Germany, getting some game reps in should help his case when training camps in North America get underway.