Depth seems to be bursting at the seams of the Winnipeg Jets defence core. Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Toby Enstrom are the team’s top four and you have to figure Mark Stuart and Mark Stuart’s contract in as a regular as well.
Fans of the Jets will know from last year’s never-ending run to the infirmary that depth is a good thing. In fact, the Jets iced 13 different defenceman last year, ranging from Byfuglien’s 69 games to Julien Brouillette’s nine minutes and 33 seconds of icetime against San Jose in January. But with a healthy blueline, the Jets only have one starting spot and a couple of seats in the press box for a wide-ranging assortment of defenceman. Let’s take a look at three guys and where they fit in for the upcoming season.
Paul Postma
A prolific scorer in junior hockey, Postma has never found his footing at the National Hockey League level. The 26-year-old played a career high 42 NHL games with the Jets last season, scoring twice and recording six points.
The Jets just rewarded him with what could appear to be a vote of confidence contract, a two-year contract worth just under a million dollars per season. While the commitment isn’t huge, it does appear the Jets plan on having him on the roster to start the season. He’ll likely battle with Ben Chairot for the sixth defence spot and does provide value as a point man on the power play.
Josh Morrissey
One of the Jets prized prospects, Morrissey is coming off an impressive season where he captured a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey championship and a Western Hockey League title with the Kelowna Rockets.
Could Morrissey force the Jets to make some decisions if he has an impressive camp? Absolutely, but it’s difficult to picture a scenario where he doesn’t start the season down the hallway with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. While he certainly could push for a spot as a sixth/seventh/eighth defenceman with the Jets, he’s only played eight professional games so far in his career and he would benefit from seeing 18-20 minutes of ice per night with the Moose as opposed to battling for limited ice with the Jets.
Adam Pardy
Jay Harrison will also figure in the Winnipeg Jets blueline – somewhere. Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
Pardy, most famous for having his helmet stolen and getting trucked in the playoffs, will find himself in a battle for a spot in training camp. Pardy’s ate up some ice time when needed for the Jets in the past, playing 60 and 55 games respectively in the past few years.
Factoring in the top five, you would have to think Chairot and Postma are better bets to make the team than Pardy this year. That leaves him fighting for a potential eighth spot with fellow veteran Jay Harrison. Worst case scenario one, or both, gets claimed on waivers on their way to the other side of the MTS Centre. And is that really a worst case scenario? It’s nice having fringe defenceman like Pardy around for depth but if someone like Morrissey forces his way ahead of him, then so be it.