Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Marko Dano, but Will He Play?

BUFFALO, NY - JANUARY 9: Marko Dano #56 of the Winnipeg Jets battles with Jordan Nolan #17 of the Buffalo Sabres during the second period of an NHL game on January 9, 2018 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - JANUARY 9: Marko Dano #56 of the Winnipeg Jets battles with Jordan Nolan #17 of the Buffalo Sabres during the second period of an NHL game on January 9, 2018 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Winnipeg Jets keep locking players up. At this point, it’s mostly guys who won’t be seeing much ice time. But deep depth is important, and maybe they’ll get their shot.

The Winnipeg Jets acquired Marko Dano as the headliner (with a first round pick, used to trade up to select Logan Stanley) for their captain, Andrew Ladd. Ladd scored 12 points in 19 games with the Blackhawks after the trade.

Marko Dano, on the other hand, has scored just 22 points with Winnipeg. That spans exactly a full season’s worth of games, 82. When Dano was first acquired, I assumed the Jets would give him every chance to show he belonged.

And they did, the year they acquired him. He played in 21 games, and tallied four goals and four assists. He was getting about 13 minutes of ice time a night. I, along with many others, was optimistic.

After all, Dano was a former first rounder. He possesses very good speed, solid hands and plays gritty. It’s not a star profile, but there’s a lot to like. And I’m glad they’ve re-signed him for the upcoming season.

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Will he play? I’m uncertain. With Joel Armia being shipped to Montreal, there’s more room for him. Assuming the Jets don’t add, it looks like he’ll be the 12th forward on the roster.

I suppose one of the youngsters could snag that spot (Jack Roslovic, Kristian Vesalainen). The shine is off the apple, no doubt.

Marko Dano’s rookie season was a 35 game, 21 point debut that got him traded to Chicago in the Brandon Saad deal. It was a promising season for a first round pick.

In just 13 games with Chicago, he scored two points. That whole season, he played in just one fewer than the year before, and his production more than halved. Being traded twice in that period can wear on a player, but there was reason to believe he was worth having.

Now? I suppose he’s still worth having. I’d give him a roster spot. You could do a lot worse for a healthy scratch guy every night. If pressed into duty, he can easily hold his own.

But his minutes have declined every season with Winnipeg, and last year he got into just 23 games and had three points.  The Jets like him, or else they wouldn’t have traded for him. Maybe they just like him less now.

Next: Season Review: Brandon Tanev

I’d like to see Dano given a shot on the fourth line. He’s not a star, but he could be a capable NHLer. Maybe he isn’t. He hasn’t played much lately, and when he has, he wasn’t good. Either way, I think we’d all like some closure.

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