Winnipeg Jets: With Trade Options Limited, Michael Del Zotto Fits

The Winnipeg Jets have a top-tier offense and three really solid, right-handed defensemen. They need a little help on the left, however.

The Winnipeg Jets lost their best lefty defenseman, Josh Morrissey, to a non-major injury this past week. I hope he’ll be back soon, but due to the uncertainty that he would even miss the Blues game, I think we’ll be okay.

Joseph Morrow is also sidelined with an injury, and while I thought he played a perfectly cromulent game, I’d prefer to see him on the third pairing. Last night against the Blues, Sami Niku played on the top pair.

I like Niku and I hope he develops into a usable player but I do not want to see him on the top line for a team with championship aspirations right now. I understand it’s temporary but still, it shows the lack of depth that Winnipeg has at the position.

A trade is inevitable, at least in my mind. I can’t see how the Jets let their one weakness derail this season. But the trade market is thin, at least in obvious LD candidates.

More from Editorials

• Winnipeg Jets vs. Blackhawks Round 3: 5 Things We learned
• Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck is the Best Goalie of the Last 5 Years
• A Patrik Laine Trade Redux Prior to Winnipeg Jets vs. Columbus
• Winnipeg Jets Doppelgangers: Look-A-Likes PART II
• Can Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets Actually Win the Norris?

I did see one that, well originally, wasn’t too appealing. I’ve since managed to talk myself into it and I’m in favor of the Jets going out and acquiring Michael Del Zotto.

I never once thought he was really all that good, and I knew he was serviceable. But I never thought teams benefited from Del Zotto. The Jets don’t need offensive help. Del Zotto isn’t going to be on the powerplay.

Morrissey and Dustin Byfuglien have that covered, and Jacob Trouba is more than capable as well. But they do need defensive help, and Del Zotto could provide that.

Despite being on a terrible team, Del Zotto has a +4 rating, meaning he’s stayed above water on a team that’s 29th in the league in goals against. That’s third on the team and he’s only one of four regulars in the positive.

Oh, and also, the Jets are falling behind in the grit department. Look at last night, just seconds into the game: Patrik Laine gets drilled on an obviously illegal and high hit. None of his teammates stood up for him. So he got his own vengeance, in the form of a double minor penalty.

I’m not saying Del Zotto would’ve gone over and dropped the gloves, although someone should have. That’s Patrik Laine! Protect your boy!

It was an obvious gameplan by the Blues and hey, it worked. They finally beat the Jets after losing the first three of the series. Very sad that’s the last matchup between the two this season. Winnipeg looked good against them, save for last night.

Point is, Del Zotto is a hitter, man. Like Theo Von says, get that hitter! Del Zotto is eighth in the NHL in hits. Del Zotto isn’t a big guy and he’s not a bruiser, but he’ll use the body. That has value even outside of the tangible effect of getting someone out of the way.

He’s eighth in the league despite being six games played short of anyone above him on the list. He’ll add some grit, some punch and some steady defense to Winnipeg’s blue line.

Del Zotto is an impending UFA with a moderate cap hit, at just $3MM. The Jets can make it work and they won’t have to eat up future cap space if things don’t work out. That also means he won’t take much to acquire.

I can’t imagine a first round pick would be in the question, and it shouldn’t be. That, to me, would be an overpay. But Del Zotto is firmly better than Ben Chiarot, Niku, Morrow and Dmitry Kulikov.

It’s an unsexy pickup, but Del Zotto would be fine on the second pair next to Byfuglien. He wouldn’t have to be the better defenseman on the pair, and they would be a devastating duo in the hits department. Like I said, I wasn’t fully in on this one, but I talked myself into it.

It’s a clear improvement, you know Vancouver would move a 28 year old impending UFA and the cost shouldn’t be prohibitive. Michael Del Zotto would be a solid fit on the Winnipeg Jets, nothing more, nothing less. I like it.