The Winnipeg Jets begin their first road trip of the season today. This road trip will feature three games against Ontario-based franchises. The Jets will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. Then tomorrow and Thursday evenings the Jets will take on the Senators in Ottawa.
With all the excitement involving watching the Jets play these three games, after their great comeback victory in their first game of the 2021 season on Thursday night against the Flames, the Jets suffered some bad news regarding their defense.
The Jets will be without both Tucker Poolman and Dylan DeMelo over this three-game span. According to Mitchell Clinton (@MitchellClinton on Twitter), DeMelo will stay home due to the birth of his child and Poolman cannot travel due to the new NHL Covid-19 protocols.
The Winnipeg Jets’ defensive depth will be tested without Dylan DeMelo and Tucker Poolman.
Now that the Jets will be without two of their top defensemen, they will have to call in some of their top prospects to get the job done.
Time for the Young Guns to Shine
Currently, on the Jets roster and taxi squad, they have defensemen Sami Niku, Logan Stanley, Dyland Samberg, and Ville Heinola.
Sami Niku played in the Jets first game of the new season and as Dan St. Joseph noted:
"“(Niku) looked hesitant in his decision making; slightly out of position most of the game; and a bit overwhelmed by the physicality and speed of the Flames.” (Jets White Out)"
It looks like Nku will get another chance tonight when the Jets matchup against the Maple Leafs, but his opportunities moving forward look limited unless his performances drastically improve.
Stanley and Samberg offer the Jets new-look options. Both players have yet to make their NHL debuts and offer Winnipeg different options in their style of play. Stanley is more of a physical defensive defenseman, who you can rely on in the defensive zone to make the smart play.
Samberg is more of an offensive defenseman who has terrific vision and great skating ability. The twenty-one-year-old provides the Jets with an interesting pair alongside Nathan Beaulieu. This pair could be extremely reliable for the Jets on breakouts and in the offensive zone due to both players’ playmaking skills.
One other option the Jets have is Ville Heinola. Heinola played eight games for the Jets last season and impressed many. Heinola is recently returning for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he won gold.
Heinola knows what it takes to perform at the NHL level and is an extremely solid option to step into the Jets lineup. His prior performances with the Jets last year could put him at the forefront to make an impact during the road trip.
In the absence of DeMelo and Poolman, the Jets’ younger defensive prospects have a great chance over these next three games. One or more of these players can make a great case for themselves to be the Jets sixth or seventh defenseman moving forward and it should be fun to watch this competition over the next week.
These players will be tested in Ontario against some of the best offensive players in the league. This will give the Jets a great assessment of who their best defensive prospects are and what stage they are in, in terms of their development.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Which younger defenseman are you most excited to see come in the lineup and play for the Jets over the next three games? Leave your comments below!