The Winnipeg Jets completed a blockbuster trade in late July to acquire veteran defenseman, Brenden Dillon from the Washington Capitals.
This move has excited many Winnipeg supporters because one of the Jets’ biggest weaknesses last season was their defense and there was a common consensus among hockey analysts that the Jets need to improve in that area to become a Stanley Cup contender. Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets front office definitely improved the Jets’ defensive corps by acquiring Dillon.
A day later, the Cheveldayoff and the Jets management team made another exciting move as they bolstered Winnipeg’s defense even further when they traded a 2022 third-round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Nate Schmidt.
Leaving the Schmidt trade to the side, the Brenden Dillon trade is a huge win for the Winnipeg Jets.
The Winnipeg Jets are getting a jack of all trades defenseman in Brenden Dillon
The thirty-year-old left shooting, Dillon has shown over his ten-year NHL career that he can be a top-pair two-way defenseman.
Last year with the Capitals, Dillon played primarily on their top defensive pairing with John Carlson and he amassed a total of two goals and 17 assists in 56 games.
Besides that nice stat line, the British Columbia native was terrific on the defensive side of the puck. Dillon finished the 2021 season with a plus-15 plus/minus.
Last season showed that the Jets have some outstanding offensive defensemen, but there were some struggles in shutting down top opposition forwards.
The six-foot-four-inch Dillon is a player that can step in and be a top shutdown defenseman for the Jets and be a major asset in fixing some of the Jets’ defensive issues from the shortened season.
Also, Dillon can be the perfect defensive partner for a player like Neal Pionk or Josh Morrissey as a player that does the things in the defensive zone right while also benefitting from his partner’s offensive style. While his partner will benefit from Dillon’s strong defensive style and this makes the perfect pairing. Dillon’s play this past season with the offensive Carlson shows exactly this.
The Dillon trade is one that should excite many Jets supporters and it gives the Jets an extra dynamic on their blue line.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Which player do you think Paul Maurice and the Jets coaching staff should partner Brenden Dillon with for the upcoming season? Leave your comments below!
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