ANALYSIS: Jets' blue line could be crowded heading into next season
And some of the more interesting decisions will include what to do about the blue line depth chart.
Suppose all goes according to plan this summer and Dylan Samberg signs a long-term deal in the seven-to-eight-year range. In that case, we can be pretty certain the Hermantown Two of Samberg and Neal Pionk — along with the longtime two of Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo — will form the Jets' top four on defence for the coming season and beyond.
Story continues below advertisement
After that, it gets interesting. Right-shot veterans Colin Miller and Luke Schenn still have one more year on their respective contracts. As do Logan Stanley and Ville Heinola on the left side.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
And then interesting turns into crowded if pending unrestricted free agent Haydn Fleury parlays his impressive first season as a Jet into something beyond a one-year deal and if Elias Salomonsson arrives as an NHL defenceman ahead of schedule.
Winnipeg's cupboard of blueline prospects isn't exactly over-flowing, but there's also no immediate need for help. So with what Cheveldayoff, head coach Scott Arniel, and the rest of the organization know about Stanley and Heinola, is it time to give one or both players a chance to become full-time NHLers somewhere else?
Stanley is just one year away from unrestricted free agency. There is more time on the clock before Heinola will have his chance to test the open market.
Story continues below advertisement
Can Cheveldayoff make a deal — or deals — to turn a couple of young veterans into assets that better fit Winnipeg's timeline?
Lord knows both former first-round draft picks have been professional in handling difficult situations and, for the most part, they've been patient.
At some point, the Jets have to fish or cut bait.
The latter option might be the best course of action, especially with a pair of players who could potentially slide even further down the pecking order in 2025-26.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Raptors sign first-round pick Collin Murray-Boyles to rookie-scale contract
TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors signed first-round pick Collin Murray-Boyles to a rookie-scale contract, the team announced Tuesday. The six-foot-seven, 239-pound forward was the ninth overall pick in last week's NBA draft coming out of the University of South Carolina. Murray-Boyles averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 32 games en route to earning an All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection as a sophomore. He led the SEC in field-goal percentage (.586), scored 20-plus points in 12 games and had nine double-doubles for the Gamecocks. Toronto also signed guard Chucky Hepburn to a two-way contract Tuesday. Hepburn averaged 16.4 points and 5.8 assists in 34 games as a senior year at the University of Louisville in 2024-25. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The six-foot-two, 190-pound Hepburn was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-ACC first team and all-defensive team honours. He led the ACC in steals per game with 2.4. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
‘Everyone's going to be that much hungrier': Bouchard talks about signing new deal with Oilers
The hurt of losing the Stanley Cup to the Florida Panthers is still raw for Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers. After signing a new, four-year deal, though, Bouchard is looking ahead to getting yet another chance at hockey's biggest prize. 'We're going to have a lot of the same guys back. Everyone's going to be that much hungrier. Everyone knows that we have what it takes, we just need to give a little bit more,' the star defenceman said Tuesday. 'So I'm excited. 'The Oilers and myself have a good chance in years to come.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The Oilers and myself have a good chance in years to come." The Oilers announced Bouchard's new US$42-million deal on Monday, just a day before the 25-year-old blueliner from Oakville, Ont., was set to become a restricted free agent. Carrying an average annual value of $10.5 million, the contract is a substantial raise on his previous $3.9-million cap hit. Story continues below advertisement Getting the new deal done was 'an exciting process,' Bouchard said. 'Nothing too painful. … And we're happy where we are,' he said. 'We kind of just decided four years was a good term for myself, good term for the Oilers.' Bouchard, drafted 10th overall by the Oilers in 2018, broke out with 18 goals and 64 assists across 81 games in 2023-24 before adding 32 points in 25 games during the playoffs. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Last season, he tallied 23 points in 22 playoff games after a 67-point regular season. Only Bobby Orr (1.243) has a higher points-per-game average among defencemen than Bouchard's 1.08 in the post-season. The six-foot-three, 192-pound athlete has been working on the defensive side of his game in recent years, and said his goal moving forward is to play with more consistency. 'I think over the last season or two, I've really focused on the defensive side of things,' Bouchard said. 'Especially later in the season, come playoff time, that's the most important thing is to keep the puck out of the net. So I think my game's just going to keep getting better, keep growing on both sides.' Story continues below advertisement Edmonton made space for Bouchard's new deal — and a potential contract extension for superstar captain Connor McDavid — by subtracting from its roster. The Oilers dealt left-winger Viktor Arvidsson and his $4-million cap hit to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL entry draft. Arvidsson, 32, had 15 goals and 12 assists in 67 regular-season games for Edmonton last season, and added another seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 playoff appearances before the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. The five-foot-10, 185-pound Swedish forward signed with Edmonton as a free agent in July 2024 following stints with the L.A. Kings and Nashville Predators. Arvidsson was originally selected by Nashville in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2014 draft and has amassed 194 goals and 195 assists over 613 regular-season games. Edmonton also shipped winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks last week. Story continues below advertisement
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev loses to Arthur Rinderknech in first round at Wimbledon
LONDON (AP) — Third-seeded Alexander Zverev lost to 72nd-ranked Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday in a match that was suspended overnight. It was Zverev's earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament since 2019 — also at the All England Club. Rinderknech, a 29-year-old Frenchman, had only one other career victory at Wimbledon — that was last year. In the buildup to the tournament, Rinderknech reached the quarterfinals at Queen's Club, where he beat Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka. Zverev has reached the fourth round at Wimbledon three times, including last year, but never beyond that point. He lost to Taylor Fritz in five sets a year ago. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ More AP tennis:
