BANFF, Alta. — When it comes to the Winnipeg Jets’ opening-night roster, clarity has arrived, if only for a few days before another decision is necessary.
Monday’s deadline came and went and the Jets submitted their 23-man list, but not before an unexpected plot twist arrived when the club claimed Swedish forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby off waivers from the Washington Capitals.
It was well known that the Jets were looking to upgrade the forward position during the off-season, but with the final cuts on the horizon, the decision to pluck Jonsson-Fjallby on Monday meant the Jets were left with two more decisions to make instead of one.
However, since Jonsson-Fjallby needs to get his paperwork for a Canadian work visa taken care of, the Jets got a reprieve since he can initially join the team as a non-roster player.
In short, it’s bought the Jets a bit more time as they decide what to do with the final spot leading up to Friday’s season and home opener against the New York Rangers.
The bigger news on Monday was that the Jets decided to re-assign defenceman Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
Heinola, the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, had a training camp that included some eye-popping moments, but also some costly miscues that ended up in the back of the net.
The risk/reward balance remains a work in progress for Heinola and while some strides have been taken, there’s another level he needs to reach in order to make his transition to full-time NHL player a reality.
The defence corps was a frequent topic of conversation throughout training camp and the competition for the sixth spot behind Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Brenden Dillon, Neal Pionk and Nate Schmidt is ongoing — though Logan Stanley appears to have a leg up on the competition, based on Monday’s workout at Fenlands Arena.
Stanley was used primarily with Schmidt during a practice that lasted nearly two hours and featured a wide range of “meat and potatoes” systems work, along with some special-teams activity.
Dylan Samberg and Kyle Capobianco round out the eight defencemen who remain, though it’s possible the Jets could decide to open the season with 14 forwards and seven D-men, even though 13 forwards and eight blue-liners is the more likely outcome.
The reaction to the news regarding Heinola was swift on social media, but the important thing to remember is that the decision isn’t a permanent one.
As disappointing as the news would be for Heinola, the worst thing he can do is let it impact his play in the AHL.
With Bowness telling reporters on the first day of training camp that he’s looking for a big increase in goal production from the blue line this season, Heinola features a skill set that works right into the aggressive style of play, where the Jets will be looking to push the pace and have the second wave frequently involved in the offensive attack.
However, Heinola still has some work to do on the defensive side of the puck, which is one of the reasons he’ll begin the campaign in the minors.
The best course of action for Heinola would be to go down and dominate with the Moose as he enjoys top-pairing minutes and is given a great deal of responsibility.
Heinola’s puck-moving ability will eventually allow him to push for top-four minutes with the Jets, but those weren’t going to be available to him right now, at least not right out of the gate.
That’s why some additional seasoning could end up being something that helps him in the long run — even if it feels like a setback on a development curve that’s featured some twists and turns during the past few campaigns.
It should also mean that the next time Heinola is recalled, it will be for good.
Jonsson-Fjallby, meanwhile, was originally a fifth-round pick of the Capitals in the 2016 NHL Draft and appeared in 23 games last season, collecting two goals and four points.
The 24-year-old been compared to fellow Swede Carl Hagelin, a speedy forward who can contribute on the penalty kill and is active on the forecheck.
Jets associate coach Scott Arniel is familiar with Jonsson-Fjallby from his time on Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff in Washington and that should help Bowness as he gets to know the player a bit better.
Once Jonsson-Fjallby is activated, the Jets will need to remove one more player from the roster.
While right-winger Mason Appleton was back on the ice in a non-contact jersey on Monday, Pierre-Luc Dubois was limited to an off-ice workout, though Bowness is hoping that he’ll skate Tuesday, with the worst-case scenario being Thursday after the Jets return home from Alberta.
With both Appleton and Dubois expected to play against the Rangers, the Jets are likely to subject Dominic Toninato to waivers or to assign either Saku Mäenalanen or Morgan Barron to the Moose.
Mäenalanen is exempt from waivers, but clearly did enough during training camp and the exhibition season to not only secure a roster spot but also to be in the opening-night lineup with his strong play.
Barron only appeared in two exhibition games, but he’s the leading candidate to open the season with Adam Lowry and Appleton, so his spot appears to be safe.
Toninanto provides some versatility since he can play either centre or wing and also kill penalties, but he cleared waivers at the start of last season and at this point, he looks like the 14th forward on the depth chart after the arrival of Jonsson-Fjallby and the reassignment of Jansen Harkins to the Moose after he cleared waivers.
Things can change quickly and reinforcements are always needed, whether because of injury or performance.
This roster is nowhere near set in stone, so the battles will continue to be worth watching.
Winnipeg Jets opening-day roster
G (2): Connor Hellebuyck, David Rittich
D (8): Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Brenden Dillon, Neal Pionk, Nate Schmidt, Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, Kyle Capobianco
F (13): Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Cole Perfetti, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Morgan Barron, Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton, Saku Mäenalanen, David Gustafsson, Sam Gagner, Dominic Toninato
Non-roster player: F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
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