Jets Must Make Crucial Decisions on Defense

When you hear big names like Elliotte Friedman mention on the 32 Thoughts podcast that he hopes to see Ville Heinola get a fresh start elsewhere, it may set off the alarm for some people.

The once highly touted defensive prospect of the Winnipeg Jets has had two consecutive seasons marred with ankle injuries, and at face value, it seems like the end is near for Heinola.

That isn’t to say with complete certainty that Heinola’s tenure with the Jets will end, but given the comments by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it could be a sign that the team is looking, or getting ready to make that crucial decision defensively.

Drawing parallels to a couple of former Winnipeg Jets defenders, some may argue that the writing might be on the wall for Heinola.

Remember Johnathan Kovacevic?

He found himself on waivers early in the 2022-23 season and was later claimed by the Montreal Canadiens where he began to flourish on the team. 28 points (9G, 19A) in 139 games doesn’t seem like a whole lot for a defenseman. Still, the former third-rounder honed his defensive style of play before being traded to the New Jersey Devils. Since the Devils acquired him, he’s posted 13 points (1G, 12A) in 57 games, which is a significant step in the right direction for the 27-year-old Kovacevic.

Kovacevic arguably would’ve been a great third-pairing or seventh defenseman for the Jets, but his intensity would be a great addition to the Jets’ blueline.

If you filter through the past few seasons, there wasn’t a spot at the time for Kovacevic once he became waiver-eligible. The Winnipeg Jets needed to decide on the defender, and they did.

It’s a beaten drum that rang all too familiar just two seasons later.

Does the name Declan Chisholm sound familiar?

Another defensive prospect with a lot of potential for Winnipeg found himself on waivers early in the 2023-24 season and later claimed by the Jets’ central division rival, the Minnesota Wild. Chisholm, 25, made an immediate impact in Minnesota’s organization and has been a regular in their lineup since he was claimed.

Chisholm’s impact is undeniable in Minnesota, but the question lies, had he stayed in Winnipeg and other defensemen been moved, would he have similarly broken out?

It’s a part of the questions circling current defenseman Ville Heinola. As Elliotte Friedman mentioned in 32 Thoughts today, he hopes Heinola can get a fresh opportunity elsewhere, and it’s hard to argue against.

You can easily understand the frustration of Heinola. Earning an NHL roster spot at 18 years old and also became one of the top talents in the AHL, but two seasons plagued with an ankle injury set him back.

Scott Arniel preached that he was Heinola’s biggest fan in mid-to-late November, but the leash was still short even with the soon-to-be opportunity.

Arniel’s praises about Heinola came days before Samberg’s injury and he still faced a string of stop-and-start stretches of games. This should have been the opportunity to see what the team has in Heinola as a defender, but nothing materialized.

It’s a unique situation for an NHL team that has eight-calibre defensemen on their active roster. Given the likelihood the Jets make a move on the blue line ahead of the trade deadline, it seems like the Jets will fall into the same habits that lost them both Chisholm and Kovacevic.

If you look further down the depth charts with Elias Salomonsson, Isaak Phillips and Dylan Coghlan, a fresh start might not seem that bad for the 23-year-old.

The year-to-year overview isn’t that bright either, and what will change? It’s clear that the Winnipeg Jets are looking for a specific mould of defenseman on their bottom pair, and Heinola doesn’t fit that bill.

Look at Logan Stanley, a 6-foot-7 defender who is not afraid to drop the gloves and throw his body around. Granted, his play can still improve defensively, but let’s be realistic here, Stanley’s towering Heinola by seven inches is likely a big reason that Heinola finds himself in the pressbox, especially against historically physical opponents.

That’s not to say that size is the reason that Stanley continues to stay in the lineup either. His nine points (1G, 8A) in 42 games are great for a defensive defenseman, and then you see 61 PIMs and a plus-minus of plus-10.

Some will argue that plus-minus is a useless stat, but it’s a very telling stat, and if Stanley wasn’t great defensively, he wouldn’t be a career plus-27, simply put. Heinola, a career plus-one in 51 NHL games, has teetered on the plus-minus line.

It boils down to this in my eyes, Logan Stanley has been more than serviceable for the Winnipeg Jets which is why he’s played 181 games and counting. The workload won’t get easier either as the Winnipeg Jets should be looking to find another upgrade defensively, but Logan Stanley is doing something right and will likely only continue to develop as a good bottom-pairing defensive defenseman.

Given the Jets’ likeliness to make an addition on the blueline at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, they are due to make a subtraction, and that might be giving Heinola a change of scenery for the benefit of his NHL career from a long-term standpoint.