The Winnipeg Jets have a minor COVID-protocol crisis at the moment. Quite a few starters are currently isolating from the team, which has left the forward and defensive corps a bit open for some new blood. The circumstances aren’t ideal, but the Jets have amassed a decent pool of talent to choose replacements from. Facing an unspectacular Detroit Red Wings roster served as the perfect opportunity to show Winnipeg what it has with the Moose. Declan Chisholm, Dylan Samberg, and Austin Poganski answered the call in what was a decent 3-0 shutout against Detroit. Read on for some thoughts on how the young guns fared!
Seven Takeaways
- Declan Chisholm is the real deal. The talented blueliner has been making waves since his CHL days, showing off natural offensive instincts and explosive skating. His performance against Detroit was excellent, with his great mobility, quality passing, and good spatial awareness coming into play. Chisholm’s zone exits with possession were fun to watch and it seems like his top-4 potential is a lot closer to being realized than expected.
- Dylan Samberg was a bit less offensively ambitious, but made up the difference with some quality penalty killing and composed defensive work. He generally made the right passes when he needed to, facilitated zone exits routinely, and shielded Hellebuyck where appropriate. He even notched an assist for his troubles! Dylan might be an ideal third-pairing blueline option for the Jets.
- Chisholm and Samberg should remain a part of the team going forward until they prove they can’t keep up. Winnipeg’s defense was noticeably more composed and effective, despite not having had much time to practice together. Mobility and transition skills really do wonders!
- Copp probably could have had 4 goals with the way he was playing. His 2 snipes were great fun to watch, and I was rooting for him to complete the hat trick for the heck of it.
- The line of Connor-Dubois-Perfetti made a day of it. As the game wore on, they increasingly found great shooting lanes and slot opportunities to harass Nedeljkovic. It didn’t result in any goals, but they came very close.
- Svechnikov continues to be a great play facilitator in the top-6. He belongs with skill, adding the forechecking and passing ability that bolsters offensive talent. Svechnikov’s ability to make great passes near the walls while under pressure opens space for his linemates.
- Hellebuyck recorded his 26th career shutout, and he actually made some pretty great stops to earn it. This wasn’t the hardest outing of the season, but he did the necessary to keep Detroit dry.
