Welcome to the third article in Arctic Ice Hockey’s review of the Winnipeg Jets’ prospects under the age of 25 years. Previously we have covered the players that suited up with Canadian Hockey League franchises and the forwards who dressed for the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose, giving us an idea of how 13 of the 23 prospects did last season. Those included looks at some of the Jets’ higher end prospects like Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, & Colby Barlow. If you missed those articles, please click the links below:
Winnipeg Jets’ CHL Prospects Review – Arctic Ice Hockey
Winnipeg Jets’ AHL Prospects Review – Part 1 – Arctic Ice Hockey
In this article, we will be continuing our review by switching to the young defensemen & goaltenders on Manitoba last year. The Moose’s defensive prospect pool is understocked at this point with Swedish defender Elias Salomonsson being the the only player that projects above the 3rd pairing level in the National Hockey League. Goalies are always a bit difficult to project, so it is hard to say how Dominic DiVincentiis & Thomas Milic will pan out yet….but both tenders have displayed the ability to play at a high level so have the potential to become NHL quality keepers. DiVincentiis was fantastic in the season after being drafted by Winnipeg, winning the OHL’s Jim Rutherford Trophy for the league’s best goalie (2.33 GAA/.919 save %), while Milic received numerous accolades in the same season, such as the WHL’s Del Wilson Trophy for best tender in the league, the playoff MVP award as he helped his team to the championship, and backed Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors Championship.
Before we get in depth on each specific player, I would like to remind you how much the Manitoba Moose struggled last season due to the loss of so many AHL veterans over the past two campaigns. The chart below tells us that the youth movement in the minors at first led to some defensive issues as the Moose allowed an extra 16 goals against, but then last season the impact was felt on the offensive side of things when Manitoba pocketed 56 goal less. Since the club scored almost a goal less per game in 2024-25, it was hardly surprising that the mini-Jets finished with the AHL’s 2nd worst record.
From all appearances, the Moose’s youth movement will continue next season with a slew of new forwards likely to join the squad. Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, & Jacob Julien are all probably going to be donning a Manitoba jersey next year, hopefully helping the club to increase its offensive output. Yet it will be important for Winnipeg’s GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to help his minor league team out by providing the young players with some veterans to fill out the squad, especially on the defensive side of things.
Alright, so now that we know the following players were under siege for most of the season, lets dive in for a closer look at the young defensemen & goalies on Manitoba.
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DEFENSEMEN: (4 prospects)
ELIAS SALOMONSSON – 2nd round (55th overall), 20 yrs old, 6’2″ 189 lbs, RD
At the age of 17, Elias Salomonsson mainly played in Sweden’s under 20 years league (23 pts in 37 gms for .622 pts/gm), but also got a sniff of his country’s top league (10 gms, no points). That was enough to get the Winnipeg Jets’ scouting department excited enough about the right handed defender that they convinced Chevy to draft him with the 55th overall selection. For the next two seasons, the 6’2″ defenseman mainly played in the SHL against Sweden’s best and showed positive signs that he was adjusting to the increased level of competition (.200 pts/gm in year 1 & .355 pts/gm in year 2).
At that point in Elias’ development, the scouting world was impressed with his skating abilities, especially since the young Swede is a large man who is hard to move off the puck. His agility allows Salomonsson to skate the puck out of danger in his own end or make a counter-attack more dangerous by joining in on the rush up the ice. A good 2-way defender who often is in the right place to break up a pass to his opponent, the youngster also has the quickness to recover when he does get caught out of position. The scouts also praised his passing abilities and calmness when handling the puck in his own end.
The Jets’ front office obviously agreed since they brought Salomonsson over to North America to start the 2024-25 campaign. One of the last cuts from Winnipeg’s training camp, the young RD was immediately thrust into a top pairing defensive role to start his career with the Manitoba Moose. A bright spot in the squad’s depleted defense, the 20 yr old was really impressive to start the season as he put up 12 points in 17 AHL games (.706 pts/gm). Unfortunately, Elias sustained an upper body injury at that point, keeping him out of the line up for almost 8 weeks and forcing him to watch as the Moose plummeted in the standings.
By the time Salomonsson returned in late January, Manitoba had been hit hard by injuries to other players and their competition level was not near its best. The big Swede was still effective, but his offensive impact was blunted by the amount of time the Moose had to spend defending (15 pts in last 36 gms for .417 pts/gm). When the regular season concluded, the defenseman ended up with 27 point in 51 games (0.529 pts/gm), including 5 goals (4 on powerplay).
Before we get to what I thought of the former 2nd rounder’s year, lets take a gander at what DobberProspects.com’s PNHLe chart has to say about the young lad.
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Well, I don’t know about you, but seeing that the Winnipeg Jets may have stumbled upon an actual top pairing right handed defenseman almost makes me giddy. A position that has remained unfilled talent-wise since the sudden retirement of Dustin Byfuglien, young Elias Salomonsson represents the opportunity to eventually fill one of the NHL club’s biggest holes.
During his rookie campaign, I was quite impressed with the 6’2″ RD’s play from the start. Never looking out of place, the kid often drew my attention when he closed up a gap in the neutral zone to stifle a rush before it could get started or making the opposition’s dump in a wasted effort by executing a clean zone exit for the Moose. Smart & strong enough to get the best of most battles in front of his goaltender, Elias played a physical game yet seldom allowed the chance to deliver a bodycheck to draw him out of position. As I mentioned earlier, his skating allowed him to get involved offensively as well and the Manitoba coaching staff had him quarterbacking the team’s top powerplay unit. While he doesn’t have a top notch slap shot from the point to go for goals, Salomonsson did a good job at getting his shots through the traffic to give his teammates a shot at any rebound or deflection that might occur near the crease.
I know I am not the first one to make the comparison, but when I watched the 20 yr old Swede play this year I continually had flashbacks to Dylan Samberg’s first season in the AHL. Sammy had the advantage of an extra year of growth before making the leap, but both defenders seemed to have no difficulty adjusting to the increased level of physicality the minor leagues had to offer due to the size of their frames. An apparent calmness in their rookie seasons made it appear that the defensemen weren’t finding the competition too burdensome and more often than not that helped them to make the right play at the right time. While both Dylan & Elias are prime examples of 2-way defenders, they do differ in that Samberg tends to be at his best in his own zone while Salomonsson has a higher offensive upside (.375 pts/gm versus .529 pts/gm).
Currently the Winnipeg Jets have 4 right handed defensemen signed (DeMelo, Pionk, Schenn, & Miller) who sit higher up on the depth chart than Salomonsson, so his chances to make the NHL club next season don’t look great at this point. If you recall, Samberg also returned to the AHL to start his 2nd professional season but did get called up to Winnipeg for 15 games by the end of the campaign. So that could easily be the fate that awaits Elias…..yet that doesn’t mean that he isn’t ready to make the leap.
Given that the young Swede will just turn 21 yrs old a bit prior to the Jets’ upcoming training camp, there certainly isn’t any rush to promote him…yet I will be shocked if we don’t see Salomonsson suit up for at least one NHL contest next year. His waiver-exempt status will allow Winnipeg to move him up & down between the leagues at will and at this point, the Jets have no other options to fill in for injuries unless they re-sign players like Haydn Fleury or Dylan Coghlan (both would require waivers to go to AHL though).
I foresee great things for the young Swede and look forward to the time when he is paired with Josh Morrissey on the top pairing (possibly as soon as 2026-27?). However, at this point in time I don’t really see Salmonsson starting next year with Winnipeg and believe he will get another season (or at least partial yr) of top minute development time with the Manitoba Moose.
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ISAAK PHILLIPS – 5th round (141st overall), 23 yrs old, 6’3″ 205 lbs, LD
When Manitoba was dealing with the loss of Salomonsson to injury, General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff made a deal to try and help the Moose by acquiring defensive d-man Isaak Phillips for offensive d-man Dmitri Kuzmin. The 6’3″ left handed defender had already played in 56 NHL contests over his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and his acquisition gave the minor league club a potential top pairing defenseman to match with their young Swedish prospect.
After scoring 8 points in 28 contests with the Hawks’ minor league affiliate, the 23 yr old added another 8 in 38 games with Manitoba. Not only did his point production drop after the move, Isaak went from +8 with the Rockford IceHogs down to -11 with the Moose. Guess that is the different between playing for the AHL Central’s last wildcard team and the 2nd worst squad in the league (a difference of about 40 goals for & against between the two).
Phillips isn’t really as bad as that may suggest and will definitely be an asset for the minor league club going forward, but I am not sure how much of an impact he will have at the NHL level. His advanced stats numbers with an very bad Chicago team don’t suggest a high ceiling, but as we know from this year Moose squad, it is hard to judge players stuck on bad teams.
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So using DobberProspects.com’s PNHLe chart to assess Isaak Phillips’ potential, we see that while he briefly was considered a potential 2nd pairing defender his current rating falls more in the 3rd pairing/depth defenseman level.
Currently the 23 yr old is a restricted free agent (RFA) but since he is the only left handed defensive prospect the team has available for Manitoba, I am sure a deal gets done. Hopefully the Jets & Moose GM’s make sure to add some more LD depth this off-season because I would like to see our prospects continue their development on a more competitive squad.
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SIMON LUNDMARK – 2nd round (51st overall), 24 yrs old, 6’2″ 201 lbs, RD
I had high hopes for Simon Lundmark when Winnipeg drafted the Swedish defenseman in 2019. He had the size and roamed the right side…things that help a lot if you are trying to become an NHL defenseman. The 24 yr old showed some offensive promise when he played in Sweden’s under 20 league, but unfortunately that was never really fulfilled in the country’s men’s league nor when he moved over to the Manitoba Moose.
The 6’2″ 201 lb skater has been consistent in the AHL though, netting between 3 & 5 goals and 14 & 17 points in each of his 4 campaigns. After Lundmark’s first two professional seasons, I still had hopes that he could develop into an NHL defenseman, just one that didn’t bring a lot of offense to the table like a Dylan DeMelo. Yet as the Swede has been bumped up the depth chart, his defensive game hasn’t been up to the challenge (-15 & -21 in past 2 yrs) and those dreams have taken a hit.
According to DobberProspects.com’s PNHLe chart below, that stat has never seen the 24 yr old as anything more than a potential 3rd pairing guy.
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Another RFA, I am not as sure that Simon Lundmark will be back with the Winnipeg Jets’ organization next season. He is at that age when Europeans often consider returning closer to home if they feel like their NHL shots are out of reach and I am not sure how hard Chevy would fight for him to stay if that was the case.
At this point, Manitoba probably has only one defenseman signed for next season (Salomonsson)…so that could make the Jets want to keep the veteran defender in the fold. Lundmark isn’t a terrible 2nd pairing option at the AHL level and the other unsigned RFA RD (Bauer) is unlikely to challenge him for the spot. So a lot depends on whether Cheveldayoff brings in veteran defenders like Dylan Coghlan or other unrestricted free agents (UFAs) over the summer.
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TYREL BAUER – 6th round (164th overall), 23 yrs old, 6’3″ 207 lbs, RD
When the Winnipeg Jets drafted Tyrel Bauer in the late rounds they knew they were getting a defenseman that had the character to captain the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. A big physical player, the 6’3″ 207 lb Albertan was never a prolific scorer at the Junior level, hitting a career high of 17 points in his pre-draft campaign. After spending a couple more seasons with the Thunderbirds, Bauer officially became a Manitoba Moose 3 seasons ago.
Regulated to a 3rd pairing role in the AHL, the Canadian put up 7 points in each of his first two seasons but was able to make his mark in other ways. Rather than trying to tell you what that is….why not click the link below to see for yourself?
https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n270941
As that video shows, Tyrel likes to scrap and his 9, 8, and 7 fights in each of his Manitoba seasons confirms that (291 total PIMs). Unfortunately his slow foot speed limits his play when his gloves are still on his hands and that makes DobberProspects.com’s PNHLe chart not very high on his NHL potential.
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An unsigned RFA heading into this summer, I feel that Tyrel Bauer will brought back into the fold for another season due to his character and the fact that he is willing & able to stand up for his younger teammates. I don’t have any hope of seeing him in a Winnipeg Jets’ uniform, but I will enjoy watching his big bodychecks and fights with Manitoba for another season if he is re-signed.
While I am not a huge fan of fighting in hockey, Bauer’s apparent enthusiasm for it is hard to dislike. If you want to take a deep dive into his many bouts, follow the link below because I just randomly selected the example above.
https://www.hockeyfights.com/players/26231
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GOALTENDERS: (2 prospects)
Before I start talking about the Winnipeg Jets’ two goalie prospects, I thought I would outline the season Kaapo Kahkonen had this year. Last summer, Chevy signed the 28 yr old to a 1 year deal to battle with Eric Comrie for the NHL club’s back up role. Having lost that fight, the Finn found himself the 3rd tender on the depth chart and expected to help guide the Jets’ young goalies through the AHL campaign. Yet that got disrupted when the Colorado Avalanche claimed him off waivers on the way down to the Manitoba Moose, but he did end up returning to Winnipeg later in the season via another waiver claim.
In 22 games with the defensively challenged Moose, Kaapo put up a 3.29 GAA & a .885 save percentage before he was traded to the Florida Panthers for Chris Driedger. Once he was assigned to the Cat’s minor league affiliate, Kahkonen put up a 2.36 GAA & a .906 save percentage over the rest of the regular season for the Charlotte Checkers. The Finnish goalie then took it to another level in the AHL post-season, helping his club to the Championship series with a 1.73 GAA & a .927 save percentage.
So keep in mind how different his performance behind Manitoba’s leaky defense was when it compared to his play with the Checkers or Colorado Eagles (2.57 GAA/.919%) this season….because the two young gentlemen below had to deal with the same issues.
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DOMINIC DIVINCENTIIS – 7th round (207th overall), 21 yrs old, 6’2″ 192 lbs, Left Glove
The Toronto native had a solid debut as a 17 yr old in the OHL, putting up a 2.59 GAA & a .907 save percentage as a backup goalie for the North Bay Battalion. That caught the attention of the Winnipeg Jets’ scouting staff, prompting the franchise to select him in the 7th round of the 2022 Entry Draft. Dominic DiVincentiis then took over the starting duties for the Battalion, excelling in the role as he ended up being voted the league’s best tender with a 2.33 GAA & a .919 save percentage in the regular season. Dom’s final Junior season didn’t go as well, as the Canadian tried to play through some early injury troubles and his statistics suffered as a result. After missing some time, DiVincentiis rebounded with better numbers over the rest of the campaign.
Because Kahkonen spent the early part of the year in Colorado, the 20 yr old began the season with Manitoba and was the best performing goalie during that 5 start span (.930 save %). Despite that, when the veteran Finn was reclaimed it was Dominic that was sent down to the ECHL for some playing time with the Norfolk Admirals. The 6’2″ goaltender stayed there until the end of January, putting up a 2.97 GAA & a .896 save percentage in 20 games while winning 75% of his starts. That earned him a recall to the Moose, where he eventually earned the confidence of the coaching staff and became the default starter in the latter parts of the year. The going wasn’t exactly smooth in his last 23 AHL starts, but DiVincentiis managed to have more games over the .900 save percentage plateau than under.
I’ll admit that my goaltending career ended when the kids my age learnt how to raise the puck, so take any of the following insights with a grain of salt….but I really couldn’t spot any huge areas of weakness in the 21 yr old’s game. Dominic’s positioning seems solid most of the time, he has good glove & blocker reaction times, and doesn’t seem to overly rely on his height by going down in the butterfly too early. Twelve starts with a .920 save percentage or better, his consistency seemed okay for a young player making his professional debut and I was impressed that the Moose’s struggles never seemed to hurt his compete level.
Lets check out the goalie’s career stats in the graphic below:
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In the end, Dominic DiVincentiis finished the year with a 2.84 GAA & a .906 save percentage….which really isn’t that bad considering that Dom was playing for the 2nd worst team in the AHL. He also got his first taste of professional playoff hockey with the Norfork Admirals, getting two starts with a 2.46 GAA & a .900 save percentage. For comparison, when Connor Hellebuyck was a year older and playing in his rookie campaign with the St. John’s IceCaps, who finished with the 7th worst record, Bucky put up a 2.58 GAA & a .921 save percentage. Better numbers for sure, but not hugely so and that should give us hope that DiVincentiis might develop into a NHL level tender.
According to DobberProspects.com scouts, Dom is “an athletic, agile goaltender with good size. Great mobility in the crease with excellent technique. Needs to improve rebound control and ability to fight through traffic“.
The rookie has the size that NHL teams covet when it comes to goalies, but since I can’t seem to find any sites offering development projections for that position, I can only assume that he has a legitimate shot. Would be long odds for someone drafted in the 7th round, but his professional career is off to a promising start. Any promotion to the big leagues won’t happen next year though, but another solid season in the minors could put him in the running to take over once Comrie’s contract runs out.
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THOMAS MILIC – 5th round (151st overall), 22 yrs old, 6′ 180 lbs, Left Glove
Back when the goalie was just 16 yrs old, Thomas Milic got a cup of coffee in the WHL (3.57 GAA/.886 save % in 2 starts) but really showed his potential at the World Hockey Championships (under 17). Representing Canada, the 6′ tender suited up for 3 contests with a 2.54 GAA & a .925 save percentage. The British Columbian born goaltender put up better numbers as a back up for the Seattle Thunderbirds the following season (.913 save %) and once again shined in international competition (.975 save %).
As a 18 yr old, Milic finally earned the starting spot in Seattle and had a pretty good regular season (2.44 GAA/.912 save % in 47 starts). The young Canadian really stepped up in the playoffs as he helped lead the 7th place Thunderbirds all the way to the WHL Finals (2.29 GAA/.925 save %). Despite these strong performances, Thomas was passed over in the draft and returned for another Junior campaign and his squad was certainly happy about that. Seemingly determined that NHL GMs wouldn’t ignore him at the upcoming Entry Draft, the tender put up a fabulous season with a .928 save percentage in the regular season and then a .933 save percentage as Seattle won a WHL Championship in just 19 contests. To ensure he wasn’t overlooked again, the 19 yr old also won all 5 games he appeared in at the World Junior Championship as he once again picked up a medal for his efforts (.932 save %) and performed admirably in the Memorial Cup as Seattle lost in the finals (.933 save %).
I can only think that it was his smallish build that kept other GMs from selecting Milic before Cheveldayoff picked him in the 5th round, but it allowed Thomas to kick off his professional career with the Winnipeg Jets organization. Much like DiVincentiis, Milic had to start out in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals initially (.908 save % in 18 starts) before he got called up to the Manitoba Moose. That was a turning point for the minor league club, as inconsistent tending was making their playoff hopes appear slim but then the 20 yr old goalie’s arrival sparked a late successful charge for a wildcard spot (.900 save % in 33 starts).
Whether it was the good ol’ sophomore slump or not, Milic certainly struggled to start the 2024-25 campaign, not having a save percentage over .900 in his first 9 starts. Manitoba’s staff kept giving him a chance to rediscover his game, but eventually they opted to send him down to Norfolk for a fresh start. This seemed to work very well, as the 22 yr old put up great stats in the ECHL (1.82 GAA/.935 save %) before he was recalled to finish the season with the Moose (.903 save % in last 3 AHL starts).
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According to DobberProspects.com scouts, Thomas Milic is “a quick, athletic goaltender who reads play with ease. Plays a calm, clean, technical game with aggressive positioning and good footwork, making up for the lack of size. A long-term project that competes hard and thrives under pressure“.
I am fairly sure that I couldn’t say it any better. The young tender has shown the ability to perform his best when the highest pressure situations arise and that has made me really want to see Thomas succeed. Yet that “long-term project” part also tells me that if Milic is ever to don a Winnipeg Jets’ uniform during a game, it will probably take him another couple seasons of solid play at the AHL level before he gets his chance. Once again, I think the pressure is on both Winnipeg & Manitoba’s General Managers to ensure that the minor league’s roster is better equipped to deal with level of play in the AHL and not hang their goaltending prospects out to dry in 2025-26.
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FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
Overall the Winnipeg Jets organization likely has 3 prospects that played on the Manitoba Moose last season that have very good chances at clearing the 100 NHL game mark in the future. Those are potential middle-six forwards in Brad Lambert & Nikita Chibrikov and a possible top pairing defenseman in Elias Salomonsson.
As they say, goaltenders are voodoo so I really can’t say whether either of Dominic DiVincentiis or Thomas Milic will make the big leagues, but I think the early signs are positive for the Jets to find another successful late round goalie. After that, I think the pickings are slim with Parker Ford being a possible 4th line option and maybe a long shot at defenseman Isaak Phillips filling the 3rd LD spot in the NHL at some point in the next few years. I guess that it is good that reinforcements are coming for Manitoba next year, with former Junior players like Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, & Jacob Julien joining the Moose for 2025-26.
Hope you enjoyed the second half of our look at the Winnipeg Jets’ prospects on the Manitoba Moose last year. With only 4 prospects left to cover, and one of them kind of ruining things by agreeing to re-up in the KHL, it shouldn’t be too long before I get our final installment posted. In case you are wondering, this will cover recent 2nd round pick LD/RD Alfons Freij, 3rd round selection RW Zachary Nehring, 4th round pick RD Garrett Brown, & 5th round selection Dimitri Rashvesky.
