While I covered some of the Winnipeg Jets new additions in Arctic Ice Hockey’s previous article (A Look at Winnipeg’s Free Agent Signings – Arctic Ice Hockey), I did end up overlooking some of the players that have joined the True North franchise. That was quickly brought to my attention by the person I am trying to bring on as a new AIH writer.
It seems that our newest member, Mullayo, is rather fond of the work of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff on the blueline….as I quickly received an email explaining why the impact goes beyond just adding the one d-man I covered, Mario Ferraro, to the mix. Since I am still waiting to hear back from the guy running our little website and Mullayo can’t express his opinions in his own article yet….I thought I would share his thoughts in this one as a sort of introduction to the AIH members.
While I may not agree with all of his assessments, it will probably be nice for you all to hear a different point of view on all things relating to the Winnipeg Jets. As you all know, I am a fan of the statistics side of hockey and definitely let them slant my perspective….yet I have finally run across someone who even puts more emphasis on the data….partly as a result of Mullayo’s unique situation. But I will let him tell you about all that before he gets into discussing Chevy’s work on the Jets’ backend this summer…..
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Hey all, I’m Mullayo and new to Arctic Ice Hockey, though I’ve been pestering the Jets Hockey Forum for a couple of months already.
I’ve been supporting the Jets for 3 years now. I must say it’s been a wild ride the last 2. As a Kiwi, living in Sydney, I mostly resort to watching those 10 min Youtube highlights. Local sports provider Kayo has the NHL, but only a couple of games a week. That year, seems like a long time ago, the one when we led from start to finish to earn the Presidents Trophy, they only played Winnipeg games twice – chalk up another small market injustice.
I played (although not Ice Hockey, Gridiron or Baseball) a lot of sports. In order pf years played from 30 to 3: Rugby, Soccer (30 years); Touch Rugby, Gaelic Football (15 years); Aussie Rules, Basketball, Futsal (10 years); Cricket, Indoor Netball (5 years); Softball, Rugby League, Indoor Cricket (3 years). I calculated the other day that I won approximately 100 adult championships, so I was competitive at least, sometimes the best.
Now I’m too old, battered and bruised, I can only pick a team and follow them. I’m particualrly interested in drafts and metrics – which I’ve been making for the NFL Combine and NBA Draft for a decade, and starting this week…..Ice Hockey.
Teams I now actively support include the NZ Warriors, Bolton Wanderers, Baltimore Orioles, Connecticut Sun, and the Winnipeg Jets of course. More nominally nowadays, I follow the Waikato Chiefs, GWS Giants, OKC Thunder, Wellington Phienic, All Blacks, Tall Blacks, Black Caps, All Whites… So if you want to discuss any of them, feel free…
My writing style may come across as abrupt and full of numbers – especially compared to the thoughtful and balanced BOJA, but I did go to the top journalism school in NZ, and was a journalist/editor for 7 or so years.
I like my articles to be anchored by facts, stats, lists and dates and then have some speculation or extrapolation. A preview beats a review in the journalism business. The art of journalism is answering the questions the everyday person would ask. Unfortunately, now I’m not getting paid, it’s more about me. Nowadays, I research and answer the questions I have, then collate them into an information package to share with anybody who cares and a lot that don’t.
Also, I’ve moved away from the mainstream style guide of writing out numbers 9 and under, because I’ve found numbers stick out and allow you to orientate in dense paragraphs, particulary when scanning or re-visiting to check on something. Variation in paragraph sizes is useful for that too.
I basically write what (and how) I want to read. So please make allowances, as I’m also from the opposite side of the world… Although, traditionally Canucks and Kiwis get along well, maybe because both have an annoying Big Brother (in both senses of the term)?
Enough with the introductions….time to take a look at Winnipeg’s defensive depth and compare it to last season’s:
Our D-fence is in disarray right?
Old, slow, overpaid – though that could also be said of the forwards to be fair…
DeMelo is 33 years-old and moves like molasses on a cold Winnipeg winter day. Morrisey is fine, but 31 years-old and only has two years left on contract (will he re-sign?), Pionk is coming off an injury and 30 years-old with 5-years left at $7m AAV – (used to be a lot until a few days ago).
So, is it panic stations for everyone?
Not necessarily… Chevy has brought in depth in the last week. Furthermore, there are reinforcements on the way coming up through the prospect pool. Some as soon as this season. Let’s take a deep breath and look at the new boys and the near boys on our defensive depth chart (** – recent additions).
———-RD————-
6ft 1in, 194lb, Dylan DeMelo (33.2 years-old)
6ft 1in, 190lb, Neal Pionk (30.9 years-old)
6ft 4in, 200lb, Jack St Ivany** (26.9 years-old)
6ft 0in, 194lb, Dysin Mayo** (29.9 years-old)
6ft 2in, 189lb, Elias Salmonsson (21.9 years-old)
6ft 3in, 195lb, Garrett Brown (22.3 years-old)
6ft 2in, 198lb, Alfons Freij (20.4 years-old)
———-LD————
6ft 0in, 195lb, Josh Morrisey (31.3 years-old)
6ft 4in, 216lb, Dylan Samberg (27.4 years-old)
6ft 0in, 205lb, Mario Ferraro** (27.8 years-old)
6ft 2in, 211lb, Henry Thrun** (25.3 years-old)
6ft 4in, 207lb, Haydn Fleury (30 years-old)
6ft 3in, 205lb, Isaac Phillips (24.9 years-old)
6ft 2in, 185lb, Sascha Boumedienne (19.4 years-old)
6ft 2in, 228lb, Noa Ta’amu** (18.2 years-old)
6ft 0in, 164lb, Alexander Taillefer** (18.5 years-old)
———Gone D————-
5ft 9in, 180 lb Jacob Bryson (28.7 years-old)
6ft 0in, 181 lb Ville Heinola (25.3 years-old)
6ft 2in, 225 lb Luke Schenn (36.7 years-old)
6ft 0in, 200 lb Collin Miller (33.6 years-old)
And of course 6’7″ 231 lb Logan Stanley, who was to Winnipeg what Godzilla was to Tokyo or King Kong to New York, a walking disaster. I don’t classify him as a D.
Now let’s dig a little deeper into the depth chart, see if we can unearth some nuggets of gold.
————–LD——————-
Haydn Fleury (6ft 4in, 207 lb)
Last season, Fleury, played 38 games for 4pts (8.6 NHLe) at minus-18. I’ve seen him described as a fast-skating Stanley. I can’t argue with that based on his stats. He turned 30 yesterday and thus will need replacing sooner than later. But maybe Winnipeg already did since Chevy brought in 3 players as replacement candidates. St. Ivany, Thrun, and now possibly even Mayo.
Henry Thrun (6ft 2in, 211 lb)
Thrun is probably a Moose to start the year, but also in that Fleury Insurance mold as a possible replacement 7th defender for the Jets. He is a true tweener, too good for the Moose, yet not good enough for 3rd pair. He is younger, bigger and probably better than Mayo, with more NHL games under his belt. He accrued a solid NHL of 17.1 (23 pts in 53 games) last season for the Toronto Marlies, on their way to a Calder Cup. At 25.2 years-old he still has upside. Another great get for Manitoba at the very least.
“A well balanced defenseman. Good puck mover that can shoot the puck well and plays smart defensively.“– Dobber Prospects
Isaak Phillips (6ft 3in, 205 lb)
Phillips is still not 25 years old (24.8), is he really worse than Fleury? Best AHL season of the Moose D with 29 pts in 67 games (10g +19a), for a 17.7 NHLe. That’s better than anybody brought in on a much worse offensive on the Jets. I think Winnipeg’s management is sleeping on Phillips. I feel he should have played more NHL games last year, to find out what we have. But that would have been tanking, unlike sticking with Fleury which was going for broke! And getting it.
“A depth defenseman with a good combination of size and skating ability. Has limited offensive upside but could provide some value on a bottom pairing.“– Dobber Prospects
————–RD——————-
Jack St Ivany (6ft 4in, 200 lb)
The Patron Saint of not playing Fleury has come down from heaven to answer our prayers. Beloved by Pittsburgh Penguin fans, the 27 year-old was penned in for a 3rd line spot last year…before injury struck. Famously, he once jumped the boards and fought Brock Faber, who was whaling on Sid the Kid. He’s here to cover for Salmonsson’s recovery and hopefully be Winnipeg’s 7th defender going forward. However, he has legit 3rd pair potential, and as a RD of a certain age, he is a valuable trade piece.
“He is not a goal-scoring defenseman but can make perfect passing plays, even in his young career. That, as well as his physical presence, will be what fans will want to watch out for.” — The Hockey Writers
Alfons Freij (6ft 2in, 198 lb)
Often played RD over in Sweden, and is probably just a year away from being a player for the Jets. Very creative for a defender, even an offensive one. Freij says he will be concentrating on his defensive work this season in the Moose, which should give him a good chance of making the NHL in 2027-28.
“Freij is a tremendous skater and playmaker from the blue line who would be capable of quarterbacking the power play with ease. Defensively, he is a bit of a project as he often finds himself out of position due to playing overly aggressively in the offensive zone. With that being said, he has great knowledge of the game and tends to make the right decisions more often than not.” — The Hockey Writers
Garrett Brown (6ft 3in, 195 lb)
‘Shutdown‘ Brown, as I call him, won wherever he went, earning a USHL championship with the Sioux City Musketeers and 2 national championships in his 1st and 3rd years at Denver. Son of Curtis Brown, who played C/LW for over 10 years in the NHL, accruing 736 games and 300 pts.
Listed as 6ft 3in and 195lb, the 22.3 year-old BELIEVES he’s going to the Moose to push for a NHL call up, as early as this upcoming season. Brown spent 3 years in USHL, and 3 years at a top NCHC college, so he is well-travelled and well-respected. Also respectable, is his NHLe of 14.7, from last season — 14 pts in 34 games, with a plus-12 for the Eagles.
To me, he’s one of those smart prospects, who master the basics first, then build on their game up gradually. I’ll be betting on him being DeMelo’s long-term replacement, a defensively solid top 4 pairing guy in the big league.
“Not much happens when Brown is on the ice, and professional hockey has always had a place for that type of player. Not a fantasy asset, but perhaps a more credible organizational prospect than his numbers suggest.“– Ryan Downey @ Dobber Prospects
Dysin Mayo (6ft 0in, 195 lb)
Mayo is 29.9 years old, he has played in 84 NHL games, including 3 last season, where he had an assist and a plus-1. He’s probably a Moose due to inking an AHL contract, but is in that Fleury Insurance mold as a possible 7th defender, in my opinion. He has been producing more points in the last 3 years culminating in a 20 NHLe (29pts in 59 games) last season with the Cleveland Monsters, so maybe a late, late developer. A great get for the Moose at worst.
“He is a good skater with adequate puck-moving skills, but lacks any serious offensive upside.“– Sports Forecaster
SUMMARY:
I think we have bigger and potentially better RD options than Dylan DeMelo already in the organization, which is a good thing after his struggles in 2025-26. Overall, our D is about to get bigger across the board in the next two years…not to mention faster and more involved offensively.
I believe the likes of Jack St. Ivany and Henry Thrun have been told there is a chance to be promoted if they play well, so they should be well motivated. Perhaps in courting them this summer, Chevy pointed out that the likes of Logan Stanley, Haydn Fleury, and Jacob Bryson all got games last year…so the chances could be there for them too.
After all, Winnipeg’s top 3 defenders are over 30. Elias Salomonsson is injured for the start of the year. Come make your case. In St Ivany I see a legit 3rd pairing RD. Thrun is only 25, with 123 NHL games already, he’s a good bet to make. And bless Chevy, he got them for next to nothing.
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BOJA back again….and since we are on the topic of the True North franchise’s organizational depth, I thought it only appropriate to include a graphic outlining all the players currently under contract or team control at this point in time. Don’t pay a lot of attention to the order of the players, as I wasn’t trying to set up functional lines.
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Some other Jets’ news came out today when Cheveldayoff provided an update on Elias Salomonsson & Nikita Chibrikov’s recovery from season-ending surgeries.
“I think Chibby should be back to full go here as far as doing his summer training and everything like that. With Sal, everything seems to be progressing along as well. He’ll have a checkup at some point in time here soon, I don’t know exactly the date but the good thing about him is he’ll still be able to do lots of lower-body training and those type of things. I think everything is progressing as expected with him.”
Sounds like Chibby shouldn’t have any negative impacts to his and it is good news that Salo will be able to keep up his lower body strength & stamina while recovering from his shoulder surgery.
Finally, the National Hockey League has announced that they have the league’s 84 game regular season schedule set to be released on July 16th. Think the opening night games and special event opponents will be announced the previous night at the ESPY’s, if you can’t wait that long. Have a good summer all!!
