WINNIPEG - Dylan DeMelo gets some well-deserved stability and the Winnipeg Jets get a headstart on the road to improving the roster.
On a day when the 2020 NHL (virtual) Draft came to its conclusion, the Jets took care of an important piece of business, retaining the services of DeMelo on a four-year deal that carries an AAV of $3 million.
It’s a sizeable raise from the $900,000 DeMelo made in his last contract, but it stabilizes a Jets defence corps that was completely overhauled last season.
The money fits and in a time of economic uncertainty, the dollars make sense as well.
After playing only 10 games with the Jets, DeMelo enjoyed the fit so much that he was willing to forego what was out there as an unrestricted free agent - even though there was expected to be plenty of interest.
“It was a huge role. I’ve been looking for a home, I’ve been looking for stability,” DeMelo said on Wednesday morning. “I’ve been with three teams in three or four years here. Not just for me, but for my wife, my family. We’re expecting our first child in January and we’re looking to plant some roots. I’ve heard Winnipeg is an amazing place to raise a family and we’re looking forward to that. The fit is just really good in Winnipeg. I felt really confident in my role there and with the group of guys, it’s a good team and we’re going to be a good team for a long time. I couldn’t be happier to be back in the fold.”
With teams like the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs - among others - looking for help on the right side, DeMelo probably left some money on the table by not fully exploring the marketplace.
But he appreciates the ice time he’ll be getting and the opportunity to see what this Jets team can do moving forward.
Of course, the substantial raise didn’t hurt.
“We're very lucky to do what we do, and we're very blessed to make the money we make. But this is really my first chance to kind of cash in,” said DeMelo. “At the end of the day, money's not everything. But it ties into term and all that stuff, as every contract negotiation goes. Obviously this is life-changing money for myself and my family, but it was always fit and stability more so than the money.
“With the pandemic everybody's been taking a hit. And I'm pretty fortunate now to sign this contract during these times. But it definitely wasn't everything. Obviously it's a factor, I'm not going to lie. But at the end of the day the fit and the situation with Winnipeg and the stability of the four years, for me at least, outweighs what I'd be making. Like I said, we're very lucky to do this as a job and very fortunate. Every day in the NHL is a dream come true.”
DeMelo said the lines of communication were open throughout the negotiating process and that things began to pick up roughly three weeks ago, but reached a crescendo this past week.
A day after the Jets finally found their No. 2 centre by drafting Cole Perfetti 10th overall, Winnipeg began to address the other major area of need.
It’s important to remember the Jets are looking to upgrade their defence corps and this move expedited the process.
DeMelo helped stabilize the defence corps late last season and showed he can partner with Josh Morrissey on the first pairing in a shutdown role.
He’s not a guy who piles up points or is frequently found on the highlight reel, but he’s consistently in the right position and makes life easier on his partner.
“I've always been a guy that's kind of flown under the radar because, I guess for maybe the untrained eye, I guess we could call it, people love points. They love statistics. Everybody loves the guy that scores and puts up the points,” said DeMelo. “However, not every player can do that. It really is a team sport, hockey, and there's so many small things in a game — details in the game — that help you win that don't show up in goals, assists, and points but they show up on the wins and loss record.
“I've always been the kind of guy that does all the small things right. Sometimes that translates to points, sometimes it doesn't. But I feel like every team I've been on, I think internally everybody's appreciated how I play and how I handle myself on and off the ice. At the end of the day, it's your teammates and the staff and the organization, how they judge you and view you means a lot more than what the outside does.
"So if people are saying I'm doing an amazing job out in the media or outside, but internally they don't feel that way, that's going to affect me more so than it would the other way. Points are great -- I'm happy to get points, everyone wants to put up points, let's not kid ourselves -- but at the end of the day, I want to win and I think my role can help our team win.”
After the move, the Jets have 17 players signed (including defence prospect Dylan Samberg) and roughly $10 million to spend to get to the salary cap ceiling of $81.5 million.
Restricted free agents that still require deals include forwards Jack Roslovic, Mason Appleton, Jansen Harkins and CJ Suess and defencemen Sami Niku and Nelson Nogier.
The Jets are still expected to be active via trade or free agency as they look to upgrade the roster.
The 2021 Seattle Kraken expansion draft complicates matters somewhat, but the Jets should still be looking for at least one more experienced blue-liner and they should also look at some low-risk options up front to add some depth.
The larger issue revolves around what could happen with Patrik Laine, whose name remains in the middle of the rumour mill.
A breakup isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion, since the Jets have team control of Laine for three more seasons.
This is not what the point of no return looks like.
Just last summer, Laine’s close friend and frequent linemate Nikolaj Ehlers had his name floated as possible trade bait around the draft.
When a deal didn’t transpire, Ehlers came back and had his best season as a pro.
So worrying about potentially hurt feelings isn’t a concern here.
Laine believes in himself and knows what he can do. The Finnish forward also knows he needs a new contract at the end of 2020-21 and he won’t be wasting time feeling sorry for himself or sulking about his lot in life if he remains with the Jets.
The best way to earn a bigger contract is by continuing his progression as a player and scoring goals at an elite rate.
On the second day of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Jets kept their remaining three picks and selected a forward (Daniel Torgersson) and a couple of blue-liners in Anton Johannesson and Tyrel Bauer to add to the stable of prospects.
“We got different types of players with every pick,” said Cheveldayoff. “Still excited about the turn of events yesterday and today’s picks added different dimensions to the organization at different positions as well.”
Perfetti was an outstanding addition to the Jets’ organization, but expecting him to anchor the second line as a 19-year-old is asking a lot.
Given his attitude, dedication and drive, it’s possible Perfetti could earn a job on the opening-day lineup but it’s far from a lock.
With that in mind, it’s likely the Jets are going to consider an insurance policy for that job and that others will be brought in to compete for spots on the periphery of the roster.
Although it’s possible the Jets could bring back one of their own free agents, the status quo is not going to be enough to get the organization where it wants to go.
Whether it’s targeting a team with salary cap or budgetary concerns or finding value in someone that might not have been given a qualifying offer, there is a substantial pool of players that might be available to fill a few of the Jets' needs.
“It’s nice to have that order of business done, it’s nice to understand that aspect of the budget and continue to move forward with allocations and decisions with other people,” said Cheveldayaoff. “We’re still going to continue to look and see if there’s a fit and a match. Whether it comes in a trade or in the form of a free-agent signing, we’ll continue to look at it. We know we have obviously some good prospects that are coming, but I think we do have the flexibility from a cap perspective now to look at multiple different approaches.”
Inking DeMelo to a deal that expires at the same time as goalie Connor Hellebuyck, captain Blake Wheeler, and top centre Mark Scheifele probably wasn’t a coincidence.
The Jets believe the window of contention remains open and now it’s up to Cheveldayoff to secure a few more pieces of the puzzle.
