AN ALL-OR-NOTHING SEASON AWAITS HEINOLA FOLLOWING TWO-YEAR EXTENSION
The Winnipeg Jets announced they have come to terms with defenceman Ville Heinola on a two-year, one-way contract worth an average annual value of $800K.
It’s no secret the 23-year-old has failed to maintain a roster spot with the Jets over the course of his professional career. This is likely why Heinola opted to sign a one-way contract with the club, instead of accepting his qualifying offer that was above $800K but set with two-way conditions.
Drafted 20th overall by Winnipeg in 2019 and only having played 35 games with the Jets across four seasons, the Honkajoki, Finland product’s tenure with the team thus far has been nothing short of bizarre. He came out of the gate hot following his draft, putting up five points in eight games for the Jets, among them his first National Hockey League goal against Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Heinola made it difficult for Paul Maurice (Winnipeg’s head coach at the time) to take him out of the lineup, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff didn’t want to burn a year off his entry-level contract (ELC). So, the Jets chose to send him back to Finland, where he spent the majority of the season with Lukko in the Finnish Elite League.
From 2021 to 2023, Heinola grabbed just six assists in 22 games played with the Jets, albeit with limited ice time. But in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose, Heinola’s offensive prowess shined, as he racked up an impressive 63 points through 89 games.
This past season, the left-shot defenceman showed well for Winnipeg in the fall with a steady training camp, but then broke his ankle in an awkward collision along the boards during the last preseason game against the Ottawa Senators. Heinola’s injury kept him on the sidelines for a large portion of the season, and when he fully recovered, he played the remainder of the season with the Moose, collecting 27 points in 41 games.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Heinola, considering the fact that head coach Rick Bowness even admitted he would have made the Jets’ final roster in October, and he never ended up playing even one game for the Jets last season. Now that he is no longer exempt from waiver claims made by the other 31 organizations, Heinola’s chance to be a full-time contributor on the Jets roster is now or never.
With Brenden Dillon leaving the club en route to New Jersey via free agency, there's a big void to fill on that left side. It’s likely Dylan Samberg will get an increased role on the blueline, and will need to step up to play top-four minutes. But there is a spot for Heinola to step into the third pairing on the left side, where he will likely play with veteran Colin Miller.
Considering Winnipeg only signed depth defenceman Haydn Fleury and Dylan Coghlan (acquired from Carolina for future considerations) so far this offseason, Heinola’s chances of finally cracking into the six-man unit on the backend seem likely.
The internal competition between Logan Stanley, Heinola, Coghlan, and Fleury will be something to keep a close eye on come training camp in the fall, but as of right now, it appears as though Heinola’s upside gives him the inside track to landing that final spot on the defence corps.
If this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs proved anything about the Jets’ defencemen, it’s that they need to move the puck quicker. Colorado outclassed Winnipeg every game because of its aggressive forecheck, a playstyle the Jets were never able to overcome. They turned over pucks, hesitated under pressure, and allowed too many high-danger chances.
Heinola’s specialty on the blueline is his puck-moving abilities. He moves the puck out of the defensive zone quickly to counteract other teams’ aggressive forechecks, translating quickly from defence to offence. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it wouldn’t have hurt to give a defenceman like Heinola a shot in the postseason, given his set of skills transitioning the puck north.
More Moves Coming?
After Winnipeg’s tame free agency, a big question surrounding the team was whether or not it would make more moves. In his July 1 media availability at Canada Life Centre, Cheveldayoff emphasized throughout his interview that the current roster construction should not be treated as the lineup heading into the fall.
Cheveldayoff has always been someone open to exploring all potential options in order to upgrade his team, but it seems as though he may be more active on the trade front. If Cheveldayoff comes to the conclusion that internal additions are not enough for the blueline to be successful, he may look to other teams for help. Rutger McGroarty is a prospect that’s been out there on the trade market for a while now, and if he were to be shipped out along with other assets for a defenceman, it may hold back Heinola from stepping into the lineup.
There's still lots of offseason ahead, which makes Heinola’s chances of reaching the opening-day lineup fairly unpredictable.
Heinola’s Runway
When Heinola has played with the Jets, his stints on the ice were very brief. This is because whenever he’s made a mistake on the ice, he’s paid for it by being scratched the next game.
Looking back on his last couple of stints with Winnipeg, it’s noticeable that his playstyle has shifted to a bit more of a passive game. This is likely because if he makes a mistake, he’ll be sent back to the press box for it. The reality is that if the Jets want Heinola to become the player they know he is capable of becoming, they need to give him more runway.
Heinola is an offensive defenceman. Part of his responsibility is jumping up in the rush when possible to create offence from up high. In past situations, when other teams have taken advantage of him being caught up in the rush, he hasn’t had the opportunity to learn from it and continue playing. The hope is that with a new coaching staff surrounding newly-promoted head coach Scott Arniel, Heinola will get more opportunities to learn from his offensive decision-making.
Overcoming NHL Size
As a 6-foot, 180-pound defenceman, Heinola’s size serves as one of his biggest flaws. As good as his offensive abilities are, he’s struggled to defend in contested areas, such as in front of the net. With how good Connor Hellebuyck is between the pipes, players are going to be looking to cause some chaos in front of the net. A large part of improving Heinola’s defensive game will depend on his ability to efficiently box out opposing players, keeping them out of dangerous scoring areas.
Heionla may not be the biggest player on the NHL surface - in fact, he actually may be the smallest - but if he can overcome his size deficiency with his speed, it will go a long way toward defensive success.
Adding Offensive Punch
Heinola has shown many times throughout his career that he has tremendous offensive potential, but it's just a matter of executing those skills at the NHL level. If he can adapt his offensive instincts to the NHL and take some of the weight off Josh Morrissey’s shoulders, his value to the club would dramatically increase.
Other than Morrissey, there are not many defencemen on the Jets’ blueline that can produce offensively. Dylan Samberg and Dylan Demelo are both defensive defencemen, and Neal Pionk has struggled to produce consistently the past three seasons. If Heinola can bring more points to the table for Winnipeg’s defence corps, that would be crucial for their offence, something that was lacking in the playoffs against the Avalanche after Game 1.
Another poor aspect of the Jets’ 2023-2024 season was their powerplay. Morrissey obviously holds the reins on the first power play unit, but Heinola’s chances of making the opening-night roster are way higher if he can be trusted to oversee the second unit - a position up for grabs with the departure of Nate Schmidt, and the fumbled bag left by Pionk.
If Heinola can help produce on the powerplay, the second unit may be given more minutes than past years, which would help balance out player minutes more evenly and keep the Jets’ top players fresh.
Barring any injuries, at $800K for the next two seasons, Heinola’s on-ice abilities could provide another high-value signing to this Jets squad if he is presented with a fair opportunity.
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