In some unfortunate news for the Winnipeg Jets, defenceman Ville Heinola suffered another setback last week that is likely to keep him off the opening-night roster. While the Jets still have six defencemen to ice, the team now has new problems to contend with as the season kicks off.
Heinola’s Newest Roadblock Is Related to Last Season’s Injury
Last year, Heinola broke his ankle in the final preseason game of training camp against the Ottawa Senators. His injury was bad enough that he needed surgery, missed half of the Manitoba Moose season, and didn’t see any NHL playing time. Now, Heinola has an infection in that same foot. Specifically, that infection seems to be related to the screw he had put in his ankle last year during the surgery. Jets head coach Scott Arniel told reporters last week that the issue is “a little more serious than we thought.”
Ville Heinola is out and it's not short term. The team discovered a potential infection during medicals and now his ankle has swollen up at the site of the screw from last year's surgery.
— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) September 20, 2024
Have to feel for the young player who was almost certainly on the cusp of a job.
The 23-year-old defenceman was drafted 20th overall by the Jets in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and was ranked one of the best international prospects that year. On Oct. 8, 2019, Heinola scored his first NHL goal. Since then, he’s mostly played with the Moose, having only appeared in 35 games with the Jets. Last season, he was poised to make the opening-night roster until he broke his ankle. Unfortunately, it seems his infection is once again going to leave him sidelined indefinitely.
The Jets Will Have to Ice Different Defencemen in Heinola’s Absence
With Heinola set to be out long term, the Jets have a few other options to fill that gap. During the offseason, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff signed two depth defencemen, Dylan Coghlan and Haydn Fleury, to two-way contracts. Both of them have NHL experience, and without Heinola in the lineup, they have a new opportunity to compete for a roster spot.
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Between the two of them, Fleury is more likely to crack the top seven. He’s been in the league for eight seasons while Coghlan’s only played for four. Fleury was starting to ramp up last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning before he collided with referee Steve Kozari in the middle of a game and sustained an injury that left him sidelined for the rest of the season. Coghlan only played in one NHL game last season. Each of them have played in one preseason game so far and they both only had one shot on goal. Regardless, the team will likely give each of them a good look as training camp progresses to replace Heinola.
Heinola Being Out Long Term Could Impact the Trade Deadline
It’s way too soon to say how big of an impact Heinola’s injury might have short term, but if he’s out for the season again, the Jets may prioritize a defenceman at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The defensive core already took a hit with the loss of Brenden Dillon in the offseason, so the loss of Heinola stings even more in that regard.
Not to mention, the effect of losing out on another top-six defenceman could be detrimental to team success. Winnipeg had one of the best defensive cores last season, but without Dillon and Heinola, it might only take one other long-term injury to really damage the team. Where the team focuses their efforts at the deadline is entirely dependent on their success during the season, but it’s still possible Heinola’s injury could leave a long-term effect like this down the line.
The Jets Will Have to Decide on Heinola’s Future
With the severity and frequency of his injuries and related issues, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Jets started looking more closely at other players as a future replacement. Prospect Elias Salomonsson is likely still a few years away from consistent NHL time, so the organization would probably look elsewhere to fill any blue line gaps in the meantime. However, if the team no longer see value in Heinola, Salomonsson is the most likely prospect the Jets would rely on going forward.
Most Answers to the Jets’ Questions Will Come Down the Line
That being said, it’s too early to say what Heinola’s future with the Jets looks like, especially since the severity of the infection has yet to be officially determined. One has to hope that his window of opportunity hasn’t closed just yet. When he’s healthy, he’s a strong defenceman and remains one of the Jets’ top prospects. As the season goes on, the team will monitor his injury week-to-week and determine the best course of action. Until then, the Jets will have to plug the holes in the lineup the best that they can.
