In this edition of the Winnipeg Jets News & Rumors, we look at the Jets re-signing defenceman Colin Miller, a pair of two-way signings, as well as their attempt to get deeper at center with free-agent targets like Adam Henrique and Blake Lizotte. In addition to those, a look at the latest on Rutger McGroarty and the Jets’ youth.
Jets Sign Mason Shaw & Haydn Fleury
It was announced on July 3 that the Jets made two depth signings, adding Mason Shaw and Haydn Fleury to the roster. Both players were signed to one-year, two-way deals worth $775,000.
Shaw has struggled with injuries throughout his career, including multiple ACL tears, but when healthy, he is an effective, speedy player in the bottom-six. He missed time in the 2023-24 season with his fourth ACL injury, but when healthy, was signed by the Minnesota Wild, who drafted him in 2017.
Shaw was great in the nine-game stint he played in the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring seven points. He was then recalled by the Wild to play out the rest of the season with them, and in those 20 games, he only managed to score three points. But for a player missing that much time, being at full capacity isn’t expected. In 2022-23, Shaw played 59 games for the Wild, had 17 points and was an effective penalty-killer. Adding depth players like Shaw helps the Jets, and creates internal competition for the young players.
As for Fleury, he was once highly regarded, being drafted seventh overall in 2014. Now, as a 27-year-old, he has bounced around the league for a while and has yet to find a long-term home. He has regularly been a seventh defenseman on teams, and outside of his 67-game rookie campaign, has only played over half a season once with 45 games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019-20.
Like Shaw, Fleury will add internal competition for some players looking to get into the lineup. Right now, the left side of the defence has Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg as the only sure-fire NHL players, and after that, it is anyone’s spot.
Colin Miller Returns to Winnipeg
After being acquired at the trade deadline, Miller only played five regular season games and one playoff game. The lack of time in the lineup made it fair to predict that he wouldn’t be interested in returning with the Jets, but he signed a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $1.5 million.
Miller didn’t really get a chance to show what he was capable of with the Jets, but he will provide strong defensive depth. He likely isn’t a top-four player with the Jets showing favor to Neal Pionk over their depth players, but with the fall-off of Pionk’s game over the last season and a half, Miller could slot his way higher in the lineup.
Miller’s two-way play, ability to play on the penalty kill, and booming shot are his biggest assets. He isn’t as good defensively as Dylan DeMelo or as strong of a two-way player as Morrissey, but in a third-pair role, he is a great fit. As of now, Miller is most likely going to line up with Samberg or Logan Stanley. Ideally, Samberg is on the second pair, and Stanley, after parts of four NHL seasons, has struggled to become an NHL regular.
Is Miller a partner that will help Ville Heinola finally transition to the NHL? It could happen, but if you want to see someone like Heinola flourish, a stronger defensive presence would be a better fit, but it can certainly get a lot worse than having Miller in your lineup.
Jets Tried to Bolster Center Depth
As of July 3, the Jets’ center depth is looking pretty weak unless Gabriel Vilardi or Cole Perfetti move to the middle of the ice. With Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, David Gustafsson, and Shaw, the Jets have one of the weakest center groups among teams looking to make the 2025 Playoffs.
The Jets tried to re-sign Sean Monahan, but his sights were set on the five-year deal the Columbus Blue Jackets offered, and the Jets are likely better off without that contract on the books. Monahan was good in Winnipeg, scoring 24 points in 34 games, but at $5.5 million per season, it is a risky deal. Aside from good regular season production, Monahan was one of many Jets forwards to struggle in the playoffs, only getting one point in five games.
Related: Jets’ Smart to be Quiet on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency
Darren Dreger reported that the Jets did try and sign a pair of centers in free agency, but came up short on both.
Henrique, who landed back with the Edmonton Oilers on a two-year deal, was in the mix for a potential deal with the Jets, but he ultimately decided to go back to where he just had success.
Another center they tried to grab was Lizotte, who played for the LA Kings for five seasons and ultimately decided to go to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both centers would have greatly improved the Jets’ depth, but the hope was that a second-line center to replace Monahan would be on the table. With that being said, free agency is a time for over-committing and over-paying for players, and the Jets may have made a good call by not making either mistake.
No Updates on McGroarty, But Hope For Youth
Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke to the media and said that it should be exciting for young players in the Jets organization, suggesting there will be true opportunities for an NHL spot this season.
Of course, the biggest youngster in the news has been McGroarty, who is still unsigned and has reportedly requested a trade. The frustration from McGroarty stems from not receiving his entry-level deal late in the NHL season following his NCAA year. He hoped that he could join the team as they ramped up for the playoffs, but that was not the case and caused animosity between him and the team.
Other than Cheveldayoff’s phrasing of youth having opportunities, which could have been a subtle shot towards McGroarty for not having the patience, there have been no further updates.
Some other young players who could be looking to challenge for an NHL spot include Elais Salomonsson, who likely needs some time in the AHL to adapt to the North American pace, Brad Lambert, Chaz Lucius, the previously mentioned Heinola, and Nikita Chibrikov.
