With just days remaining until the NHL Trade Deadline, the Winnipeg Jets sit atop the NHL and that obviously comes with speculation as to what their deadline plans will be. Being a top team immediately puts the spotlight on you, often asking the question of whether it’s time to go “all-in” or just to plug holes.
My fellow THW colleague Declan Schroeder wrote about some centers the Jets should look at, but I’m going to shift my focus to the back end. Adding a piece (or two) to the defensive group might just be more of a priority heading into this week’s deadline.
Rasmus Ristolainen
Many people scoff at the idea of targeting Rasmus Ristolainen based on some of his past results, and rightfully so. There was a stretch where acquiring him would have been a terrible mistake that would set the team back. Well, scoff no longer because he has seemingly resurrected his career with the Philadelphia Flyers under head coach John Tortorella.
After so many years of struggling in his time split between the Flyers, where he was traded to in 2021, and the Buffalo Sabres, it’s honestly a shock to see such a rebound from the big Finnish defender, but that’s what makes him such an interesting deadline target. He’s got two more years on his deal after this one, which pays him $5.1 million a season, but Kevin Cheveldayoff has made a point to look at players with term when weighing whether to acquire them.
The right-shot Ristolainen, 30, has played the bulk of his minutes this season on the third pairing with Egor Zamula. The duo has put up respectable numbers in their nearly 400 minutes together, especially in terms of their underlying metrics in how things go when they’re on the ice.
Ristolainen is 6-foot-4 and plays a tough game around the net, which would be welcome. He has also played on both sides throughout his career, and could provide some additional flexibility to the Jets’ defensive group. Don’t let the past fool you, Ristolainen would be an intriguing addition.
Brian Dumoulin
Two-time Stanley Cup winner Brian Dumoulin could be another option to shore up the Jets’ back end, and he would likely come at a much lesser cost than someone like Ristolainen would command. A veteran of nearly 700 games, Dumoulin is in the final year of his deal which pays him $3.15 million a season, and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He carries a modified 10-team no-trade clause, but as a 33-year-old depth defender looking to win another cup, the Jets should be able to entice him to waive.
Related: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Dumoulin isn’t going to wow you with his offensive game, but it’s on the defensive side where he makes his money. The left-handed defender was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the offseason and has found success this year after spending the bulk of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins before signing with the Seattle Kraken for the 2023-24 season.
He’s another big guy, also coming in at 6-foot-4, and would be a nice upgrade on that third pairing alongside Colin Miller. Now, it’s not yet known whether the coaching staff is willing to bump Logan Stanley off that pairing and run him as the seventh defenseman, but it has been a point of weakness this season and is certainly an area that could be upgraded. Bringing in someone like Dumoulin makes it easier to make that decision to upgrade the group, and gives the Jets an experienced third pairing to rely on.
Jamie Oleksiak
Similarly, the Jets could look to upgrade their third pairing with someone like Jamie Oleksiak. Much like Stanley, Oleksiak, nicknamed “Big Rig,” stands at 6-foot-7, which is something the Jets clearly appreciate. Where they differ, however, is Oleksiak’s fairly consistent career track record of being a reliable top-four defender.
Oleksiak, 32, has spent the past four seasons with the Kraken and has typically been the left-hander on that second pairing. He’s had a slightly worse season this season than his typical standards, but that’s also on a Kraken team that has struggled mightily in most aspects of their game. In the past, Oleksiak has acted as more of a defensive wizard with a bit of an offensive upside. After joining the Kraken in the expansion draft, his defensive game hasn’t been as elite, but he’s added more offense to his game.
All in, he’s still a well-rounded defender who can shut down if necessary, but won’t shy away from shooting the puck. Managing to acquire Oleksiak to play him in a third-pairing role would drastically raise the ceiling of the defensive group, while not losing the size if he was to replace Stanley. He’s physical, strong in front of the net, and has never really shied away from dropping the gloves if the call comes.
Oleksiak has one more year on his deal at $4.6 million after this one and also carries a modified no-trade clause. That said, given the frustration that seems to be brewing out west with the Kraken, don’t be surprised if he sees the contention of the Jets as a welcome alternative. Nothing speaks to players more than winning, and the Jets seem primed to make a run this season.
Do These Moves Happen?
The issue with how the Jets operate is that there is a real possibility that they go completely off the board and bring someone in that nobody expects. That said, these three options do a good job of raising the ceiling of that defensive group and bringing the Jets even closer to getting over the top.
Now, these three are more likely to play roles outside of the top four, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Jets try and find an elite defender on the trade market that could play either alongside Josh Morrissey or Neal Pionk. By the sounds of it, the team wants to do what it can to try and avoid the issues that plagued them in their disastrous playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Now, while I’m not expecting Noah Dobson to be in a Jets jersey after deadline day, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Jets make a run at a really big name to put them over the top. Regardless of who it is, I think the defensive group is the area I think could use the most help, and these three names are among those that could provide it.
