Ville Heinola arrived to much fanfare four years ago in Winnipeg. A first-round draft pick procured in the Jacob Trouba deal with the New York Rangers, his splash has carried a ripple ever since.
As an 18-year-old, the young defenceman cracked the Jets’ opening night lineup in 2019, where he lasted eight games before being reassigned to the Manitoba Moose and finishing his season back home in Finland.
Since then, he’s played sparingly with the Jets, dressing for a handful of games here and a dozen there during various recalls, which has consistently evoked plenty of opinion about his use and opportunity.
His fans — and there are plenty of them — the media and the analytics community have been smitten with Heinola since his passport was stamped on Canadian soil. They haven’t been shy about vocalizing their displeasure either, perpetually making arguments for why his talents were being stifled in the minors.
Well, for the “free Ville” crowd, the lobbying can cease, because his time has officially come as an NHL defenceman. For starters, he’s been the team’s best defenceman during the pre-season, and it hasn’t even been close.
He’s moved the puck with efficiency, displayed capability and put his vision and skill on full display. The recognized deficiencies that previously held him back — like being too easy to knock off the puck and not being able to defend well enough — are no longer issues.
Simply put, the 22-year-old has matured in his game, especially on the defensive side, which is ultimately important for a defenceman.
Four years ago in his first training camp, Heinola arrived with a splash. Since then, he has been a popular and debatable figure, but over this latest Jets training camp, there is no doubt he’s now arrived as a full-time NHL defenceman, ready to turn what once was a ripple into a wake of opportunity.