The timing of Dylan DeMelo’s extension with the Winnipeg Jets is a meaningful beginning to what is assuredly going to be a busy week toward month’s end.
And while the 11th hour was nearing to get a deal done before his contract expired on Canada Day, Tuesday’s announcement now allows the team to focus on other business – all of which comes with additional and approaching deadlines of its own.
Priorities like this weekend’s draft, perhaps finalizing further contract negotiations and a potential dip into the free agent pool, all within a four-day period, will consume most of the available waking hours of the Jets’ executives.
But wrapping up DeMelo for four more years at a very equitable price tag of just under $5 million per year is a huge stroke of completion to allow Kevin Cheveldayoff and his staff to focus on the rest of Winnipeg’s remaining hockey business.
At 31 years old, DeMelo has become an important part of the team’s blue line, a sound defender, a puck mover, a leader, a penalty killer and – probably the most significant to his substantial list of skills – a complement to his partner Josh Morrissey.
It comes to no one’s surprise that over the last two-plus years since Morrissey has been paired with DeMelo, Morrissey’s offensive production has increased to where he’s led the team in points by a D-man the last three seasons. That contribution, in large part, comes from Morrissey himself, but having the confidence and comfort in your partner to execute more in your game has extreme value and that’s why DeMelo’s signing is crucial to the team’s success.
Plus, DeMelo wants to be here, an important aspect of fostering growth, culture and winning within the league’s smallest market – a place that may very well end up being the longest stop in his NHL career.
Nonetheless, the timing of DeMelo’s signing is certainly meaningful — a building block to next year, no doubt, but also a significant point to what is going to be a busy month’s end.
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