Manitoba Moose Gain Flexibility with Jets’ Signings – The Hockey Writers – Manitoba Moose

The Winnipeg Jets didn’t make any major splashes in free agency, but what they did was provide a level of flexibility in the organization. Depth has been added in both forward and defensive groups, giving the Jets a better shot of filling holes in the case of injuries.

What this also does is give the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, a fighting chance to have a successful season and give some of their young players the ability to experience the grind of playoff hockey. With there seemingly being a fair amount of roster turnover between departures and call-ups, it will certainly be an intriguing group to watch develop this upcoming season.

Defensive Group

Like other areas of the team, the Moose’s defensive group is likely to look different than it did for most of last season. Notably, Kyle Capobianco, who was named the AHL’s Best Defenseman, signed with the Dallas Stars when free agency opened. He has been a big part of the Moose for the last couple of seasons but was clearly looking for a bigger role that could not be found within the Jets’ organization.

Another name who won’t be spending his time in the AHL in 2024-25 is Ville Heinola, who lost his waiver exemption this season and will be with the Jets either in the lineup or as an extra. Having played a huge part in the Moose’s top four, his time with the AHL team is more than likely to come to an end as it’s hard to imagine him passing through waivers.

This isn’t to say that it’s all doom and gloom for the Moose, as they’ve also been given new faces to help replace the impact of those who have either moved up or moved on. A combination of returnees, new faces, and homegrown talent will fill in those holes and should do a decent job of doing that.

Both Hadyn Fleury and Dylan Coghlan are new faces brought into the organization via free agency and trade and should play a sizable role in the Moose’s top four. With the two of them having experience at the NHL level, it could pave the way for a great mix of experience and youth.

Related: Grading the Winnipeg Jets’ Free Agency Moves

Someone who could also play a big role in the complexion of the defensive group isn’t someone who was brought in externally, but someone who is making the jump to North America. Elias Salomonsson is making his North American debut in 2024-25 and could make some noise in the defensive pipeline.

Salomansson, 19,…