DeMelo excited to put down roots in Winnipeg

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This article was published 07/10/2020 (1799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The move to retain defenceman Dylan DeMelo was a strong statement by the Winnipeg Jets amidst the chatter surrounding who the NHL team might add by way of the draft, trades or free agency this week.

DeMelo will remain in Winnipeg through the 2023-24 season after he signed a new four-year contract, which carries an average annual value of US$3 million. That’s a big bump in pay from the US$900,000 he earned the last two campaigns.

The 27-year-old from London, Ont., was acquired in mid-February from the Ottawa Senators for a third-round pick in this week’s draft. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent Friday.

DeMelo, listed at 6-0, 195 pounds, doesn’t show much flash in his game but that’s precisely what makes him most effective. While the Jets have a pair of blue-liners, Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk, that can put up points, and with offensively gifted Finnish teen Ville Heinola poised to make the team, DeMelo serves as a solid, right-shot defender and a stabilizing force on a blue line that must improve for the team to be considered among the league’s elite.

DeMelo said recognizing he has a critical role to play in Winnipeg was a significant factor in his decision to ink the deal instead of taking his game to the open market.

“When I got traded, I was given an amazing role and great responsibility of playing top-4 minutes, a (penalty-killing) role and against other teams’ top lines. It was something that I did in Ottawa and something that I feel I’m capable of doing. Obviously, there was a need on the right-hand side, they picked me up and I thought I fit in well with the guys, with the system, with the organization as a whole,” he said. “The fit just felt really good and when we lost, I just felt that Winnipeg was definitely my top choice and I was really hoping something could be worked out here. I’m really happy that it did.

“I like the makeup of the team, not just on the back end but in the net, obviously, with the best goalie (Connor Hellebuyck) in the league and up top, with the group of forwards that we have, it’s a very explosive group of forwards. I’ve played with some good groups of forwards but this might be the best group of forwards I’ve played with, skill-wise.”

DeMelo had 10 assists and 37 penalty minutes in 59 games this season, although he failed to record a point in the 10 games before the regular season was cut short owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 269 career games, he has 64 points and 131 penalty minutes.

Clearly, the recognition he receives doesn’t come from NHL scoresheets,. However, the Jets value him as a shutdown guy who complements Morrissey’s transition game.

“People love points. They love statistics. Everybody loves the guy that scores and puts up the points. However, not every player can do that. It really is a team sport, hockey, and there’s so many small things in a game — details in the game — that help you win that don’t show up in goals, assists and points but they show up on the wins-and-loss record,” said DeMelo.

“I’ve always been the kind of guy that does all the small things right. Sometimes that translates to points, sometimes it doesn’t. But I feel like every team I’ve been on, I think internally everybody’s appreciated how I play and how I handle myself on and off the ice.”

DeMelo’s new contract includes a reported modified no-trade clause for each year of the deal. He’s already been part of a blockbuster trade in his career, moving to the Senators in September 2018 in the swap of star defenceman Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said getting DeMelo’s name on the dotted line was an important piece of business.

“That was a big component for us, to be able to come to an agreement with Dylan. We’ve been talking for a while, for quite a while with him and his representative. It came together (Tuesday) night and formalized (Wednesday) morning. So, we’re excited,” said Cheveldahoff. “We all saw enough of him and he saw enough of us to see it was a fit for both sides. At 27 years old, we think he’s right in his prime and should be someone that gives us some good stability.

“It’s really good and a real positive thing. Part of the conversations that went into everything with Dylan, in some of the exit meetings I had with our own players, some of the meetings coach had with Dylan… just the mutual kind of respect for his game and his stint with us. It’s nice to have that order of business done…”

DeMelo and his wife, Jessica, are expecting their first child in January, and the couple is excited to build a life in the Manitoba capital after some upheaval the last few years.

“I’ve been looking for a home, I’ve been looking for stability. I’ve been with three teams in three or four years here. Not just for me, but for my wife, my family… we’re looking to plant some roots. I’ve heard Winnipeg is an amazing place to raise a family and we’re looking forward to that,” he said. “Obviously, it’s cold, as everybody says. But I’m from Canada and I played in Ottawa, so I know what cold’s all about. But I heard the summers and the fall and the springtime are beautiful there.

“I’m a very low-key guy. I don’t need much to be happy. Every day in the NHL is a blessing and every city in the NHL is obviously excellent and has something to offer. So, I’m really looking forward to exploring Winnipeg and calling it home.”

 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell