DeMelo flies under the radar Solid blue-liner happy to ply his trade in supporting role By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 5:04 PM CST Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023

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This article was published 23/11/2023 (1014 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Given the Movember moustache that makes him resemble late Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, it’s hard for Dylan DeMelo to fly under the radar these days.

When it comes to his Winnipeg Jets, DeMelo doesn’t play the role of the frontman basking in the spotlight, though that doesn’t mean his contributions aren’t valued by those around him.

“I think he’s a really underrated player in the league,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said in a recent interview. Morrissey has frequently been paired with DeMelo on the blue line since his arrival in a 2020 trade with the Ottawa Senators.

“(With) skill, everyone likes to think of it as toe drags and flashy moves and stuff like that, but for me there are so many different elements. His ability to make a 10-foot pass under pressure on a breakout play, to have a good stick, to have a good gap, those are skills as well.

“I know he’s really worked hard on his game over the last two years with the puck. You see some of the little passes he’s made off the (blue) line, wrist shots at the right time, getting it through.”

One of those shots got through just over five minutes into Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime win over Tampa Bay and as the rebound was kicked out by Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson, Morrissey was quick to pounce on it and bury it for his third goal of the season.

This was another example of the two players being in sync and reading off one another.

“I absolutely love playing with him and hopefully we can play together for a long time.”–Josh Morrissey

“He just gets rewarded for making good hockey plays and there are a lot of unnoticed skills that go into that,” said Morrissey. “I’ve always really admired a partner who is consistent and it makes my job so much easier, because I know where he’s going to be. I know what he’s thinking with the puck. He’s very good defensively, he has a great stick, he communicates a lot. Our styles mesh well.

“I absolutely love playing with him and hopefully we can play together for a long time.”

DeMelo would like nothing more, though there is the important matter of needing a new contract before he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“I had some past experience in Ottawa, which was good to go through and (learn) how to deal with it,” said DeMelo, who was a pending UFA when the trade with the Senators was completed with the Jets. “I feel like I’m better equipped (this time). In Ottawa, it did eat at me a little bit because you want to know where you stand. You’re waiting for the shoe to fall or the domino to fall.

“Here and now, obviously, it’s in the back of your mind. I have a family, my wife and my son to worry about. We love it in Winnipeg and really enjoy our neighbourhood. The team, the fit, everything has been off the charts for me.”

That’s why DeMelo was so encouraged to see the Jets lock up centre Mark Scheifele and goalie Connor Hellebuyck on long-term extensions prior to this season.

“The best thing I can do is take care of what I need to do to help us win every night and that’s really my singular focus.”–Dylan DeMelo

With the Jets off to another solid start, battling for top spot in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, the appeal to stick around has only grown.

“The best thing I can do is take care of what I need to do to help us win every night and that’s really my singular focus,” said DeMelo. “I’m not naive, I know the pecking order and I knew (Hellebuyck and Scheifele) were obviously first on the list. To see them re-sign here was an awesome thing to see. Two guys that were drafted and developed, to stay here and be lifers, that’s an amazing thing.”

The Jets (11-5-2), winners of four consecutive games and seven of their last eight, took Thursday off and continue this three-game road trip Friday night against Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers (12-6-1).

Morrissey’s ascent to a Norris Trophy candidate last season and continuing into this one means the opposition is often keying in on him, which also opens up some space for DeMelo. Known more for his ability to defend, DeMelo made a concerted effort to increase his production — and the numbers back that up.

He managed to chip in a career-high six goals, 21 assists for 27 points in 75 games last season, and currently has a goal and seven helpers this year, second among Jets blue-liners behind only Morrissey (18 points in 18 games).

“I’ve always been a guy that has kind of flown under the radar, a guy that makes subtle plays that helps the team win,” said DeMelo. “I feel I’ve always had offence in my game, maybe it was a little untapped. I came into the league and I was playing 13 minutes a night in San Jose and trying not to make a mistake to stay in the lineup. I grew some of that game in Ottawa and then here, I just kind of took it to another level.”

Part of that relates to experience, the other lending to opportunity, as he’s grown into a guy who plays on the top pairing and plays a vital role on the penalty kill, averaging 21:30 of ice time per night.

“As you get older, you understand the league a little bit more, (knowing) when to jump (up on the rush),” said DeMelo. “I’ve also grown into my body a bit more. My workouts are better and I’m stronger at 30 than I was at 24. Faster and all of that stuff.

“I also watch a ton of video of my own shifts and (other) guys on our team. When I’m at the rink or away from the rink, I’m thinking about how to improve.”

Fellow Jets D-man Brenden Dillon watched DeMelo break into the NHL when they were teammates with the San Jose Sharks and has seen the growth in his game.

“You root for guys like (DeMelo) that I have seen work on his game from Day 1,” said Dillon. “He’s really blossomed into a player here where he understands his role. He’s kind of like Robin to Batman. He doesn’t mind maybe not getting as much notoriety.

“He’s someone who has earned everything that he’s got.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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