Dillon, DeMelo lovin’ life with Jets Blue-liners eagers to sign new deals before hitting free agency By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:25 PM CST Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023

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This article was published 27/12/2023 (650 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck got their lucrative, long-term extensions. Nino Niederreiter did, too. Notice a trend? The Winnipeg Jets are clearly trying to keep the core together while building a sense of culture, community and continuity within the club.

Which brings us to a pair of high-quality, high-character defencemen who, curiously enough, are still without a contract beyond the current season. What exactly might the future hold for Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo? Turns out they’re wondering the same thing.

In candid, one-on-one conversations with the Free Press Wednesday, each made one thing crystal clear: They’re ready and willing to put pen to paper should general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff come calling between now and July 1.

“You kind of get excited when you see Mark and Helly sign. It’s like, ‘OK, there’s three of us left.’ Then Nino signs and you hope you’re next,” Dillon said of the group of five pending unrestricted free agents that’s now down to just two.

Added DeMelo: “It’s always in the back of your mind. We’re human beings. You want to know where you stand.”

The Jets entered play in Chicago Wednesday night as the stingiest five-on-five team in the NHL in terms of goals against. Overall, they are giving up 2.53 per game, third-best in the league, and have gone a franchise-best 22 consecutive games giving up three goals or fewer per contest.

Dillon and DeMelo are big parts of that, skating on the top two blue-line pairings. Which, on the surface, would have you think it would be a no-brainer to extend both players.

“I think for my role on the ice and in the locker room, I feel like I’m a big part of this team,” said Dillon, who is in his third season in Winnipeg and has formed an effective duo with Neal Pionk.

“I feel like me and Neal have got great chemistry, we’ve been building that for three years. our back end as a whole I feel like we take a lot of pride. For myself, too, I’ve been really happy with how things have been going this year. It’s definitely something (his contract status) where you get antsy a little bit.”

Dillon’s rugged, physical style, including clearing out the net front, blocking shots, throwing big hits and standing up for teammates, is also a major part of Winnipeg’s DNA.

The 33-year-old has also provided some unexpected offence. His five goals already is just one off the career-high he sent back in 2013-14 with the Dallas Stars, and 10 points overall has him on pace to eclipse the career-best 23 he posted last season with the Jets.

“I haven’t heard anything. You kind of get caught up in in, your buddies and family and parents back home wondering when it’s going to happen, if it’s going to happen,” Dillon said of a potential extension. He is currently making US$3.9 million annually.

“This year, with my role and how the team’s doing, I’m so happy and fortunate to be a Winnipeg Jet. And would like to continue to be.”

DeMelo is the Robin to Josh Morrissey’s Batman, and the dynamic duo is regularly matched against other teams’ best. It is a shutdown pair, while also providing offence as proven by Morrissey’s career-best 76 points last year and a similar pace this year (29 through 32 games).

DeMelo, 30, who is making US$3 million this year, is no slouch in that department, either, and with 12 points so far this season (one goal, 11 assists) he could challenge the career-best 27 he had last year.

“The best thing I can do for this team and myself is play hard every night and take care of what I can take care of,” he said.

“Right now, that’s my preparation — my compete, my work habits and how I play. I’m sure everything will take care of itself sooner or later and we’ll see what happens. I’m just trying to take a day-by-day approach and do what I can to help this team.”

What might be the holdup?

One issue for the Jets is the long-term picture on the blue line, which is already quite crowded with the likes of Logan Stanley and Declan Chisholm routinely in the press box as healthy scratches. Things are going to get even more complicated once Ville Heinola returns in the coming weeks from his broken ankle.

Then there’s the salary cap, which is expected to jump to US$87.7 million next season from the current mark of US$83.5 million. However, the Jets currently have about US$71 million spoken for next year, when Hellebuyck, Scheifele and Niederreiter’s extensions kick in.

And that doesn’t include money they’ll need for restricted free agents Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson, Chisholm, Stanley and Heinola, along with a backup goalie (current No. 2 Laurent Brossoit is also a UFA).

In other words, might Cheveldayoff have to make a tough decision and decide one, or both, of Dillon and DeMelo aren’t going to be a fit?

They certainly hope that isn’t the case.

“It’s been a blast here. I’ve been so lucky and fortunate to be part of this group. I feel like I’ve built so many relationships with the guys here,” said Dillon.

“I think the big thing this summer were the question marks with so many guys. But the window, all of a sudden, isn’t closed. Chevy kind of lived up to what he said, where we want to win. I think for all of us, that’s what we talk about. We’re all close friends and say, ‘Hey, this is great, let’s be part of something special.’”

DeMelo, who is in his fourth year with the Jets after coming over in a trade-deadline deal from the Ottawa Senators, said the current environment is the kind an NHLer wants to be around.

“The buy-in has been off the charts this year. Everybody is really committed to that team play, and I think we realize that we’re getting enough offence with our structure that we don’t have to open things up, where in the past I think we were, I guess, impatient with it,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a person and as a player. I definitely have enjoyed my time here and can see myself here even further. I hope it works out that way and I can stay with this group of guys for a long time.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg