Scrappy Swede turning heads on Jets’ blue line

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This article was published 03/10/2024 (386 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was one of those “did that really just happen” moments in the middle of an otherwise routine Winnipeg Jets training camp session.

With battle drills underway, Elias Salomonsson had Adam Lowry lined up along the boards. Rather than let up or shy away, the 20-year-old rookie defenceman took a healthy run at the respected team captain and sent him crashing against the glass.

The smile on coach Scott Arniel’s face said it all.

“He has a little bit of a history of liking that stuff,” the first-year bench boss said Thursday of Salomonsson, a reference to the fact he was suspended on three different occasions last year for questionable hits (twice in Sweden, once at the World Juniors).

“At the end of the day he’s not afraid to mix it up and go into people and play the body, which is always nice. He has his other instincts as a defenceman — his ability to get back and read the next play, make a first pass, he has good feet — for him, that’s putting it all together. That’s what I thought he’s done in this camp.”

He’s far from a goon, but there’s a fearlessness to Salomonsson’s game — and practice habits, obviously — which has opened plenty of eyes as the Jets get down to the final tough decisions about roster composition. The 55th-overall pick from the 2022 draft is one of eight healthy defenceman still with the big club.

Is it possible he breaks camp and makes the 23-man opening-night roster instead of starting his North American pro career with the Manitoba Moose as expected? What once would have been a longshot has become an intriguing possibility, thanks to Salomonsson’s strong play and a pair of injuries to blue-liners Ville Heinola and Logan Stanley.

“I feel bad for them. But it’s opened up opportunity for me and some other guys. Of course you get the feeling that you have a better chance,” Salomonsson told the Free Press.

“It feels good. I’m just trying to work hard every day, get better. Work on some details in my game with the smaller ice. I’m happy to still be here and competing for a spot.”

The smooth-skating, puck-moving rear-guard with a bit of snarl to his style has appeared in four of Winnipeg’s five pre-season games so far, with Arniel saying he’s getting better with each outing. That has included playing parts of the last two on the left side of the ice rather than his traditional right side.

“I think I’ve felt more comfortable each game I’ve played. I’m getting used to the systems and stuff like that,” said Salomonsson, who carries himself a lot bigger than his 6-2, 195-pound frame would suggest.

He’s skated between 17:02 and 20:24 each contest and is a combined plus-one with 10 shot attempts and four shot blocks along with a pair of minor penalties.

The Jets could opt to begin the year with eight healthy defencemen on the roster along with Heinola and Stanley, who are both expected to be out at least three more weeks, on injured reserve. If they decide to go with seven, it would appear the final decision is down to Salomonsson or Dylan Coghlan, who requires waivers in order to be sent to the Moose. (Salomonsson does not).

“I know we’ve talked a lot about all the kids there, but that’s the thing with each and every one of them, they’ve all improved as the 10 or 12 days have gone on here. He’s one that’s really taken it from last year to this year,” said Arniel.

“He’s gaining confidence. Some of the drills we’re doing in practice, the battle drill if you saw that one — the net-front battle — he’s catching on how we need to play and what he needs to do to play here. You love to see growth like that with young guys.”

You can put the team’s undisputed No. 1 defenceman down as a big fan of what the new kid has brought to town.

“His first full year now coming over to North America. I feel like you see maturity one year later,” Josh Morrissey said.

“He’s a bigger guy, strong guy, and moves with some power. He’s looked more comfortable as the games have gone on, which is natural at that stage in your career. It’s getting reps, getting into situations that you maybe haven’t been in before.

Morrissey described Salomonsson as a “cerebral player” who also has plenty of talent.

“The game gets easier, one, as you start to play with better players and against better players, but also as you see something develop in front of you multiple times and get some experience,” he said. “He’s looked great.”

Salomonsson is coming off a terrific year in his native Sweden in which he had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 31 regular-season games with Skelleftea AIK, then stepped up in the playoffs with six points (one goal, five assists) in 16 games on the way to capturing a league championship.

Now, the next step in his development may be happening quicker than expected.

“That’s the ultimate test, to show you can play against the top guys in the league,” said Salomonsson, who was paired in Thursday’s practice with Coghlan. It remains to be seen if they dress for Winnipeg’s sixth and final pre-season game on Friday night in Calgary.

He’s also getting more comfortable off the ice. After spending the last few weeks living out of a suitcase in a Winnipeg hotel, Salomonsson moved into his own apartment on Wednesday. He’ll be joined this weekend by his girlfriend, who is en route from Sweden.

He’s also enjoying spending time with several other Swedes in the organization, such as David Gustafsson, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Simon Lundmark and Daniel Torgersson, but is quick to point out “everybody has been great to me and very welcoming.”

“It’s nice to have them here and get to know them better. It’s fun to be able to compete with each other,” he said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg