Chisholm has high hopes

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This article was published 22/09/2023 (745 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DECLAN Chisholm didn’t feel like an afterthought, even if he was the last of the restricted free agents in the organization to sign on the dotted line.

Recognizing that being in training camp on Day 1 was essential to his goal of cracking the Winnipeg Jets opening-day roster, Chisholm inked a one-year, two-way deal worth US$775,000 in the NHL and has a guarantee of US$120,000 should be find himself back in the minors

“Yeah, I feel like there is more hope this year,” said Chisholm, who was selected for the American Hockey League All-Star Classic last season. “I have some experience in the AHL now, I did really well last year, on my second contract now and I think the mentality now is come in and make the team.

“Hopefully that’s what happens, do my best out there, treat it like every other camp. I’m coming into every camp doing my best, working my hardest. I think I’m treating it the same, but I think there’s more hope.”

There’s genuine reason for hope for guys like Chisholm this fall, though things remain crowded on the back end, with eight players on one-way contracts on the back end – a number that doesn’t include fellow prospect Ville Heinola.

Jets head coach Rick Bowness is keeping an open mind when it comes to the construction of his defence pairs, but reminded reporters earlier this week that the onus is on players like Chisholm and Heinola to force their way into the discussion with strong play.

A job isn’t going to be given, it will have to be earned.

Chisholm didn’t get into any NHL games last season after seeing action against the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues in 2021-22, but that had more to do with an injury he sustained than any drop off in play.

The fifth-round pick (150th overall) of the Jets in 2018 easily eclipsed his career high for points by producing 43 in 59 games last season before suiting up in five additional Calder Cup playoff games.

Chisholm has been paired with steady veteran Dylan DeMelo through the first two days of training camp and his skating ability has been on display.

“He’s smooth, for sure. Confident with the puck. He’s not shy about making plays and making moves at the blue line,” said DeMelo. “He’s definitely offensively inclined, but he’s good with his stick and good at closing. I’m just going to stay on him about being hard in the d-zone, trying to end plays. I think that’s the biggest thing for a guy trying to break in.

“Everyone knows what he can do offensively but it’s going to be him winning battles, ending plays in the d-zone that’s really going to make a name for himself. I’ll stay on him hard about that but he’s just got to play his game, be confident and do what he does.”

DEJA VU: Speaking of DeMelo, the 30-year-old finds himself in familiar territory as he heads into the final year of his contract unsure of what the future might hold. Last time around, in 2019-20, the Ottawa Senators shipped him to Winnipeg at the trade deadline. So what might this year hold?

“It gave me a little bit of an idea of what it would be like and how your mental state needs to be. You just need to focus on your game and what you can do to help your team every night,” said DeMelo, who is making US $3 million this year.

“That not only helps the team but it helps me. That’s all I’m trying to focus on. Just trying to build off a great year individually and as a team last year and just try to up the ante.”

DeMelo set career highs last season in goals (6), assists (21) and points (27) while also being paired with Josh Morrissey, who made the All-Star team and earned some Norris Trophy votes, ultimately finishing fifth for that award, after registering 76 points in 78 games.

“Why can’t he get 80 points? Why can’t he get 90? He’s got the skill and the makeup, too, he’s very driven, internally, DeMelo said of what his partner might do for an encore.

“I know he was quite disappointed and, for the lack of a better word, pissed off, that he wasn’t one of the three (finalists) for the Norris. We spoke about it and I told him, ‘You’re on my ballot, for sure. He’s got that inner drive to be the best player in the league. I have no worries that he’s going to come back and bring it again.”

INFIRMARY UPDATE: Bowness said winger Nikolaj Ehlers (who left his first training camp session Thursday with neck spasms) was likely going to be held off the ice a bit longer, though he isn’t concerned about this turning into something that would sideline him for an extended period of time.

“No. No, it’s just some spasms,” said Bowness. “Could he skate? Yeah. But why bother? If it’s going to act up again and we’re going to deal with it for a week, we want to get it resolved now.”

Jets 2023 first-rounder Colby Barlow missed Friday’s skate due to an illness and while he’s expected to skate on Saturday, it likely won’t be with one of the two main groups (Team Selanne and Team Numminen) but rather a small group of extra skaters meant to keep the numbers manageable.

Forward Wyatt Bongiovanni skated Friday in a non-contact sweater after sustaining a groin injury during training prior to camp.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

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