Salomonsson turning heads with Moose

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/02/2025 (256 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There has not been a ton of positive news coming out of the Manitoba Moose this season. Elias Salomonsson would be a notable exception.

The 20-year-old defenceman from Sweden is enjoying a successful rookie year, even if it included a nearly two-month absence after suffering a right shoulder injury when he was on the receiving end of a big hit during a Dec. 6 game against Belleville.

Now back to full health, Salomonsson had two assists on Sunday afternoon in a 7-2 victory over the Iowa Wild and showed why he is viewed as the best blue-line prospect currently in the Winnipeg Jets pipeline.

“It was a long time to be sidelined,” Salomonsson told the Free Press following the game. “But I’m happy to be back and getting back up to pace. Feeling better and better.”

Salomonsson initially thought he might just miss a few weeks, but his recovery ended up taking more time.

“I stayed in Winnipeg the whole time and worked out with the trainers and stuff. It was great,” he said. “I had my girlfriend here, too which made it a little easier to be alone when the guys were on the road.”

Salomonsson returned just in time to represent the Moose at the AHL All-Star last week in Palm Desert, Calif.

“An awesome experience,” is how he described it. “I met some different players from other teams. A couple of Swedes, too.”

The 55th-overall pick from the 2022 draft was back in Manitoba’s lineup as they resumed the second half of their schedule on Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 loss to Iowa, then took the rematch 24 hours later to improve to 13-26-2.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit, but it’s nice to get a bounce back game,” said Salomonsson. “I think if we play like this, and get more consistent over time, we’re going to win more hockey games.”

No question they have a better chance with Salomonsson in the lineup.

Consider this eye-popping statistic: On a team filled with top young forward prospects such as Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford and Chaz Lucius and several forwards with NHL experience such as Dominic Toninato, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mason Shaw, it is Salomonsson who leads the Moose in points-per-game.

“I think it’s good and bad to have those injuries. You learn from it. That’s going to happen. And I think it’s going to help you along your career.”– Moose defenceman Elias Salomonsson

The right-shooting skater is now up to 14 points (3G, 11A) in 22 games which has him fifth for all AHL rookie defencemen in points-per-game (minimum 20 games played) and 18th among all blue-liners in the league.

“Sally plays in all situations. Special teams, five-on-five, and he’s hard to play against” said Moose assistant coach Morgan Klimchuk.

“He’s hard to play against with the puck. He’s hard to play against without the puck. He’s a huge contributor to our group and we’re excited to watch him grow.”

The Jets have used nine defencemen so far this year, including Dylan Coghlan who is now skating with the Moose. There’s a good chance Salomonsson may have already made his NHL debut if not for the injury.

“I don’t think you can spend any time worrying about that. I just focused on getting back and getting back into games,” he said. “I’m actually feeling better now than I did before the injury. So I think that’s a good step.”

Whether a late-season NHL call-up is in the cards remains to be seen, but there’s no question Salomonsson is a big part of the future. He’s got size (6-2, 189 pounds), skill and even some snarl — not to mention a healthy perspective on what an unexpected detour in his development might mean.

“I think it’s good and bad to have those injuries,” he said. “You learn from it. That’s going to happen. And I think it’s going to help you along your career.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg