Jets News & Rumors: Heinola, Barlow & Prospect Rankings – Hockey Writers – Winnipeg Jets

In this edition of Winnipeg Jets News & Rumors, we'll take a look at Ville Heinola getting a two-year contract extension and what that means for his future, Colby Barlow getting an invite to the Canadian World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS) team, and a number of prospects The Jets are rated highly by Scott Wheeler.

Heinola's Big Season

The Jets announced that they have signed Heinola to a two-year extension worth $800,000 per season. Heinola missed most of last season with an injury and was ready for his first full season in the NHL. After playing just 41 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) at the end of the season, Heinola will look to make the NHL roster and make an impact this season.

At 23 years old, it makes sense that a prospect as talented as Heinola would be frustrated with his development thus far. He was never given a real chance to play at the NHL level, only being given 35 games in four seasons. If he does not make the senior team this season, he will need to be withdrawn for the first time in his life. The Jets aren't usually very eager to add young players to the roster, but in an offseason interview after free agency, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the young players should be excited this coming season. I hope for the sake of the players they will be given a real chance.

Heinola could be claimed off waivers, so it's hard to see the Jets opting to waive him, but there will be some tough competition for a full-time spot on the left defensive end. Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg will be part of the team full-time, and Heinola will compete with Logan Stanley and Haydn Fleury for that final spot. The Jets may be forced to keep Heinola at that spot, or even as a seventh defenseman, as Stanley and Fleury may take waivers away from him.

Barlow to Play at WJSS

The WJSS is a summer tournament and is a type of audition for the IIHF's World Junior Championship (WJC) in December leading into January.

Related: Jets' Stanley Cup roster spot

Barlow is the only Jets player named to Team Canada. After missing out on the 2024 WJC, Barlow will look to impress the crew at the 2024 WJSS to cut the 2025 WJC. After taking a bit of a step back in production in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he had a strong season with the Owen Sound Attack. After posting 79 points in 59 games in 2022-23, Barlow scored just 58 points in 50 games last season. He posted his second straight 40-goal season, impressive in the OHL, but will look to take the next step in his development, starting with a trip to the WJC.

Barlow was selected 18th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and still looks promising. He has great leadership ability in his skill set, but he can make plays, play the two-way game, and is a true leader. Barlow's floor is well-positioned as a third-stringer but he can shoot higher than that quickly.

Scott Wheeler's Prospect Rankings

Scott Wheeler of Athletic published his latest Top 100 NHL Prospects and included five Jets on the list (from Athletic“Top 100 NHL prospects ranked: Celebrini, Michkov lead Wheeler list for summer 2024”, July 16, 2024).

The top prospect Wheeler has on his roster is Rutger McGroarty, who has been making a splash in recent news from Winnipeg. With the trade request and refusal to sign, you have to move them away and look at him as a prospect, and you're at a high level. It seems that there is a team that will take advantage of his excellent attacking skills.

Wheeler also joins Brad Lambert, Barlow, Chaz Lucius, and Elias Salomonsson on the roster. Without going too deep into his ratings and messing up the list, having these five prospects in the top 100 makes sense. Since the Jets have been such a successful team of late, making the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, having this kind of quality in the prospect pool is a testament to their evaluation.

Solomonsson's entry is surprising. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but because players like him don't often get the respect they deserve. He plays a great defensive game, and is expected to be in the AHL this season, and could challenge for an NHL spot as soon as this year, but possibly next season.