Two Defensemen Who Could Be Targets for the Jets to Bolster Their Playoff Push
The Winnipeg Jets are one of the top teams in the NHL and in order for them to make a deep run in the playoffs, they are targeting two specific defensemen.
The Winnipeg Jets are active in their quest to stabilize their blue line in advance of the trade deadline. Their preference? A big, mobile right-shot defenseman to take the top pairing alongside Josh Morrissey to another level.
It's been one of the bleeding issues for Winnipeg without even factoring in injuries to disrupt the lineup. Of course, the return of Dylan Samberg was a recent boost, and it reunited him with Neal Pionk, which was a reasonably good pairing at times.
But inconsistency from Logan Stanley and Ville Heinola leaves them vulnerable to teams like Colorado and Vegas. The Jets sit atop the league with a 29-12-3 record and must make sure they stay there.
The Jets can be lavish seeking out a top-four, long-term solution but are considering shorter-term reinforcements. Winnipeg weighs its trade options that don't require a first-round pick but bring in impactful improvements.
Murat Ates of The Athletic identifies two potential links for the Winnipeg Jets: a steady vet who has made a very good living by being an excellent defenseman, and a little bit younger, mobile blueliner who has excelled in an extremely demanding role.
David Savard and Marcus Pettersson are top targets
The players in question are David Savard of the Montreal Canadiens and Marcus Pettersson of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both of those players would solve Winnipeg's immediate needs, but not necessarily the long-term problems.
Savard is having a solid year for the surging 20-18-4 Canadiens, with his one goal and nine assists in 36 games, along with a plus-one rating.
Pettersson, on the other hand, has more offense to show for, with two goals and 14 assists in 39 games and a minus-one rating with the 18-19-8 Penguins. Both players would be solid options.
Ates has hinted that a more significant addition could be necessary moving forward, someone in the mold of Mattias Ekholm or Chris Tanev, to really lock down the D for an extended playoff run.
That would save the club pricey contract extensions for Neal Pionk and reduce the reliance on unproven prospects such as Elias Salomonsson.
For now, the question is if that short-term fix will be good enough or if the Jets are bold enough to go for a championship.
