ANALYSIS: Jets’ defensive depth on display – Winnipeg | The Canadian News

“I thought they played like they were in the league.”

The words came from the mouth of Winnipeg Jets interim head coach Dave Lowry, and they were sincere.

They were delivered in response to a query about the game from Dylan Samberg and Declan Chisholm, who made their NHL debuts on Thursday night in what turned out to be a clear 3-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

While Lowry isn’t one to wax poetic on the podium, this was a convincing compliment, and one deserved considering how Samberg and Chisholm handled themselves under what would be considered less-than-optimal circumstances to don a Jets jersey for the first once in a regular season game.

“They were extremely comfortable,” Lowry said. “They both skate very well. They were able to skate their way out of trouble a couple of times. They were very relaxed, very serene.”

When it comes to the qualities needed for young defensive backs working their way into the NHL, the ability to skate and move the puck efficiently, especially when under pressure, are among the most important to employ.

Lowry went on to say that the reassuring presence of a veteran defensive partner helped both Samberg and Chisholm feel a little more comfortable, and he can be sure both players would agree.

But what was apparent Thursday was that not only did none of those guys look out of place, they played like they belonged.

That doesn’t mean they’re immediately ready for full-time service, it means they deserve another look.

Knocking on the door is an important step; getting in position to kick it is next.

The Jets don’t play again until Tuesday when they open a four-game gauntlet against the Washington Capitals and, at this point, it’s unclear how many of those eight players are in the COVID-19 protocol, including D-men Brenden Dillon, Logan Stanley, Nathan Beaulieu and Ville Heinola will be ready to resume action.

All we know is that they would be eligible to come off the protocol, as long as they don’t have any symptoms.

For now, let’s go back to Samberg and Chisholm.

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Although reserved by nature, Samberg has a higher profile and is the No. 2 defensive prospect in the system behind Heinola.

Not known as a flashy player, Samberg (who was selected in the second round, 43rd overall in the 2017 NHL draft) employs a skill set that translates well to the NHL game and was in full display against the Red Wings.

The combination of size and mobility is always welcome, and Samberg has it in spades.

He also has a physical nature to him and a bit of a mean streak, which allowed him to fit right in alongside fellow Hermantown, Minnesota, product Neal Pionk.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, Samberg had taken 23 at-bats for just under 18 minutes of ice, including just under four minutes on the penalty kick, and finished with three hits and five blocked shots.

What made this performance even more impressive is that Samberg suffered a high ankle sprain on the first day of training camp and was limited to 12 AHL games this season after his recovery was complete.

Many observers have wondered if Pionk and Samberg could forge a future partnership, and this was a glimpse of that potential.

Samberg isn’t ready to overtake Dillon just yet, but he definitely noticed that the competition for playing time in the third pair (when the Jets are fully healthy) is heating up.

As for Chisholm, he has quietly improved every year since the Jets selected him as one of two fifth-round picks in the 2018 NHL draft.

His skating is his most important weapon, but his offensive instincts prevailed as he played nearly 14 minutes (in 18 at-bats) alongside Nate Schmidt.

“Very outgoing, always in a great mood,” Chisholm said of his defensive partner after Thursday morning’s skate in Detroit.

“He is joking with everyone. It makes you feel like you are part of the team right away. He did it at camp, he introduced himself to me right away. He also talks a lot about the ice, so I think that’s going to help me a lot. He is a veteran player and I think I can learn a lot from him.”

Chisholm was active offensively, but not recklessly.

He took no unnecessary risks, made smart reads throughout the competition and has an uncanny ability to find lines of fire on the offensive blue line due to his lateral agility.

Dating back to his time with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, Chisholm has put a lot of time and energy into doing a better job defending.

He is only in his second season of professional hockey, but progress is being made on that front as well.

Seeing that translate during his first taste of NHL action and being able to play well in front of family and friends who were able to travel to Michigan from Ontario is only going to fuel Chisholm’s fire.

The old adage about NHL teams needing about nine or 10 blue lines that you can comfortably use is alive and well.

With Samberg and Chisholm jumping into the mix, the Jets have already used nine this season, and were it not for being on the COVID-19 protocol, Heinola would extend that to 10 and is still expected to do so in the not-too-distant future. future.

The Jets have three other right-handed shooting D-men with the Manitoba Moose (Johnny Kovacevic, Leon Gawanke and Simon Lundmark) also making their way into the equation.

Competition for position in the depth graph is an important part of the development process, but one thing is certain: after a two-year period in which the back end was pretty skinny, the depth of the organization is much better. stronger.

It also means there will be some big decisions for the Jets to make on the personnel side going forward, which should only add to the intrigue of a season that has already featured plenty of plot twists.

Ken Wiebe covers the Winnipeg Jets for Sportsnet.ca and is a regular contributor to CJOB.