Jets Second-Round Pick Has Breakout Year, Cementing Future in Winnipeg

Despite the fact that the Manitoba Moose won't be traveling for the playoffs this spring, one of their young defensemen was able to save a season that went awry and come out a winner on a personal level, which is never a bad thing.

In a year where it was hard to win, just 24 of 70, the Moose did not qualify for the playoffs in a first since six years ago (nearly the reverse in the case of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets).

Even in the worst year, however, there is always one tale that is memorable. For Manitoba, that tale is the one about Elias Salomonsson.

The 20-year-old defenseman, who was taken 55th overall in the 2022 draft by the Winnipeg Jets, arrived in North America last year with a ton of hype. And, in his first go-around with the Moose, he didn't let anyone down at all.

He finished his rookie season with the team by claiming the club's Rookie of the Year and best defenceman award, which is definitely no small accomplishment in a rookie season.

His numbers speak for themselves. Five goals and 27 points in 51 games, the club's rookie single-season record by a defenseman.

To his credit on a struggling Moose team, Salomonsson posted a respectable -6 rating in high minutes at the top four, the polar opposite of the rest of the team in those categories.

Adding one more notch to his belt, Salomonsson earned a roster position in the AHL All-Star Classic in February.

And although the slowdown of the season is still lingering for his team, his potential is quite possibly only beginning to unravel.

Having witnessed the Presidents' Trophy won by the Winnipeg Jets, Salomonsson will hopefully be able to start his career in the NHL on Wednesday night against the Anaheim Ducks, a first look at one of the foundation pieces of the future of the Jets.

If he appears in his first game, the supporters will come in great numbers to the arena to watch, perhaps the next generational player of the Jets franchise.