Elias Salomonsson might be back for the Winnipeg Jets a lot sooner than anyone expected, and the timing couldn't matter more.
This offseason, Salomonsson underwent surgery that had many expecting him to miss the first couple weeks of the season entirely.
Now the recovery is trending the other way. There's a real chance he's ready by camp, or at worst somewhere in preseason.
For a Jets team looking to open strong, that timeline matters. Winnipeg finished last season 35-35-12 with 82 points, a stretch that ended on a four-game losing streak.
A fast start early in the year builds cushion for exactly the kind of late-season points crunch that decides who actually makes the playoffs.
Salomonsson isn't just organizational depth either. As a 21-year-old, he's become one of Winnipeg's most hyped defensive prospects, at times ranked as the system's best.
Why Winnipeg's blue line needs him more than ever
Last season he played 32 games, managing 5 points at a minus-6 rating, real NHL minutes that pushed his development further than any Jets defense prospect since Dylan Samberg.
That matters because the depth behind him is aging. Dylan DeMelo is 33 now, and the foot speed concerns around him have only gotten louder.
DeMelo still finished with 19 points over all 82 games last season, but reliability and foot speed are two different conversations at this point in his career.
Winnipeg doesn't have a deep pipeline of ready-made right side defensemen behind him. If Salomonsson is healthy, he's simply the best option they've got, full stop.
The likely long-term fit puts him alongside Josh Morrissey, who put up 55 points last season, giving Winnipeg's top pairing real puck-moving speed on both sides.
Whether Salomonsson actually stays healthy through camp, or the recovery hits a setback, will go a long way toward deciding how fast this Jets team gets out of the gate.
Would an early return for Elias Salomonsson be the boost the Jets need to start strong?
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