The Winnipeg Jets have inked a member of their most recent draft class to an entry-level deal. The Jets announced today that second-round pick Elias Salomonsson has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club.
Salomonsson was the 55th overall pick at last Thursday’s draft and is one of the younger players in the draft class. He’s still just 17 years old and won’t turn 18 until August 31st. The Jets took him out of Skelleftea, a club in Sweden. Salomonsson split time last season between Skelleftea’s SHL and junior-level teams, and his 10-game stint in the SHL was extremely impressive given his age. Salomonsson had 11 goals and 22 points in 35 games at the U-20 level and zero points in his 10 SHL games, although he played in a very sheltered role.
Salomonsson is a smooth-skating blueliner with polished two-way ability. He has a lot of room to grow and with the right development could blossom into a top-four defenseman. His entry-level deal gives him the chance to earn a spot in Winnipeg at training camp, though in all likelihood he will return to Sweden and take on a larger role with his home club.
The new SHL-NHL agreement stipulates that Salomonsson cannot be sent to the AHL because he is under the minimum age and isn’t a first-round pick. So, if the Jets preferred to send him to their AHL affiliate for next season they won’t have the option to do so as they would have in prior years.