Rising up the prospect rankings, the Swedish blueliner faces a pivotal crossroads between the AHL and a permanent roster spot on the Winnipeg Jets’ defensive corps.
For the past several seasons, one of the Winnipeg Jets' few marquee prospects has been 2022 second-round pick Elias Salomonsson.
The 21-year-old Swedish defenseman has been steadily developing since, playing overseas in Sweden with notable club Skellefteå before making the move to North America two seasons ago.
In his first pro campaign, Salomonsson recorded 27 points in 53 games. This past season, he worked as a middle man between the minors and the Jets, splitting time between both levels.
He played 29 games with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, recording nine points and a minus-two rating, while also appearing in 32 games with Winnipeg, where he posted five points and a minus-six rating.
This past week, the Athletic's Scott Wheeler released an updated top 100 list of NHL drafted prospects, with Salomonsson ranking 61st overall. That places him ahead of notable names like Tampa Bay's top prospect Sam O'Reilly, Toronto's top prospect Easton Cowan, and Detroit's Max Plante, this year's Hobey Baker Award winner.
Also on the list, ranked as high as the top ten, was recently drafted Jet Viggo Björck. Wheeler slotted him ahead of several players who came off the board earlier in the same draft, including Carson Carels and Daxon Rudolph, along with other well-regarded 2026 first-rounders like James Hagens, Sam Dickinson and Michael Hage.
As for where Salomonsson lands next season, the projections vary as Elite Prospects has him starting the year with Manitoba, while Daily Faceoff pegs him as the third-pairing defenseman for Winnipeg.
It's hard to say exactly where Salomonsson will end up. One thing is for sure, though. Jets fans should be excited about their standout two-way defense prospect.
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