On Monday, the Jets announced they had come to terms with 2019 first round draft selection Ville Heinola on an entry-level deal that will pay the young defenceman $925K for the next three seasons. With added salary bonuses, the 18-year-old’s new deal will top out at an annual average value of $1.14 million.
Heinola – selected 20th overall this past June at the NHL Entry Draft in San Jose – is expected to continue playing in Liiga with Luuko. But in signing his entry-level deal, he will have the opportunity to attempt to crack the Jets’ squad at training camp. His contract is broken down as a salary of $832,500 salary, with a $92,500 signing bonus and $212,000 in attainable performance bonuses.
The Honkajoki, FI. product spent the 2018-19 season split between Liiga’s Luuko and the U-20 Luuko team, racking up three goals and 23 total points in 43 combined games. In five games during the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Heinola collected a goal and an assist, helping the Finns to world junior gold. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound blueliner is no stranger to the international stage, as he also represented Finland in the 2019 U-18 World Championship, where he put up one goal and three helpers in five games.
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