The 30-year-old defenseman scored 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 56 games this season, and one goal in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"I know for Washington, they are a cap team, and it's trying to win the Stanley Cup every year," Dillon said Tuesday. "So with that comes decisions and this was obviously a route that they chose to go down. For me as a player, you kind of take that with a chip on your shoulder. You want to go to that new team and prove them right. I think that for 'Chevy' Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff]*
"The emotions are excitement," he said. "Going to a really good team, a team that's been really good for a number of years now. ... They've got a lot of good pieces in place up front, a Vezina-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck] and a defense that I think is only going to get better."
Center Paul Stastny,
[who signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract Monday
to stay with the Jets, said he was excited about the physical element Dillon will bring to Winnipeg. Dillon led Washington defensemen with 143 hits this season, which was more than any Winnipeg defenseman.
"I feel like his offensive game has grown a lot in the last three or four years," Stastny said Tuesday. "His skating and puck-moving ability, whether it's getting out of a breakout or leading a breakout, making that first pass or jumping into the play. Earlier in his career he was more ... I don't want to say stay-at-home, but I think his game has evolved a little bit. He does play with that edge, he plays with that nastiness a little bit. That's big. You need a combination. You can have the skill guys, but you also need those guys that are tough to play against, or annoying to play against. That's a big element. I was texting [Jets captain Blake Wheeler] saying I was really excited we had the opportunity to bring him in."
Signed by the Dallas Stars as a free agent on March 1, 2011, Dillon has scored 133 points (24 goals, 109 assists) in 654 regular-season games with the Stars, San Jose Sharks and Capitals, and 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 75 postseason games.
NHL.com staff writer Tim Campbell contributed to this report
