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New York Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Winnipeg Jets offseason priorities: Get clarity on Nikolaj Ehlers, seek term with RFAs
The Winnipeg Jets begin the 2025 offseason with a high-profile, homegrown UFA to sign — or an abundance of cap room to go shopping with. Once it has Nikolaj Ehlers' future sorted out, it has Dylan Samberg and Gabriel Vilardi's long-term futures to prioritize. But what next? In what order? How much cap space do the Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets have to work with — and how do Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry, and Winnipeg's other 2026-27 free agents impact what the Jets do this summer? Advertisement This offseason has the power to cement the Jets as perennial contenders, solidifying their roster and addressing their playoff shortcomings — or leave them behind as they take their next steps toward the Stanley Cup. We'll dig deeper into each of these in the coming weeks but for now, here are the Jets' eight biggest offseason priorities: This incomplete version of the 2025-26 Winnipeg Jets would have $26.4 million to work with, highlighting the team's flexibility as the offseason begins. Winnipeg gets out of Blake Wheeler's buyout, leaving only $1.6 million from Nate Schmidt's buyout as dead money on the cap. While there is the potential for upheaval via Nikolaj Ehlers' departure — and Winnipeg's efforts to replace him, if he does sign elsewhere — there's a lot of roster stability on defence and in goal. RFA forwards: Gabriel Vilardi, Morgan Barron, Rasmus Kupari RFA defence: Dylan Samberg How much does $26.4 million get you in 2025? There are still two forward jobs available once Vilardi, Barron, and Kupari have signed. Ehlers could take one, if the Jets do manage to sign him. Perhaps more likely, there is the possibility of signing a centreman — I can't shake Winnipeg's interest in Jonathan Toews, if he's ready — and then promoting whichever of Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, or Parker Ford is most NHL-ready. Samberg's contract would give Winnipeg eight NHL defencemen under contract, necessitating movement. This could be as simple as waiving Ville Heinola at training camp, given how little they used him, or it could involve an offseason transaction that preemptively clears that room. The Jets can afford to sign all three of Ehlers, Vilardi, and Samberg if they make $23 million or less collectively. Winnipeg is not blindsided by Ehlers' UFA uncertainty. Cheveldayoff's two-hour meeting with Ehlers' agent should leave the Jets with clarity on Ehlers' contract hopes — including how likely he is to be a free agent on July 1. It's not that the Jets can't afford to sign Ehlers, mind you: Cheveldayoff said last week that he's prepared to offer Ehlers a 'Jet for life' type of contract. Advertisement How might that look? I believe the Jets could sign Ehlers to big ticket money without upsetting their existing contractual hierarchy. Mark Scheifele is Winnipeg's highest-paid forward, earning $8.5 million per season — 9.66 percent of the 2024-25 cap — but that contract was signed toward the end of the flat cap era. The new $95.5 million cap maximum changes things: the same percentage Scheifele signed for would earn him $9.2 million contract in today's dollars. Put another way: Winnipeg could sign Ehlers to Scheifele's same $8.5 million — or any $8.x million number — without it being a statement that Ehlers is worth more than Scheifele is to the team. It may be that Ehlers is simply prepared to move on. Perhaps he's ready for a new opportunity. His promotion to the Jets' top power play unit helped him play the fourth-most all-situations minutes among Jets forwards this season — closer to his value — but there may be teams that can afford to play him in an even bigger role. New Jersey, Carolina, and Washington come to mind as markets with cap space, ambition, and room for another top winger. (Montreal, a frequent fan-suggested landing spot, won't have the cap room and is already well-stocked in skilled forwards.) If the Jets find themselves without Ehlers, they'll have his $8.x million projected cap hit available to spend on other players. The UFA market hasn't traditionally been kind to Winnipeg but does include players the Jets have been interested in before. There's Brock Nelson, who the Jets worked to acquire at the 2025 deadline, and Brock Boeser, who they were keen to draft in 2015, for starters. There are also players who balance truculence and skill — a combination Winnipeg could use more of — including Sam Bennett, who seems at home in Florida, and Andrew Mangiapane, whose ice time and output dipped in Washington. Advertisement It's hard to know what to project from Toews, if he's healthy enough to play, while equally famous options like John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Brad Marchand seem like unrealistic points of discussion. The only UFA signings on Winnipeg's everyday roster last season were Eric Comrie and Colin Miller, each of whom had prior experience with the Jets. It's Winnipeg's job to know their options — with Ehlers and without him — and one expects they've been assembling contingency plans for months, if not longer. The sheer size of his potential cap hit makes clarity on Ehlers No. 1 in the order. Samberg is 26 years old; Vilardi turns 26 in August. Winnipeg would do well to sign both players for as many years as they're able to budget, but arbitration rights and the desire to see how the new cap affects UFA prices — plus the outcome of Ehlers' future — could push the timeline deeper into summer. Samberg's case seems like the more straightforward of the two. The Jets defence corps is rock solid with him and Josh Morrissey playing on the left side and problematic without him. Samberg shares his hometown, his agent, and his offseason lake with his defence partner, Neal Pionk, while his wife — Dr. Destiny Samberg — has started her dental practice in Winnipeg. It helps the Jets' case that Samberg has delivered top flight top-four minutes for one season, instead of several, or that the best-in-class shutdown defenceman, Jaccob Slavin, starts his eight year, $6.4 million AAV contract next season. It helps Samberg's case that he's UFA-eligible as soon as 2026 — in fact, all he'd have to do to fast track a Winnipeg departure is file for arbitration, take the one-year award it creates, and then walk next summer. (I don't expect that kind of hardball. If Samberg files for arbitration this summer, I don't expect it will be done with the intention of cutting off long-term contract discussions.) Vilardi's situation is similar to Samberg's: He has arbitration rights and he hit a new plateau last season. Vilardi's earliest UFA eligibility is 2027, though, giving him a few options: While he can't fast-track UFA status by filing for arbitration, he could decide to bet on himself by signing a one year pact. The cap maximum will increase from $95.5 million in 2025-26 to $104 million next season; Vilardi could earn himself a bigger payday just by repeating his 71 game, 61-point season — and more power to him if he continues to improve. Both parties will need to weigh their feelings about Vilardi's injury history. There may be incentive for the player to lock down guaranteed long-term money, despite the opportunity to pursue an 82-game 2025-26 season and improve upon his point totals. There may not be as much incentive for a max term deal on the Jets' part as is typical of a 26-year-old with such a dynamic offensive toolkit. They haven't seen him drive five-on-five play away from Connor and Scheifele and may want to see that happen before committing to a more expensive, long-term contract. Advertisement Given the rising cap and a belief in Samberg and Vilardi as quality players, I expect the Jets' best outcome includes long-term contracts for both players. We'll keep this section short but rest assured: Winnipeg is going to put in long hours this summer to prepare for Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry, and Cole Perfetti's contract extensions. Connor is at the front of that line, given the dollars in play, and his projected contract — which would start in 2026-27 — will impact this summer's long-term thinking. Lowry won't command the same kind of money and may wait until September or beyond to finalize a deal but, like Connor, he's also in line for an extension as soon as July 1. Perfetti's bridge deal is half over and the Jets may do well to sign him long term before he's played a full year on the top power play unit (assuming Ehlers signs elsewhere). It helps that the cap is increasing to $104 million in 2026-27 and that the Jets will be free of Schmidt's buyout by then, too. Rest assured that these future contracts — Connor's in particular — are already part of Winnipeg's thought process. Vladislav Namestnikov is versatile, tenacious, a pain to play against, and a good stylistic complement to Winnipeg's finesse-first forwards. He's not an ideal second-line centre, nor have the Jets treated him as one: Winnipeg traded for Sean Monahan in 2024 and then tried to extend him last summer. It made Nelson their top target at this year's trade deadline, then watched as Nelson arrived at his preferred destination in Colorado. Winnipeg has traded three first-round picks for second line centres that didn't stay in Winnipeg: Paul Stastny (2018), Kevin Hayes (2019), and Monahan (2024). It also traded Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic for Pierre-Luc Dubois, although Dubois' departure worked out in the form of Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round draft pick (Alfons Freij). The asset drain is continuous — and would have continued this year had Winnipeg landed Nelson — and it will continue until the hole is plugged. Vilardi, Perfetti, and Brad Lambert are internal options (although Vilardi and Perfetti lack footspeed, while Lambert seems to have taken a step back in the AHL this season). The Jets need to know that one of their own players can fill the role, sign someone this summer, or run the risk of trading more assets away for a centre at the 2026 deadline. It's hard to be a draft and develop organization that sends draft capital out the door to fill the same hole every season. This priority may be difficult to pin down but it must be part of Winnipeg's assessment all the same. Florida and Edmonton seem to be on a crash course to repeat as Cup finalists; watching the Oilers drives home the importance of generational talent, while watching the Panthers shows the power available when elite skill and brutal toughness meet on the same roster. Winnipeg is too good to draft No. 1 overall several times, as the Oilers did, but some amount of emulating Florida seems possible. We've already seen it in the form of the Niederreiter, Namestnikov, and Iafallo acquisitions: There's nothing Matthew Tkachuk adjacent or even Brad Marchand-esque in this group but it's made Winnipeg tougher to play against all the same. Advertisement I'd caution against overcorrecting — the Presidents' Trophy is a difficult trophy to win, even if the road to the Cup is more brutal. But the Jets are built around the Connor/Scheifele duo up front and on Morrissey (and ideally Samberg) on defence. There's not a lot of sandpaper among the Jets' elite; Winnipeg doesn't need to pivot to pure grit but it would do well to stay on top of opportunities to add more talented truculence. What if the Jets' next first-round opponent hits like the Blues but has the top end talent of the Stars? Winnipeg's scouts must be under more pressure than most of their rivals; the Jets' win-now mode, combined with Winnipeg's tough draw as a UFA market, has meant trading picks for veteran players. Perfetti (2020) and Samberg (2017) are the Jets' last two draft picks to establish themselves as either a top-six forward or a top-four defenceman. Part of what seems like a dip in draft efficacy is actually a shortage of picks. The Jets have traded away a ton of draft capital since 2018, including two of its picks at this year's draft in June. Winnipeg has its own picks in the first, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds. It traded its second-round pick to New Jersey for Tyler Toffoli last season and its fourth-round pick to San Jose for Namestnikov in 2023. The Jets got Freij, Kevin He, Markus Loponen, and Kieron Walton out of four picks last year — with particularly good early returns from He and Walton in the OHL — and a little bit more of that magic would be more than welcome. Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev complicate the cap picture presented above. It's hard to imagine Winnipeg paying Appleton market value ($3.2 million, according to AFP Analytics) and having the room to take a swing at Ehlers while retaining Samberg and Vilardi. Tanev may not cost as much but is coming off a $3.5 million AAV deal. It's not as easy to assume team-friendly contracts for either player as for RFAs like Barron and Kupari. The Jets have more room if Ehlers walks but may also find that Iafallo, Namestnikov, and Niederreiter have Winnipeg's depth jobs covered, while earmarking room on the roster for Lambert or Chibrikov with an eye to the future. I'm not expecting Winnipeg to make early, aggressive swings on Appleton and Tanev. The Jets like both players, but I don't expect they enjoy their projected UFA prices. Dominic Toninato, Haydn Fleury, and Chris Driedger may have a role on next year's club but don't represent urgent priorities at this stage of the offseason. It's easy to assume there's no room for Haydn Fleury. The Jets will have eight defencemen on their NHL roster once Samberg signs — nine if they retain Fleury as a UFA — while they prefer to carry seven on the roster during the regular season. That's not a pressing offseason concern, if we're being honest; it would be easy to bring extra defencemen to camp and then waive them if everybody stays healthy. Advertisement The Jets could proactively try to clear room. If they're done with Ville Heinola, for example, they could try to move him before he becomes a Group VI UFA next summer. It would be easier and more cautious to wait until training camp and make sure everyone is healthy to start the season before risking waivers on Heinola, Fleury, or even one of the established veterans. The Jets signed Fleury on July 5 last summer; whether it's Winnipeg or a different team, it seems less likely that Fleury lasts that long after a strong showing this season. (Top photo of Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 roster decisions: Who stays and who goes this offseason?
Nikolaj Ehlers' Jets future is in jeopardy, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says he met with Ehlers' agent, Andre Rufener, for two hours on Monday. That such a meeting took place is a positive sign toward an Ehlers extension — they did not do the same with Brenden Dillon or Nate Schmidt's representation at this time last year — although it's clear the Jets are also preparing themselves for the possibility of an Ehlers departure. Advertisement 'We will put our best foot forward to try to make our case (for Ehlers) to be one of those guys who can be a unique 'Jet for Life' type of player,' Cheveldayoff said at Jets exit interviews on Wednesday. 'We'll see where it goes from there, but the relationship is great. He did contribute to the success of this organization on many fronts and we hope that that's something that can continue.' Jets fans hoping for an Ehlers contract can take optimism from that kind of dialogue. Ehlers and his camp have done an excellent job of keeping their business private, giving themselves the opportunity to come to an agreement with Winnipeg or explore the open market on July 1. Just don't mistake optimism for certainty. The Jets will have an internal budget for Ehlers, knowing that they have Dylan Samberg and Gabriel Vilardi to extend this summer and that Kyle Connor's contract ends next season. Ehlers' power play promotion helped him score 63 points in 69 games, the highest per-game rate of his career, but he was still a secondary player at even strength. He received the ninth-most five-on-five minutes per game during the regular season — and again in the playoffs — and, whatever the contract terms are, there's a chance Ehlers is more interested in playing a bigger role than Winnipeg can promise him. Cheveldayoff says Winnipeg will be prepared for a future with or without Ehlers, who they drafted ninth in 2014 and developed into a dominant, if chaotic, five-on-five player. 'If he does choose to go in a different direction, then obviously as an organization we will have to evolve as we have in the past with other things,' Cheveldayoff said. 'It will be another opportunity for us to grow in a different area.' Will Ehlers stay? Will he go? What about the rest of the Jets — whether they need new contracts or not — as Winnipeg's offseason begins? Connor Hellebuyck isn't going anywhere. He's just completed the first year in his seven year, $8.5 million contract extension, is a finalist for the Hart Trophy, and will win the Vezina Trophy. Cheveldayoff called him 'the best goaltender in the world' twice on Wednesday. This is a franchise player. Advertisement Mark Scheifele isn't going anywhere, either, nor is anybody clamoring for it after the 87-point season he just had and the family tragedy he played through in Game 6. His contract matches Hellebuyck's — they're the two pillars upon which this contention window is built — and the Jets are fortunate that both were signed before the salary cap started to skyrocket. Josh Morrissey will receive Norris Trophy votes for the third straight season while earning a $6.25 million AAV. His decision to frame his struggle with his dad's death as a lesson to help him be there for Scheifele is one of the most striking bits of humanity of the Jets' season. He's the heart of the Jets defensive group. Cole Perfetti is tracking to move from this group into the core; he hit 50 points as a 22-year-old and should see his minutes increase next season. He should be first in line for top power play minutes if Ehlers signs elsewhere, while continuing to grow at even strength. His $3.25 million bridge deal has been great short-term value for the Jets; his next contract will ideally be long-term and will cost more now that he's proven himself than it would have last summer. Neal Pionk just signed a six-year contract extension and it's clear the Jets are invested in him as a person and part of their leadership group. He deserves credit for an epic, 46-minute performance in Game 7 against St. Louis after Morrissey was hurt. There's a chance that his $7.0 million cap hit ages poorly; this depends on his performance, health, and the degree to which the cap increases to mitigate age-related decline. He'll be 30 this summer, though, and he's a big part of this team. Dylan DeMelo has three years left on the $4.9 million AAV contract he signed last summer. He showed his first real signs of wobbling in a top four role alongside Morrissey this season, but the chemistry continues to produce positive regular-season results. It's starting to look more and more like Winnipeg needs a more Byfuglien-esque version of a No. 1 RD to partner with Morrissey; even if it found such a player, DeMelo would be valuable further down the depth chart. Advertisement Alex Iafallo has bought in to Winnipeg as a team and as a place to play, signing a three year, $3.67 million contract that could see him elevated from the fourth line — particularly if the Jets are willing to let Mason Appleton, Brandon Tanev, or both hit free agency. Nino Niederreiter was the first non-core player to extend in Winnipeg following the matching Hellebuyck and Scheifele extensions. His $4.0 million AAV contract has two years left on it. If that seems expensive, consider that Lowry's shutdown line has excelled since Niederreiter's 2023 arrival bumped inferior competition like Saku Maenalanen, Karson Kuhlman, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and Jansen Harkins from the role. Vladislav Namestnikov's $3.0 million AAV contract was the first of three end-of-season extensions, followed by Iafallo and Pionk. That's an excellent price point for a versatile player who is often listed as Winnipeg's No. 2 centreman. Will the Jets try to upgrade down the middle again? Yes. If they succeed, Namestnikov will have no trouble finding a different useful role. Adam Lowry told us that he sees himself as a lifelong Jet and Cheveldayoff said the organization is on board. Cheveldayoff also shared that, when he called Lowry to talk about his last extension, it was about a week before the 2021 trade deadline and he accidentally spooked Lowry with the timing: 'He thought he was getting traded.' Cheveldayoff said he and Lowry were laughing about it on Wednesday, with the GM promising not to put Lowry through a similar scare this time around. Kyle Connor's $7.1 million contract comes to an end next summer. His next contract is a massive priority for the Jets. Assuming Connor signs an extension before next year at this time, he'll automatically become the highest-paid Jets player. There's risk here, given that Connor turns 29 this December, but 90-plus point players who love Manitoba's outdoors are a rarity in the NHL. The Jets value Connor and will do everything in their power to sign him. 'I know how this world works,' Ehlers told The Athletic earlier this season. 'Everyone wants answers and I get that.' What he didn't do was tip his hand as to his future plans. Questions about his contract were met with uncertainty, while questions about the bonds he's formed in Winnipeg were met with love. Advertisement 'Ask the retired guys, you know what I mean? They may not miss the hockey part so much when they retire — it's the guys,' Ehlers said. 'It's going to the rink, hanging out with the guys, and shooting the s—. You grind for so long to get to the same thing. There's guys here that we've been trying to win the Stanley Cup for the Winnipeg Jets for nine years. So yes. You do create a special bond with the guys that sit in here and go through the same things on and off the ice and that's something that lasts for a long time.' What does it all mean? Some of the conversations that determine whether he's a Jet 'for life' as Cheveldayoff said — or a free agent — will happen after he's done at the World Championships. If I'm guessing, I think that a team that can offer Ehlers a bigger role on the ice — perhaps a bigger, Eastern Conference metropolis — will have the best shot at signing him when all is said and done. He played low-end second-line minutes (or high-end third-line minutes, depending on where you set the boundaries) and I wonder if he'll want more than that while his production is still worthy of it. It's too soon to be sure, though — and it was clearly a special year in Winnipeg. Dylan Samberg has turned himself into a cornerstone of Winnipeg's defence corps. He'll be back. The only questions are about dollars and term — and whether Samberg's goal is multiple cracks at UFA status or a longer-term deal that maximizes stability. He wasn't interested in detailing his hopes when speaking to reporters on Wednesday but I fully anticipate a multi-year contract extension. Note that Samberg could theoretically become a UFA as soon as July 1 of next summer — he has more leverage than might be expected for a player with one year of top four experience. Gabriel Vilardi isn't eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2027. This opens the door for a one-year contract as well as long term options. He's due for a sizable raise regardless of term but Vilardi is a big part of Winnipeg's future. In both cases, Cheveldayoff was more excited about the players' development than worried about their contract. 'That's going to take care of itself,' he said of negotiations. 'We'll find a way to find common ground.' Advertisement Morgan Barron played his way into the fourth-line centre job in the wake of Rasmus Kupari's concussion. I think the Jets are hoping Barron can grow beyond that role, perhaps inspired by the power forward type goals he started to score at the end of the season. Kupari told The Athletic on Wednesday that his concussion recovery was a slower process than he'd anticipated. It sounded as though he's done a good job of listening to his body, managing symptoms, and making the right choices to make a full recovery. He will be keen to consolidate the step forward he took this season. Barron and Kupari are each eligible for arbitration this summer. That said, their limited offensive numbers make it hard to imagine a case for a substantial raise. Mason Appleton scored 22 points in 71 games. He's been a dogged part of Winnipeg's shutdown line, helping it achieve dominant flow of play numbers since Niederreiter's arrival. He sounded hopeful that a contract would get done, although conversations between his agent and the Jets haven't started in earnest the way they have for other players. I wonder if he's a player the Jets would like to bring back, but not at the $3.25 million or $4.0 million prices of his linemates. Brandon Tanev was fun to watch but didn't score or control the flow of play in concert with his $3.5 million contract. Like Appleton, I could see the Jets being interested but not at a price that brings him close to Lowry or Niederreiter's AAV. Having said that, there's also a chance that Winnipeg is so entrenched in its win-now mode that veterans like Appleton and Tanev are more appealing to them than opportunities for Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and the next generation. Dominic Toninato won't be in line for a substantial raise from the $775,000 contract he's just finished; he's been a great fit in his role playing in the AHL and NHL as needed, though, and I could see him signing in Winnipeg once again. Haydn Fleury signed with Winnipeg in part because the Jets and Moose share a city. He then took his opportunity and ran with it out of training camp, earning third pairing minutes, getting promoted beyond his reach when Samberg was hurt, and then showing well when added to Winnipeg's playoff lineup. That's a good addition to Fleury's resume and should see him earn an everyday job somewhere in the NHL. He said he'd love to say in Winnipeg; if the Jets are interested in that, they might have to work to create room or run the risk of losing multiple defencemen to waivers. Advertisement Chris Driedger could be a good option to insulate Thomas Milic and Dom DiVincentiis in the AHL if the Jets still expect they need one. He enjoyed his hometown return. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby didn't get into an NHL game this season. I wonder about a return to Sweden; I'm not sure what his future holds. Luke Schenn has one more year left on his contract. Schenn spoke openly about how hard it was to be away from his wife and three kids, who stayed behind in Nashville when the Jets acquired him. Winnipeg did its part, allowing him to leave the team to be with his family during off days. Assuming he's back next season, one hopes for a more sustainable arrangement; Schenn's family is clearly his No. 1 priority. Colin Miller is the player whose minutes Schenn largely took. Miller's underlying numbers were superior to Schenn's, while the Jets performed better on the scoreboard in Miller's minutes than they did with Schenn on the ice. He'll be back to compete for the third pairing job one more time. Logan Stanley has one more year left on his $1.25 million AAV contract before UFA eligibility next summer. Based on this season's usage, Stanley is first in line for the job at third pairing left defence. Ville Heinola could theoretically offer competition for that job, depending on his health and Winnipeg's roster construction, but Heinola only played in two games after the 4 Nations break and seven in 2025. Eric Comrie is an ideal fit as Hellebuyck's backup. Their friendship is strong, their working relationship is strong, and the Jets were pleased with Comrie's .914 save percentage in 20 regular-season games. David Gustafsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan combined for what was very briefly an important goal against St. Louis in Game 3 of the first round. They'll be in the mix for fourth line jobs next season, depending on what happens further up the depth chart. Winnipeg's prospects are in tough to make next year's team, barring dramatic steps forward or spectacular training camp performances. Advertisement Elias Salomonsson is Winnipeg's top prospect. He is in tough to win an NHL job, with DeMelo, Pionk, Schenn, and Miller slotted ahead of him on the right side; he'll turn 21 this August and has two years left on his ELC. Brad Lambert struggled to produce AHL offence last season — a fact true for every Moose but worrisome for an offence-first speedster with Lambert's skills. It seems worth tempering expectations about the nature of NHL impact he could make if he earns a Jets job this fall. Brayden Yager is likely Moose-bound and may have surpassed Lambert as Winnipeg's top forward prospect; it would be exciting to see them play on the same line at any level. Nikita Chibrikov has the most NHL-ready game of Winnipeg's forward prospects but his season ended early due to a lower-body injury. Colby Barlow redeemed an underwhelming OHL season with a dominant playoff performance, scoring 33 points in 21 games. He'll likely head to Manitoba to start his pro career. (Top photo of Nikolaj Ehlers: Derek Cain / Getty Images)
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Jets deserve praise, but must keep pushing forward this offseason
The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents' Trophy while setting a franchise record for most points in a season. They did not make it to the Western Conference final. Their offseason begins where those two facts intersect. There are decisions for the team and players to make this offseason that will have far-reaching impacts. Nikolaj Ehlers' uncertain UFA future is the most urgent, while Dylan Samberg and Gabriel Vilardi's next contracts will help determine Winnipeg's ability to keep the momentum going. Advertisement This year's Jets were a special team, worth celebrating — and they have work to do to keep pushing forward. Resting on their laurels, even after the best season in franchise history, would come at next year's peril. Today, we break down the most important decisions of Winnipeg's offseason. First, though, a quick look at one area to celebrate and another that needs improvement. Apologies in advance: This section takes a Toronto Maple Leafs storyline and makes it about Winnipeg. When Leafs captain Auston Matthews criticized Toronto's Game 7 performance, saying the team had too many passengers for a game that big, I thought about the Jets. Not only did the Jets show up for each other in their biggest games of the playoffs — Game 7 against St. Louis, Game 5 and Game 6 against Dallas — Matthews' words made me consider what Adam Lowry might have said in the same moment. Lowry would not have called out his teammates without calling himself out first. More likely, he would have called himself out in specific terms, while keeping criticism of anybody else's performance to himself. We saw it when the Jets crashed and burned against Colorado in five games last year — Lowry took personal responsibility for his line giving up three goals to Nathan MacKinnon. His critique of the team's play was couched with the pronoun 'we.' They're different franchises with different histories and different paths to their second-round exits. It may not be fair to compare. But Lowry's leadership style was apparent during his postgame press conference in Dallas. He was emotional, but mature. When he spoke, he put his teammates above himself. 'We're a family,' Lowry said, fighting back tears. 'You want to give (Mark Scheifele) the strength. You want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn't do it.' Advertisement Matthews is one of the best players in the world. This is not meant to criticize him from thousands of kilometres away. But his comments are a reminder that Jets leadership is in exactly the right place, the result of a process begun by Rick Bowness and continued by Scott Arniel. Rewind the calendar by a year. Focus only on the Jets' critics and it's clear: There's no way a season like this one should have been possible. No division title, no Presidents' Trophy, no William Jennings Trophy, no finalists for the Vezina Trophy, Hart Trophy, or Jack Adams Award. If you had only believed the angriest Jets critics, the team was broken and needed to be rebuilt. There was one thing they were right about, though. Winnipeg's special teams had glaring issues. The power play and penalty kill combined to cost a 110-point team the 2024 division title, leading to a first-round matchup with Colorado, where the 62.5 percent penalty kill helped sink the series. This season, assistant coach Dean Chynoweth improved the penalty kill (slightly) while assistant coach Davis Payne's power play became the team's biggest improvement. Sometimes it's wise to listen to squeaky wheels. It's time to listen to the critics about one more thing. The Jets gave up a ton of goals through traffic these playoffs (again) and, based on roster construction, it's unclear how Winnipeg is meant to win the battle for the middle of the ice. Whether you blame Connor Hellebuyck for the goals against, the Jets defenders or both, the playbook to beat Winnipeg in the playoffs depends on beating the Jets in traffic and taking away Hellebuyck's sightlines. Put enough goals past him, and he can get rattled. Hellebuyck recovered from a miserable series against St. Louis to allow 13 goals in six games against Dallas, which will build confidence heading into future playoffs. Still, the Jets have long-term commitments to three very smart but undersized top-four defencemen in Josh Morrissey, Pionk and Dylan DeMelo. Bigger third-pairing defencemen like Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn and Colin Miller come with limitations. It's hard to see an immediate path to a solution. Advertisement They're not moving the franchise goaltender. They're locked in on their top four defencemen, with a Samberg extension one of their top offseason priorities. Somehow, some way, the Jets are going to need to improve on this front — and probably faster than highly touted prospect Elias Salomonsson can make happen. Winnipeg would ideally clone Samberg — perhaps making a right-handed version — but will have to settle for signing the 26-year-old defenceman as a restricted free agent. Samberg's contract will be at or near the top of Winnipeg's offseason priorities and I fully expect the Jets to sign him to a long-term deal. Gabriel Vilardi's power-play production cooled off at the end of the season and during the playoffs, but he still posted 61 points in 71 games heading into this summer's negotiations. Vilardi, Samberg, and Winnipeg's other restricted free agents — Morgan Barron and Rasmus Kupari — all have arbitration rights and I wouldn't be surprised to see one or more of them file, even if they don't make it to a hearing. It would make them ineligible for offer sheets, ensuring a Jets contract for next season, then create a bit of deadline pressure once the hearing dates are announced. Nikolaj Ehlers' future is the biggest question mark. There's a sense he's inclined to explore the UFA market after 10 years in Winnipeg. Could the Jets' playoff run, his success during that run and a year's worth of top power play time renew Ehlers' optimism about an extension? Or did playing fewer minutes than Mason Appleton in Game 6 renew angst about ice time and usage? Ehlers played the ninth-most five-on-five minutes per game among Jets forwards in the regular season, and again in the playoffs. Ehlers deflected questions about his future during the regular season while declaring his love for Winnipeg, his teammates and Jets fans. Now, with his intention to make it to the World Championships in time to play for Denmark on Tuesday, it seems he won't speak at exit interviews, either. Beyond Ehlers, Samberg and Vilardi, one expects straightforward negotiations with RFAs Barron and Kupari. Winnipeg's other unrestricted free agents include Appleton, Brandon Tanev, Dominic Toninato, Haydn Fleury, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Dylan Coghlan and Chris Driedger. Ehlers' absence leaves a gaping hole in Winnipeg's projected lineup, with a ripple effect that puts Lowry's shutdown line at risk. This Jets lineup would have ample cap space, regardless of how much is allocated to Vilardi and Samberg, and could probably afford Ehlers' next deal if they believe there's a fit. One also expects Winnipeg to be at the front of the line if the 37-year-old Jonathan Toews' comeback goes well, but we'll save UFA discussion for another piece. (Photo of Adam Lowry celebrating the series-winning goal against St. Louis: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jets and Stars meet in second round of NHL playoffs after both had epic Game 7 rallies to advance
There was that natural inclination for Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer to start paying more attention to St. Louis while watching the game that would determine who his team would play next in the NHL playoffs. But he never really started preparing for the Blues, even as they had a multigoal lead over Winnipeg much of that game. 'That would have been a mistake,' DeBoer said Tuesday. 'Just like, you know, whoever was watching our game with Colorado.' Dallas will instead play the top-seeded Jets after both teams had epic Game 7 rallies at home by overcoming two-goal deficits the third period. Now the teams that finished 1-2 in the Central Division, and have never met in the postseason before, open the second round Wednesday night in Canada. Winnipeg scored twice in the final 1:56 of regulation against St Louis, tying the game with 1.6 seconds left and winning 4-3 when Adam Lowry scored 16:10 into the second overtime late Sunday night. 'I think we can ride the momentum from the last series win, but at the same time, reset and get ready for a new challenge with Dallas,' Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg said. The Stars trailed Colorado 2-0 in the third period, but rode Mikko Rantanen's four-point period that included a hat trick against his former team to win 4-2. He had 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the last three games of that series. 'When your life flashes before your eyes like it did the last 10 minutes of that Game 7 the other night, when you get that close to your season ending, I think you appreciate every day you can come to work,' DeBoer said. 'Those are always emotional wins, and we both had them. It's how do you recover from that quickly and get reengaged in the next series. I'm sure both teams are talking about that.' The goalies Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck , one of three finalists to win the top goalie award again this season, has been at his best against the Stars. Winnipeg was 3-1 this season against Dallas, while Hellebuyck had a .965 save percentage, stopping 109 of 113 shots for a 1.01 goals against average. His Game 7 win came after the Jets failed to get past the first round the last two seasons after not even making the playoffs in 2022. He gave up 16 goals in three road games against the Blues, but only 10 in four at home. 'At this point, the pressure has kind of fallen off. The weight of the world is off my shoulders. And that had nothing to do with anyone else. It's just the mental grind of that series,' Hellebuyck said Tuesday. 'That being said, in that moment it was a second chance for me. I just had to go and play my game and do what I do best.' Hellebuyck is 22-30 in his 52 career playoff games, with a .902 save percentage and 2.98 GAA. Jake Oettinger, the 26-year-old Stars goalie who backed up Hellebuyck for Team USA in the 4 Nations tournament this year, has a better playoff record at 27-25. He has a .915 save percentage and 2.52 GAA in 54 playoff games. 'You always want to play against the best goalies in the world,' Oettinger said. 'This is going to be a great series. Goals aren't going to be easy to come by for us.' Game 1 struggles The Stars have lost eight consecutive series openers in the NHL playoffs since 2022, including all seven under DeBoer after a 5-1 loss in Game 1 to the Avs. 'Well, we're going on the road,' DeBoer said when asked if there was anything he could do to try to change that trend. 'Other than that, not really. There's only so much you can do. I like our preparation. The way we prepare for a Game 7 is the same way we prepare for a Game 1.' Six of Dallas' seven Game 1s under DeBoer have been at home. So have all three Game 7s, like Saturday against the Avs that made DeBoer 9-0 — the most wins by any NHL coach or player in such games. Hurting key players Top centers and top defensemen are hurting for both teams. Winnipeg's center Mark Schiefele didn't play the last two games of the first round after exiting early in Game 5 with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Josh Morrissey then got hurt two minutes into Game 7. Jets coach Scott Arniel said Tuesday that both would be game-time decisions. Dallas has been without top goal scorer Jason Robertson, who got hurt in the regular-season finale, and defenseman Miro Heiskanen since late January. Both have lower-body injuries. Robertson skated with a line in practice Tuesday, and DeBoer said his availability would depend on how he feels Wednesday. Heiskanen could return later in the series. Bones connection Rick Bowness was on an NHL bench as a head coach or an assistant for a record 2,726 regular-season games over 38 seasons. The last two teams he coached were the Stars (2019-22) and the Jets (2022-24), making him the predecessor to DeBoer and Arniel. Bowness, now 70, was 89-62-25 in Dallas and took the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in the Canadian bubble during the pandemic-impacted 2020 playoffs. He was 98-57-9 and made the playoffs each of the past two seasons in Winnipeg before retiring . ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Winnipeg Free Press
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets need to step up, shake off ghosts ahead of Game 7
One winner-take-all game to define a series. For these Winnipeg Jets, it can be as simple as that. But when it comes to the Jets, it's rarely simple or straightforward. St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) battles Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg (54) in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck Friday. (Jeff Le / The Asscoiated Press) When you consider the complexities that have followed this franchise around since the magic carpet ride of 2018 to the Western Conference final, a victory on Sunday night in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues isn't going to be enough to wash away all of the painful memories that have occurred. But that's not a burden this edition of the Jets needs to concern themselves with. For a group that has prided itself on having a singular focus ever since showing up at training camp, the blinders must be on completely. There can be no concerns about a 5-2 defeat in Game 6 at Enterprise Center, just like there can be no thoughts or worries about first-round exits to the Colorado Avalanche in 2024 or the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. Of course there are lessons to be learned from each of those experiences both past and present, but the Jets will do their review and then shift focus to the one-game showdown with those plucky Blues — yes, those same Blues that started this cycle of misery back in the playoffs in 2019 when Winnipeg was sent packing in six games. Enough about those playoff ghosts, at least for the time being. This is about the present, a present that provides the Jets with a glorious opportunity to win a game and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2021 when they swept the Edmonton Oilers. As rough as things went for the Jets in Missouri — where the Blues have now won 15 consecutive games and piled up 17 goals in three games this series alone — they've been rock-solid on home ice. 'We know what we're capable of. We know what kind of team we are,' said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. 'We know when we play a 60-minute game, we're dominant. It's win or go home next game. So we know what we have to do and we're going to have that same mindset that we did going into Game 5.' Going into the series, we heard Jets' players and head coach Scott Arniel talk about the importance of having last change and they've taken advantage of it on three separate occasions already at Canada Life Centre. Can they make it a fourth? They've got no choice, at least not if they don't want to face another long and arduous off-season of disappointment and questions. 'For us, when we play close to complete games, we're a tough team to beat,' Arniel told reporters in St. Louis at the podium after Game 6. 'We've done it three times in this series and we're going to have to do it four.' There will be ample time to sift through the bigger-picture questions, no matter how things turn out on Sunday night. On the smaller scale, the Jets must quickly answer if it will be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde who shows up for the deciding game? This is a group that can't afford the lapses which were so prevalent in those three road games, where a series of self-inflicted wounds caused a combination of unravelling and implosion — words that rarely equate to post-season success. Both of those things are uncharacteristic for a team that captured the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season and the William Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL for a second consecutive campaign. There have been signs of that group at various points in this highly-competitive, highly-entertaining and hard-hitting series with a Central Division rival. Long stretches of stifling defensive play have given way to poor puck management and defensive-zone lapses. Somehow, the NHLs most consistent team for 82 games has been all over the map over the course of the past six games. This isn't about finger-pointing or the blame game, but there are some critical areas the Jets are going to need to excel at in order for them to get a shot at either the Dallas Stars or the Colorado Avalanche, depending on who wins the first Game 7 of these playoffs. At the top of that list is a return to form for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who got the hook for a third time in six games after avoiding being pulled for multiple seasons. Hellebuyck doesn't need to put on that Superman cape or put the team on his back and carry them through. What Hellebuyck does need to do is to give his team a chance to win. He needs to battle through screens and make the routine saves when those shots come his way. He's now made a pair of paddle saves that will be shown on highlight reels to come — one on Oskar Sundqvist in Game 5 and another on Jimmy Snuggerud in Game 6 before the four goals in just over five-minute onslaught in the second period that pushed this series to the limit. Arniel was quick to defend his goalie in his post-season media availability and there's no doubt the vote of confidence he offered comes right from the heart. Hellebuyck has been the backbone of this team for years and the ugly stat line (23 goals allowed, a 4.42 goals-against average and .815 save percentage) won't mean a thing if he helps the Jets move on. Just as Hellebuyck needs to find another level, the Jets will need a massive effort from the entire group. It will need to be a passenger-free zone and some of the Jets' game-breakers need to deliver in the clutch. With top centre Mark Scheifele likely out of Game 7 with an undisclosed injury, top scorer Kyle Connor needs another top-notch effort. In three prior home games, all he's done is deliver a pair of game-winning goals (in Games 1 and 2) while setting up Vladislav Namestnikov's GWG in Game 5 and notching seven of his nine points this series. What will Connor do for an encore? What can Nikolaj Ehlers do in his second game back from injury — or Gabe Vilardi in his third? The secondary scoring has increased and the Jets picked a good time to get their special teams on track. Morgan Barron has found another level and while a coach's challenge for offside wiped out his first Stanley Cup playoff goal, it doesn't take away from the brilliant play he made and finish he provided to beat Jordan Binnington high to the blocker side on a shot that would have tied the game. Whether you're a scorer, a grinder or fit somewhere in between, Arniel is asking for more from everyone in Game 7. On the back end, the Jets need a determined effort and they're likely going to need a signature moment from Josh Morrissey as well. Morrissey has taken a physical pounding in this series and he's playing extremely hard, but the Blues have limited him to just three assists (with two coming in a 5-3 win in Game 1 and one coming in Game 6 on Perfetti's power-play maker) so far. Morrissey has game-changing ability, thanks to his combination of smooth skating and offensive instincts while also serving as a high-end defender. Morrissey's emotional response at the conclusion of the Game 5 loss to the Avalanche seems prescient right now, even after being uttered just over one year ago. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'It feels like a missed opportunity,' Morrissey said at the time. 'But, the only way that there is any good from this is that we learn from it and we actually look at how we can improve as individuals and as a group. Because, they brought that Stanley Cup-winning class to this series, and we didn't return it for three or four of those games. 'We have levels that we need to find this off-season. I hope it stings for all of us into the summer and we use it as motivation.' The time to find those levels is now. X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld Ken WiebeReporter Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken. Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
