Archives for February 2025

Sharks Activate Nico Sturm Off IR

February 22, 2025 at 3:24 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Sharks will welcome back one of their regular centers (and best trade chips) to their lineup tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that Nico Sturm has been activated off injured reserve. San Jose had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.

The 29-year-old has been out for a little more than a month due to a lower-body injury. So far this season, Sturm has been relatively quiet offensively, notching just 11 points in 41 games. After recording a career-high 26 points in his first season with San Jose, Sturm has only recorded 24 points in the two years since then combined.

However, he has won over 63% of his faceoffs, the second straight season over that mark. That will be particularly intriguing to quite a few contenders looking to shore up their center depth and help their fortunes at the dot as he is one of the top rentals available on the draw. The last time Sturm was in this situation back in 2022, he wound up being moved to Colorado and won a Stanley Cup with the Avs.

Sturm is in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $2MM price tag, a cap charge that a lot of playoff teams should be able to fit in. That’s particularly noteworthy since the Sharks have maxed out their retention slots so they are unable to pay down that cap charge. As long as Sturm can show that there are no lingering effects from the injury, he should have several trade suitors between now and the March 7th trade deadline.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Montreal Canadiens

February 22, 2025 at 2:11 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens

Current Cap Hit: $90,661,575 (over the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

G Jakub Dobes (one year, $925K)
D Kaiden Guhle (one year, $863.3K)
F Emil Heineman (one year, $897.5K)
D Lane Hutson (two years, $950K)
F Juraj Slafkovsky (one year, $950K)
D Jayden Struble (one year, $867.5K)

Potential Bonuses
Guhle: $420K
Hutson: $750K
Slafkovsky: $3.5MM
Struble: $57.5K
Total: $4.7275MM

Slafkovsky has already signed an extension so we’ll just look at the bonuses here. The $2.5MM in ‘B’ bonuses aren’t going to happen but he also has four ‘A’ bonuses worth $250K apiece. He’s on his way to getting one for ATOI while another for assists is within reach. Heineman is in his first full NHL season and was off to a good start before being struck by a car while in Utah. With limited experience (less than 50 games thus far), it’s hard to see him landing a long-term deal. Instead, a two-year bridge deal around the $1.5MM to $1.75MM range might be where his next contract lands.

Hutson has been quite impressive in his freshman year, leading all rookies in scoring, making him a Calder Trophy contender in the process. He’s tracking to hit his three ‘A’ bonuses; he already has reached ones for assists and points while ATOI is all but a lock at this point as well. Meanwhile, he seems like a strong candidate to be the next Montreal youngster to bypass a short-term second deal in favor of a long-term pact. In recent years, the team has effectively operated within an internal cap, trying to keep all contracts below that of their captain. However, with the big jumps coming to the Upper Limit, that might be harder to do with Hutson who could be heading for something in the $8.5MM range unless the Canadiens opt for less than a max-term contract.

Like Slafkovsky, Guhle has already signed his next contract so we’ll only look at the bonuses here. He’s on pace to hit both of his ‘A’ bonuses with ATOI and plus/minus although if his recent injury keeps him out for the rest of the season, he could get passed for the latter. Struble, meanwhile, has been the seventh defender for most of the year but is no longer waiver-exempt, leading to a less-than-optimal situation. With the limited usage, a bridge deal is all but a certainty; whether it’s a one or two-year pact is the only question. A one-year might check in around the $1MM mark while a two-year agreement could be closer to $1.3MM. Meanwhile, his bonuses are games played-based so while he won’t max out on those, he could still get a bit of that. At the moment, Montreal is tracking toward having at least $1.42MM in reached bonuses, a number that would be charged against next year’s cap unless they can get out of LTIR and bank that much in cap room by the end of the season.

Dobes took over as Montreal’s backup goaltender after the holiday break and impressed early on before struggling in recent weeks. If the Canadiens are prepared to commit to him as the full-time backup, his bridge deal could check in around $1.25MM but a one-year pact worth closer to his $874K qualifying offer could also happen if they envision him being back in the minors next season.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Joel Armia ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Christian Dvorak ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Jake Evans ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Michael Pezzetta ($812.5K, UFA)
G Cayden Primeau ($890K, RFA)
D David Savard ($3.5MM, UFA)

Dvorak was acquired to be an impactful center, being acquired less than an hour after the team declined to match Carolina’s offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. However, his role has become more and more limited as has his offensive production. He’ll still generate interest on the open market this summer but it’ll be as a bottom-six faceoff specialist, putting his possible price tag around half of what it is now. Armia cleared waivers last year but has rebuilt some of his value since then as a double-digit scorer and penalty killer. Matching this money might be tough to do but he could still get a multi-year deal somewhere close to that price point.

Evans, on the other hand, has seen his market value go up considerably this season. He’s the most-used forward on the penalty kill in the NHL this season while he’s on the verge of setting new career highs offensively and should surpass the 30-point mark. Given the high demand for centers, doubling this price tag is very realistic, if not a bit more. Pezzetta, meanwhile, has been a frequent healthy scratch this year and played very limited minutes when he has played. It’s hard to see him landing a raise; a drop to the league minimum seems more likely.

Savard has seen his playing time drop considerably this year as he has become more of a third-pairing option at five-on-five. While he’ll still generate interest as a veteran who can kill penalties and provide some edge, it would be surprising to see him get this much on the open market this summer. A two-year deal could still be doable, however, but it’s more likely to start with a two.

Primeau started the season as Montreal’s backup but lost the job at the holiday break. However, he has played quite well in the minors since then and could get another look with the Canadiens over the next couple of months. Owed a $1.068MM qualifying offer, he’s probably heading for non-tender territory unless the two sides can agree on a new deal before the end of June.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Kirby Dach ($3.363MM, RFA)
F Patrik Laine ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Mike Matheson ($4.875MM, UFA)
G Carey Price ($10.5MM, UFA)
D Arber Xhekaj ($1.3MM, RFA)

Columbus had to part with a second-rounder to offload Laine’s contract in full to Montreal (while receiving depth defender Jordan Harris in return). He has been quite streaky in limited action since returning from a knee injury and certainly hasn’t rebuilt his value to the point where it could be suggested that he’s in line for an extension anywhere near this cost. There’s a lot riding on how things go next year to see what type of contract he could realistically command. Dach missed almost all of last season due to injury and hasn’t been able to show much this year. Notably, he’ll be owed a $4MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in the 2026 offseason but right now, his play likely doesn’t warrant that cost. It wouldn’t be shocking if the two sides ultimately work out a short-term agreement before then, buying some more evaluation time.

Matheson had a breakout year last season, finishing in the top ten in scoring among all NHL defensemen. Had that continued, he could have been eyeing a long-term deal with a raise of several million per year. That hasn’t been the case, however, and with Hutson in the fold, Matheson’s offensive opportunities have dried up to a point. Even so, he could plausibly command in the $7MM range on the open market in 2026. Xhekaj took a bridge contract after having a limited role in his first couple of NHL seasons. Not much has changed on that front so another shorter-term agreement appears likely at this point, one that should push past $2MM with arbitration rights.

Price hasn’t played since 2022 when he suited up five times down the stretch of that season and isn’t expected to play again. Since then, he has been on LTIR. Notably, his base salary for 2025-26 is just $2MM (with insurance covering a big part of that) so after his $5.5MM signing bonus is paid on July 1st this summer, it’s possible he’s flipped with another asset to a team with plenty of cap room to allow the Canadiens to exit LTIR.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Josh Anderson ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Alexandre Carrier ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Brendan Gallagher ($6.5MM, UFA)
G Sam Montembeault ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Alex Newhook ($2.9MM, RFA)

Gallagher has been a regular in Montreal’s lineup for 13 years now but his production and role have taken a dip the last few seasons. While he was a 30-goal scorer a couple of times, his output is closer to 30 points now which is far from a good return on their investment. If the Canadiens decide they need some extra cap room, he could be a buyout candidate. Anderson is also underperforming relative to his contract. He has become more of a checker this season compared to the past and has held his own in that role. Still, someone in that role should be making a couple million less at least although his size and physicality will give him a stronger market in 2027.

Newhook had a good first season with Montreal, setting a new benchmark in points despite missing 27 games due to injury. But things haven’t gone quite as well this season with his output cut in half. Notably, unlike Dach, Newhook’s qualifying offer checks in at just $2.1MM (with arbitration rights) so even if his struggles continue for the next couple of years, it won’t be too risky to tender him in 2027.

Carrier was acquired earlier this season for Justin Barron with Montreal deciding that another veteran on the back end was needed. He has fared better since the swap and has locked down a spot in their top four. He likely would have ended up with a deal like this had he tested the market and not re-signed with Nashville last summer but barring an uptick in production, his next deal shouldn’t cost too much more than this.

Montembeault has come a long way from being a short-term waiver claim to cover until Price returns, moving from a backup role to a platoon piece to now Montreal’s starter. He’s in that role while being at the price point of a platoon player. His numbers have largely been mediocre but playing behind an inexperienced back end probably hasn’t helped. Over the course of this deal, he needs to show if he can be a true number one. Otherwise, he’s likely to stay closer to this price tag on his next contract.

Signed Through 2027-28 Or Longer

F Cole Caufield ($7.85MM through 2030-31)
D Kaiden Guhle ($5.55MM from 2025-26 through 2030-31)
F Juraj Slafkovsky ($7.6MM from 2025-26 through 2032-33)
F Nick Suzuki ($7.875MM through 2029-30)

Suzuki was signed to this contract by former GM Marc Bergevin but current GM Kent Hughes has used it as the yardstick in negotiations for players he has signed with Caufield and Slafkovsky not coincidentally signing for just below that. The captain hasn’t been able to produce as a top-end player just yet but a solid all-around game has eased some of the questions of whether he’s a true top-32 center across the league. Having a player like that locked up long-term at a price tag that should become more team-friendly in the coming years will certainly help although because of the pending jump in the cap, it’s going to be difficult for that to be the benchmark for much longer.

Caufield has become one of Montreal’s top scoring threats but still has yet to clear the 30-goal plateau so from a production standpoint, the early returns on this deal suggest the price tag is a bit high. But considering he’s only 24 and is showing year-to-year improvement, the pendulum should shift the other way in the next year or so. It will probably take longer for that to be the case for Slafkovsky, however. A strong second half last season that saw him lock down a spot on the top line helped earn him this contract but he has taken a step back this year where his production has been more at the level of a second-liner or a higher-end third-liner. Still just 20, it’s fair to say there’s an expectation of improvement but it may take a few years for him to get to the level where this becomes more of a club-friendly pact.

Unlike the three forwards, Guhle didn’t receive a max-term contract for his extension. His contract only bought two extra years of club control but also helped to keep the AAV down. Guhle has been in Montreal’s top three since his rookie season and as long as he can stay healthy and in that role, they should get a decent return on this contract.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

G Jake Allen ($1.925MM in 2024-25)
D Jeff Petry ($2.344MM in 2024-25)

Best Value: (non-entry-level) Montembeault
Worst Value: Gallagher

Looking Ahead

While Montreal has ample LTIR space at its disposal, one of the questions heading into the upcoming trade deadline will be if they can get out of that. As noted earlier, they’re trending toward a seven-figure bonus carryover penalty for the third straight year and this would be the highest one yet. If they can move most of their expiring contracts, they might be able to at least get out of it and absorb some of that cost this season. As far as 2024-25 goes, that’s what to watch for.

Looking to next year, they have a little over $80MM in commitments although that includes Price. If he’s still around, they could stay in LTIR or if they can offload the contract, they’ll have a lot more flexibility. They have seven or eight players that need to be signed with their roughly $15MM in current cap room, including filling several spots that will be vacated by the veterans on expiring contracts so next summer might not be the one where they try to make a splash. They’ll have more than $50MM in space the following offseason and while a new deal for Hutson will take up a fair-sized chunk, that looks like the summer where they can try to flip the switch and add a core piece or two.

Photos courtesy of Imagn Images.

Tampa Bay Lightning Assign Jesse Ylönen To AHL

February 22, 2025 at 2:03 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

Saturday: It turned out to be a one-and-done recall for Ylönen as a day after being recalled, the Lightning announced that he has been sent back to Syracuse.

Friday: Ahead of their return to regular season hockey on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing a depth forward to the NHL level. The Lightning announced they’d recalled forward Jesse Ylönen from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he could debut with the team against the Seattle Kraken.

Still, there’s a decent chance Ylönen won’t debut either. Tampa Bay is likely without forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli due to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship contest yesterday so Ylönen may serve as a practice player for a day or two.

Ylönen signed a one-year, $775K contract with the Lightning last offseason after spending the first four years of his North American career in the Montreal Canadiens organization. The Scottsdale, AZ native scored 12 goals and 29 points in 112 games in Montreal including another 34 goals and 85 points in 120 games with their affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Due to the depth and health of their forward core, Tampa Bay hasn’t had much use for Ylönen at the NHL level this season. This has allowed him plenty of playing time with the Crunch, scoring eight goals and 25 points in 47 games. That offensive production is good for third in scoring on the team putting Ylönen 11 points shy of his career-high output in a lone AHL campaign.

Utah Hockey Club Assign Jaxson Stauber To AHL

February 22, 2025 at 1:23 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 1 Comment

Saturday: Stauber has been returned to the Roadrunners, per a team announcement. That means Ingram will be available to dress tonight versus Los Angeles.

Tuesday: According to the AHL transactions site, the Utah Hockey Club has recalled third-string netminder Jaxson Stauber from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The recall likely means that goaltender Connor Ingram hasn’t fully recovered from the upper-body injury suffered in the team’s last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

After taking a high shot from Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Ingram left the game after 12:38 of ice time. Utah’s head coach, André Tourigny didn’t provide any recovery timeline for Ingram other than saying, “No, I don’t know what his status is at this point. He will be evaluated, but we’ll see.”

Stauber has largely played in the AHL in his first year outside the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Still, he was recalled to the NHL in late November due to another upper-body injury to Ingram. Many of the starts went to Karel Vejmelka over that stretch but Stauber still managed a 2-1-1 record in four starts with a .925 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average.

That likely beat expectations that the Utah coaching staff had for Stauber considering his relatively modest production in AHL Tucson. Matt Villalta has been the primary starter for the Roadrunners this season but Stauber has still gotten involved in 14 contests. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native has secured an 8-5-2 record in those 14 games with a .901 SV% and 3.07 GAA.

Atlantic Notes: Tuch, Tkachuk, Canadiens

February 22, 2025 at 1:06 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 15 Comments

Sabres winger Alex Tuch has been involved in plenty of trade speculation lately with teams believed to be calling Buffalo to see if they might consider moving him. However, if he has his way, he won’t be going anywhere. Tuch told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News that he remains “heavily committed to this organization” and still hopes to be with the team past the upcoming trade deadline. The 28-year-old has 19 goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season on Buffalo’s top line and is only two years removed from a 79-point campaign. He’s one of their better bargains at a $4.75MM price tag which means that if the Sabres do decide to move him, they’ll be in line to land a significant return for his services. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the direction that Tuch would like to see things go.

Penguins Activate Evgeni Malkin, Assign Emil Bemstrom To AHL

February 22, 2025 at 11:53 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Penguins will welcome back a key veteran to their lineup today against Washington. The team announced (Twitter link) that center Evgeni Malkin has been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, winger Emil Bemstrom was sent down to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Malkin suffered a lower-body injury early in their game on January 25th and hasn’t played since. However, he was a full participant in practice in recent days which made this announcement an expected one.

The 38-year-old got off to a hot start to his season with 24 points in his first 27 games but has seen his production taper off since then with just 10 points in his last 20 outings. Nonetheless, the 19-year-veteran still is a key part of Pittsburgh’s attack, anchoring their second line while averaging over 18 minutes a night once again and ranks fifth on the team in scoring. With the Penguins entering play today six points out of the final Wild Card spot, they’ll need Malkin to get back to his early-season form if they have any hopes of a late push to get back into the playoff picture.

As for Bemstrom, he has only played in two games with Pittsburgh this season on his two recalls, something that probably wasn’t expected after he played a regular role down the stretch last season after being acquired from Columbus. He’s having a strong year in the minors, however, as he has 20 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Bemstrom will now return to a prominent role with them while hoping that his scoring prowess down there will earn him another look at some point.

Blackhawks Place Jason Dickinson On IR, Assign Louis Crevier To AHL

February 22, 2025 at 11:22 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Blackhawks have made some roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Columbus. The team announced that defenseman Louis Crevier was activated off injured reserve and was assigned to AHL Rockford. The team also placed center Jason Dickinson on IR.

Crevier has spent time with both the Blackhawks and IceHogs this season but the bulk of his time has been spent with Chicago. He has one assist in 11 games with Rockford while suiting up in 23 NHL contests where he has three goals and an assist along with 34 blocks and 47 hits in 17:48 of playing time. He last played on February 1st before suffering a concussion so the assignment to the minors will give him some time to get back to form before likely being recalled for the stretch run.

As for Dickinson, he has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on February 5th so his placement on IR should come as no surprise. Assuming it’s back-dated, he’ll have already missed enough time and thus can be activated as soon as he’s cleared. The 29-year-old hasn’t been able to duplicate his breakout performance from last season which saw him score 22 goals but he has 16 points in 53 games in just under 16 minutes a night of playing time.

With these roster moves, Chicago now has two open roster spots and only the minimum number of healthy forwards available. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a recall or two from them in the near future.

Jets Sign Vladislav Namestnikov To Two-Year Extension

February 22, 2025 at 10:18 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The Jets have taken one of their pending unrestricted free agents off the market for this summer. They announced that they have signed forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract extension worth $3MM per season beginning in 2025-26.

The 32-year-old showed some promise offensively early in his career with a 48-point season in 2017-18. However, he hasn’t been able to reach those numbers since then, resulting in him becoming a bit of a hockey nomad, spending time with eight different teams between that season and the 2022-23 campaign. The Jets were the last team out of that group as they acquired him as a rental at the 2023 trade deadline and liked what they saw, giving him a two-year, $4MM contract on the opening day of free agency that summer.

The contract has worked out well for both sides. While Namestnikov still hasn’t gotten back to his top offensive numbers, he has become a reliable secondary scorer for Winnipeg. Last season in his first full year with the Jets, he picked up 11 goals and 26 assists in 78 games, good for the second-highest point total of his career. Notably, he also spent considerable time at center after spending most of the previous few seasons on the wing.

Namestnikov is on pace for a higher offensive output this year. Through 52 outings this season, he has 10 goals and 19 assists while logging just under 15 minutes a night of playing time. He has been a regular at center this year and has improved his faceoff percentage by 9.5% compared to a year ago although it still checks in as below-average at 45.8% on the campaign. Nonetheless, becoming a reliable middle-six player who can play down the middle certainly helped Namestnikov’s cause in contract talks, allowing him to get a 50% raise on this new agreement to keep him in the fold.

With the deal, Winnipeg now has roughly $55.6MM in commitments on the books to 14 players for next season, per PuckPedia, giving them a little under $40MM in space to work with. They do, however, still have a pair of notable pending UFAs to deal with, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Neal Pionk, both of whom are in line for pricey long-term contracts this summer. In the meantime, they’ve helped shore up their forward depth for the next two years by keeping Namestnikov around.

Namestnikov’s agent Dan Milstein first reported the deal while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first with the financial terms.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Seattle Kraken Activate Jordan Eberle From LTIR

February 22, 2025 at 10:00 am CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

Saturday: As expected, the Kraken announced that Eberle will indeed return to Seattle’s lineup today against Florida.

Monday: According to the AHL transactions page, the Seattle Kraken have officially recalled forward Jordan Eberle from his conditioning loan with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle still needs to activate Eberle from the team’s long-term injured reserve but all signs indicate he’ll return for the Kraken’s first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off break this Saturday.

It’ll be Eberle’s first game in almost 100 days should he suit up against the Florida Panthers this weekend. Seattle’s second captain in franchise history underwent surgery to repair a pelvic injury suffered in the team’s November 14th matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The injury was certainly a buzzkill for Eberle after getting off to a quick start to the 2024-25 campaign. The Regina, Saskatchewan native scored six goals and 11 points through his first 17 games this season before succumbing to the pelvic injury. That 0.65 point-per-game average would have put Eberle around the 53-point total if he continued that pace over all the Kraken’s games this year.

That would have made for his second-best offensive output as a member of the Kraken. Eberle finished his first year with the club with 21 goals and 44 points in 79 games only to explode for 63 points a year later. The former sniper for the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders dropped back to 44 points last season setting him up for a potential rebound year in 2024-25.

Hindsight being 20/20, Eberle has lost that opportunity. He’ll max out at 42 games played this season if he plays in Seattle’s remaining 25 contests setting a new career-low. Still, Eberle will have one year and $4.75MM left on his contract after this season meaning he’ll have one more chance at a quality payday heading into his age 36 campaign.

Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers Chance Of Re-Signing Will Fuel Trade Rumors

February 22, 2025 at 9:50 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley 4 Comments

With the 4-Nations Face-Off out of the way, fan attention is starting to turn towards the looming NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. The Winnipeg Jets are among the teams still figuring out their deadline approach, with popular winger Nikolaj Ehlers at the top of their docket. Ehlers has provided a decade of serviceable hockey to the Jets franchise – but is set to land in unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer. Winnipeg’s confidence in their ability to re-sign him could directly influence if they shop him at the deadline, shares Murat Ates of The Athletic.

Ehlers is coming off a seven-year, $42MM contract with a manageable $6MM cap hit. He’s seemed to improve in every year of the deal, working his way up to a proud 48 points in 47 games this season. That’s a pace of 74 points in 73 games on the year – which would confidently pass his current career-high of 64 points set in 2016-17. That scoring burst comes after Ehlers broke 60 points for the first time in five seasons last year. At 29-years-old, the winger seems firmly in the midst of his prime – making now a golden opportunity for Winnipeg to sell high. Ates points out that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made a point to capitalize on outgoing players in the past – moving each of Jacob Trouba, Andrew Copp, Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic, and Pierre-Luc Dubois at optimal times to receive a hefty return.

If Ehlers is looking to test his chance at a bigger lineup role before he’s in his golden years, moving as a rental with the freedom of choice this summer could be ideal for both sides. Ehlers has been the subject of trade rumors for many years – largely thanks to just how sequestered his offense seems on Winnipeg’s second-line. The Jets reportedly made Ehlers available for the right return at the 2024 NHL Draft, but weren’t able to find a suitor to take on the final year of his contract. Ehlers faced a routine injury bug from 2019 to 2023 – but found his footing and played all 82 games of the 2023-24 campaign, with great results. It was hard to imagine Winnipeg not asking for a first-round draft pick to start negotiations after that uptick – and Ehlers has only improved his standing this season.

That could make a trade pretty rich for the rest of the league. But Winnipeg do have motivation to clear up minutes in their offense. 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert is leading the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in scoring this season with a stout 19 assists and 22 points in 38 games. He earned the lead-scorer title last year as well, with 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games. Lambert is still just 21 years old, but he’s already seemed to grow out of the AHL mold. Adjusting to an NHL role will take time but – with an offense firing on all cylinders – the Jets could be poised to find a cushy role for the versatile forward, who can play all three positions. Fellow right-shot, top prospect Nikita Chibrikov has also been performing well in the minors – with 18 points in 30 games suggesting a trial run in the NHL could be in order. Chibrikov scored three points in four NHL games earlier this season.

Cheveldayoff likened the process of seeing Ehlers grow into his own as watching one’s child grow up. But he also told Ates that business is business – and that the Jets would be diligent to put themselves in the best position they can. Winnipeg currently leads the Western Conference by a stride, with 81 points putting them nine points ahead of the three-way tie for second between Edmonton, Vegas, and Dallas. Even better, Winnipeg is entering the deadline with a thriving trade chip who, with a hefty return, could push the Jets in one of many directions. A swap of roster players or a return of draft capital could each go a long way towards shaping Winnipeg’s short and long-term future, while opening roles up for emerging youngsters. The looming question will be if Winnipeg is willing to reach for those benefits at the expense of a tenured pro.

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