The Winnipeg Jets are losing a small piece of their defensive depth for next season. According to multiple reports, defenseman Kale Clague has signed a two-year contract with the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
The Regina, Saskatchewan native had a coming home of sorts this season, signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets for the 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to any playing time in the NHL, as Clague spent the entire campaign with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
It was a relatively productive year, scoring nine goals and 27 points in 67 games. Still, it was a far cry from the 10-goal, 39-point performance he enjoyed a year earlier with the Rochester Americans. Additionally, Clague finished with a -16 rating, which stands as his worst mark since the 2018-19 campaign.
Given his age and the length of his new contract, the 2025-26 season could very well have been Clague’s last in North America. Despite being drafted over a decade ago, the 28-year-old blue liner has only managed 94 games at the NHL level, scoring two goals and 21 points with a -22 rating.
He’s unsurprisingly performed much better in the AHL, at least offensively. Debuting in the 2018-19 season with the Ontario Reign, Clague has registered 39 goals and 165 points in 321 career AHL appearances.
In Russia, Clague should largely operate as a two-way threat, with the capacity to average a point every two games. If he performs particularly well, another NHL team may give him another opportunity, but it’s unlikely at this point.
Good luck to Clague. Could never quite get over the AHL hump. Jets should be fine on depth with Elias Salomonsson, Isaak Phillips, and prospects Alfons Freij and Garrett Brown available and Sascha Boumedienne marinating in college.