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Jack Roslovic

Jets RFA Jack Roslovic Won’t Attend Camp Without New Contract, Seeking Trade

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The Winnipeg Jets and restricted free agent Jack Roslovic have been unable to come to terms on a new contract and the young forward will not be in attendance when training camp opens as a result. Claude Lemieux, Roslovic’s agent, tells Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press that Roslovic continues to wait for either a trade or a suitable contract offer. Without either, his season remains on pause.

Roslovic, 23, is coming off of a career season with 12 goals and 29 points, a top-six mark among Jets forwards on both counts. Yet, that hasn’t produced any more job security for Roslovic. The versatile forward continues to be penciled in for a bottom-six role, has been the long-time subject of trade talks, and has not received a long-term offer to his liking. For some time now, it has been reported that Roslovic has bought in to his own trade speculation and lack of an identifiable role and would prefer a change of scenery. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun even relays that a trade has been formally requested.

It is now up to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to make the call on Roslovic’s future. He can trade the young forward or he can finally make an offer that Roslovic and his side feel is fair. Even for a promising player who can play center and wing and has proven his ability to score without much power play opportunity, Roslovic’s trade value should be low right now given the cap crunch climate and the publicized contract standoff. Considering the injury absence of Bryan Little and David Gustafsson as well, at least to begin the year, the Jets could use the depth, making a short-term resolution with Roslovic the best option unless an ideal trade can be found.

In the meantime, Roslovic remains at home in the U.S., which raises other issues. If and when a new deal is reached, Roslovic would need to travel to Winnipeg and then quarantine for seven days. That gives the Jets a week at most to get Roslovic under contract and through quarantine without him missing regular season games. Quarantine rules also impact the feasibility of a trade, especially the longer that Cheveldayoff waits to pull the trigger. One way or another, the Jets need to solve this situation as quickly as they can.

Winnipeg Jets Extend Sami Niku

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Oct 30: The Jets have officially announced the contract, signing Niku to a two-year deal with, as reported, a $725K cap hit.

Oct 29: The Winnipeg Jets have come to terms on a new contract with restricted free agent Sami Niku. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the young defenseman has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension. The deal carries an AAV of $725K, with the 2020-21 minimum $700K in year one and the 2021-22 minimum $750K in year two.

Niku, 24, is exiting his entry-level contract still unsure of his NHL ability and long-term fit in Winnipeg. The 2015 seventh-round pick was a fast-rising prospect who was a force at the pro level in Finland’s Liiga at a young age and looked like he might be ready to take on the NHL. His AHL numbers, especially on offense, continue to show a player with great skill and mobility. The NHL has been an entirely different case though. Niku has struggled to stick with the Jets, playing in just 48 games over three seasons. In that time, he has put up modest offensive totals, but has struggled in other aspects of the game. He contributes little defensively, is prone to turnovers, and has poor possession numbers. The team does not trust him with significant ice time, shelters him from difficult match-ups, and tries to prevent exposure in the defensive end. Yet, his potential for offense continues to entice and Niku’s 2019-20 numbers offered a slight glimmer of hope that his defense may be improving.

Yet, Niku has also served as a fixture on the rumor mill when it comes to potential Winnipeg trades. Signing an affordable, multi-year deal won’t change that, as potential suitors who believe in his upside will be happy to take a two-year gamble. The Jets appear likely to make a trade before next season too. Niku’s signing puts the team over the salary cap based on a projected 23-man roster, including Niku as the eighth defenseman. Even if the club is able to put Bryan Little and his $5.29MM cap hit on Long-Term Injured Reserve, the team still needs to re-sign RFA forward Jack Roslovic. With little flexibility and a blue line that could still use another bona fide top-four member, the Jets could still be dealing and Niku could still wind up elsewhere.

Vegas Golden Knights Closing On Deal With Alex Pietrangelo

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The Vegas Golden Knights are rumored to be close to signing the top unrestricted free agent on the market in defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, who says a deal could be completed as early as tonight. Fox Sports Andy Strickland confirms that the Golden Knights and Pietrangelo are working towards finalizing a contract.

The deal could also coincide with a trade as the Golden Knights, who have already moved out Paul Stastny, are also a likely candidate to move out defenseman Nate Schmidt and his contract, which includes five more years at $5.95MM AAV. It’s likely both moves could be done in tandem with the belief that the Winnipeg Jets might again be part of that package, which would include restricted free agent Jack Roslovic. Even that trade could prove to be complicated as the Jets might be forced to move out a contract in order to take on Schmidt’s contract.

For the Golden Knights, bringing in Pietrangelo would finally give the franchise its first clear cut No. 1 defenseman. The team had tried to pry away Erik Karlsson several years ago at the trade deadline, but failed to pull that trade off. This time, the team is trying to juggle its finances to fit Pietrangelo into their salary cap, which is quite a daunting task.

Pietrangelo has been a stabilizing force the last 11 seasons with the Blues and is coming off an impressive season last year. The 30-year-old had 16 goals and 52 assists in 70 games and another six points in nine playoff games for the Blues, but is probably best known for his defensive abilities, something that could only help Vegas in their quest to win a Stanley Cup in the next couple of years. Vegas also has a major need for a right-handed blueliner as the only right-hander on the team is Zach Whitecloud.

The Golden Knights still have to move out goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and his $7MM AAV contract for the next two years, but with little movement on that front over the last week, the team might be more likely forced to move out one of their pricier defensemen with Schmidt’s salary being the largest at the moment.

Winnipeg Jets Looking To Trade Jack Roslovic

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The Winnipeg Jets have been shopping restricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic with more intensity today with the hope of moving him for a top-four defender, according to the Winnipeg News’ Mike McIntyre. Several teams have expressed interest in the young center with the Vegas Golden Knights being at the top of that list, although the Columbus Blue Jackets are also interested in the Columbus native.

The scribe writes that there has been talk of dealing Roslovic, who has expressed an interest in a change of scenery. The 23-year-old Roslovic has steadily improved in his three years in the league with the Jets. He posted career highs in goals (12) and assists (17) and has been starting to show the potential to be a No. 2 center on the team, a role he has not been able to seize up until now. However, after making $1.1MM last season, Roslovic could get a considerable raise, something that other teams will have to take into account.

While the Golden Knights are just one candidate to acquire the young center, several names have already been mentioned by McIntyre, including Nate Schmidt and Alec Martinez. Winnipeg, who is looking for a left-handed defenseman, has already completed one trade with the Golden Knights recently when it acquired Paul Stastny just before free agency opened on Friday.

The Golden Knights are rumored to be close to signing No. 1 free agent, Alex Pietrangelo to a long-term deal, but still would need to move out some salary to make the deal work. With little known progress on moving goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, it would make sense to move on from one of their top-four defenders, likely Schmidt or Martinez. Both offer different advantages to Winnipeg if they choose to take one. Schmidt is locked up for another five years at $5.95MM with a 10-team no-trade list, which would give the Jets some security at that position. Martinez, on the other hand, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, but comes in a little cheaper at just $4MM.

Winnipeg Jets Tender Qualifying Offers To Six Players

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The Winnipeg Jets are joining several teams to announce their qualifying offers early (before Wednesday’s deadline) as the team announced they have tendered qualifying offers to six players. The players receiving offers were forwards Mason Appleton, Jansen Harkins, Jack Roslovic and C.J. Suess and defensemen Sami Niku and Nelson Nogier.

Many of those players played significant roles for Winnipeg last year. Roslovic is at the top of the list, who has continually improved as a forward in Winnipeg. The 23-year-old broke double digits in goals (12) last season, adding 29 points and many believe the center is a strong candidate to take over as the team’s No. 2 center next year and could be a candidate for a breakout season after a solid February before the season was shutdown. He also saw his ice time increase by almost five minutes last year.

Appleton also played a key role with the team, posting five goals and eight points in 46 games as a bottom-line forward, who will likely take on that role again next year. Harkins is another fourth-line option for the Jets, who posted two goals and seven points in 29 games last season, while the 26-year-old Suess posted career highs with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL with 14 goals and is a solid depth option for the Jets.

Many thought Niku would step into a full-time role when the Jets found themselves short-handed at the beginning of the year. The 23-year-old has been quite effective in the AHL the last couple of seasons, but while he did appear in 17 NHL games last season, the blueliner will have to try to establish himself there once again. His playing time did increase that this year as he averaged 16:10 of ATOI. The 24-year-old Nogier played his entire season in Manitoba and continues to be a depth option for the team.

With seven restricted free agents, one player was told he won’t be back with the team as Michael Spacek wasn’t tendered an offer sheet. Spacek, a Jets’ fourth-round pick in 2015, played three seasons with the Moose, but saw a decline in his play last season, scoring a career-low nine goals and 20 points in 45 games. He hasn’t appeared in an NHL game yet.

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