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Nikita Chibrikov

Jets Sign Nikita Chibrikov To Two-Year Extension

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The Winnipeg Jets have locked up a talented young forward, Nikita Chibrikov, per agent Dan Milstein. The deal is a two-year, one-way extension, worth $850k and $900k at the NHL level. 

Despite the Jets’ consistent presence as a playoff contender across the last decade, and the subsequent lack of high draft picks, the organization has managed to assemble a formidable group of forward prospects, including Chibrikov. The youngster’s high skill and effort projects himself as a future middle-six scorer for Winnipeg, with the potential for more, especially if he cleans up his defensive game. Having lost stalwart Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency, and Kyle Connor a soon-to-be free agent with an uncertain future, Winnipeg will turn to their youth to help keep their window open.  

Selected by Winnipeg 50th overall in 2021, Chibrikov never made a significant impact in the KHL as a young NHL-draftee, but he was an immediate standout in North America, posting 47 points as an AHL rookie in 2023-24, and lighting the lamp in his NHL debut as well. 

Last season the Russian forward continued his progression with the Manitoba Moose, and earned a four game stint with the Presidents’ Trophy Jets in December, where he notched two goals and an assist. 

With forwards such as Cole Perfetti, Jonathan Toews, and Adam Lowry currently banged up, the Jets could turn to Chibrikov to start the season. If not, and he is sent back down, expect the 22-year-old to be a key member of the Manitoba Moose again as an eventual fixture of Winnipeg’s lineup.

Western Notes: Dostal, Jets, Garland

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The Anaheim Ducks face several key questions heading into the 2025–26 season, one of which is whether goalie Lukas Dostal can deliver a breakout campaign following the trade of veteran John Gibson, per NHL.com’s David Satriano.

Dostal appeared in a career-high 54 games with Anaheim last season, securing a 23-23-7 record and a .903 save percentage that aligns with his career average of .902. That performance allowed the Ducks to trade Gibson to the Red Wings at the draft for goaltender Petr Mrazek and two draft picks, as well as land Dostal a five-year, $32.5MM contract on July 17.

A 25-year-old native of the Czech Republic, Dostal is expected to lead one of the league’s only true three-man rotations in net, along with Mrazek and Ville Husso. But according to new head coach Joel Quenneville, Dostal possesses special traits that could help him take the next step in his career.

“Dostal had a tremendous year. I don’t know too many people that get a rave review at this age of their career about what a professional, what a competitor (they are), but everybody always says the greatest things about him. … I don’t know if this guy’s a stereotypical goalie, but at the same time, he’s got some different ways about him that makes him special,” he said.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • While the Winnipeg Jets added veteran leadership to their forward group this offseason by signing the likes of Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist, NHL.com’s Darrin Bauming wonders if a few rising forward prospects could crack the lineup to start the season. Bauming lists both 22-year-old Nikita Chibrikov and 21-year-old Brad Lambert as being “on the cusp” of regular NHL time. Chibrikov appeared in four games for the Jets last season, recording three points. The 5’10”, 175-pound winger added 18 points in 30 games for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Lambert posted 35 points in 61 games last season for Manitoba, and 55 points in 55 points in 64 games for the squad the year before. The native of Finland has yet to appear in an NHL game but should break through at some point this upcoming season.
  • The road for Vancouver Canucks’ forward Conor Garland wasn’t always easy, which makes his six-year, $36 million extension he signed on July 1 all the sweeter, outlines Ben Kuzma of The Province. As Kuzma notes, Garland has faced adversity throughout his hockey journey (largely due to his small stature), which included not making the famed Shattuck-Saint Mary’s junior team in Minnesota that produced several NHL stars, including the aforementioned Toews. That adversity, however, has been a driving force behind the player Garland is today — one who has missed just two games over the past three seasons while tallying 143 points. Garland feels his extension was not just for prior results, but also for the continued growth he and the team expect. “I try to come back each year better, and I know I have to produce more. I’ve learned most about consistency. When the puck wasn’t going in, or I wasn’t making plays, I became a pretty responsible defensive forward on a shutdown line,” he said.

Jets Activate Nikolaj Ehlers, Waive Dylan Coghlan

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Dec. 19: The Jets announced that Coghlan cleared waivers and was subsequently assigned to AHL Manitoba along with the waiver-exempt Chibrikov.

Dec. 18: The Jets have placed defenseman Dylan Coghlan on waivers ahead of the upcoming roster freeze, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In a related but not quite corresponding move, winger Nikolaj Ehlers has been activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Ducks, per the league’s media site. Center David Gustafsson, who’s been in concussion protocol since fighting Bruins forward Trent Frederic on Dec. 10, was placed on injured reserve to keep the Jets’ active roster at the maximum 23 until Coghlan can be removed tomorrow.

Ehlers had missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury that he sustained against the Golden Knights on Nov. 29. The Jets managed to go 5-3-1 in his absence and haven’t lost in regulation over their last four outings. The injury interrupted a resurgent season for the pending unrestricted free agent, who still ranks fifth on the team in scoring with 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 24 games. If his pace holds, the Danish winger will crack the point-per-game threshold for the first time in his 10-year career. If he plays tonight, he’ll likely resume his place on the second line alongside Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti while rookie Nikita Chibrikov, who has two goals and an assist in four showings this season, heads to the press box.

Coghlan, 26, signed a two-way deal with the Jets in the offseason after they acquired his signing rights from the Hurricanes. He made the team’s opening night roster but has been stuck in the press box, playing just once this year despite not carrying an injury designation. Winnipeg has had eight defensemen on the active roster nearly all season but hasn’t had the impetus to make many lineup changes. Their relatively healthy blue line has helped power a 23-9-1 record.

His lone appearance came against Vegas, his former team, in the game Ehlers got hurt. He posted a -1 rating in 14:38 of ice time with two shots on goal. Winnipeg out-attempted opponents 15-8 with Coghlan on the ice at even strength despite two-thirds of his zone starts coming in the defensive end.

Thirty-one other teams will now have the chance to claim Coghlan, who only costs the league minimum of $775K against the cap when in the NHL and has 107 games of experience to his name over the last five years. If there are no takers, it’s back to the AHL for him, this time with the Manitoba Moose. The British Columbia native played in 61 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season while under contract with Carolina, leading their defenders with 41 points (16 G, 25 A).

Jets Recall Nikita Chibrikov, Reassign Brad Lambert

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The Winnipeg Jets have made a roster move as they continue to deal with the void of Nikolaj Ehlers in their top six. The organization announced they’ve recalled Nikita Chibrikov from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, and have sent Brad Lambert the other way in a corresponding move.

Winnipeg’s roster move indicates Ehlers won’t return for tomorrow’s matchup against the Boston Bruins and the Jets will allow a different prospect an NHL opportunity. Chibrikov was drafted by Winnipeg with the 50th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft and debuted for a one-game stint last season.

He’s been an efficient forward for the AHL Moose since coming to North America from the KHL’s Spartak Moskva last year. He’s scored 22 goals and 60 points in 89 games for Manitoba with another goal in two postseason contests. Still, he has plenty of work to do on the defensive side of the puck but Chibrikov is showing he can already score at the game’s second-highest level.

Heading back to Manitoba as arguably the Jets’ top prospect. He was projected as high as second overall for the 2022 NHL Draft on some boards but a disastrous 2021-22 season with JYP of the Finnish Liiga dropped Lambert to Winnipeg at 30th overall.

He’s recovered exceptionally well scoring 26 goals and 69 points in 94 games over three years with the Moose. He registered four games for the Jets throughout his recent call-up but unfortunately went scoreless. He only averaged 12:44 of ice time per night during those games but will now move back to Manitoba’s first line.

Jets Reassign Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Place Two On IR

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Forwards Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov won’t be on the Jets’ opening night roster when it’s announced later today. They’ve been sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to begin the season, relays team color commentator Mitchell Clinton. Defensemen Ville Heinola and Logan Stanley have also landed on injured reserve, per the league’s media portal.

Lambert, 20, was in a tight competition to land a second-line role in Winnipeg but will return to the minors for additional development time. Winnipeg selected the Finnish forward with the 30th overall pick in 2022 out of Liiga’s Pelicans, immediately signing him to his entry-level contract and bringing him over to North American juniors for his post-draft season. After one season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, Lambert jumped to the pros full-time this past year, breaking out in a big way with 55 points in 64 games to lead the Moose in scoring.

The Jets allowed Lambert to make his NHL debut in the final game of the regular season, calling him up to play 13:51 against the Canucks. He logged an assist and a +1 rating while going 3-for-7 in the faceoff dot. He was an early candidate to take on top-six duties and push veteran Vladislav Namestnikov out of the 2C spot, but line rushes the past few days indicated he was trending toward being cut. However, it’s hard to imagine him not adding some NHL games to his resume throughout the season.

Chibrikov was a longer shot for a roster spot, but his impressive camp had him under consideration for one until the end. A second-round choice in 2021, the 21-year-old winger is also coming off his first full AHL campaign. The Russian forward finished fourth on the team in scoring with 47 points (17 G, 30 A) in 70 games but had a -18 rating, second-worst on the team. It was still a strong first step for Chibrikov, who needed to take a big step in his development last year after being buried in Russian pro and minor-pro lineups the past couple of seasons.

Heinola and Stanley heading to IR is a formality more than anything else. Head coach Scott Arniel told reporters last month that Heinola would be out long-term with an infection in the ankle he had surgically repaired last season, while Stanley underwent minor knee surgery over a week ago and isn’t expected back until the end of the month at the earliest. After avoiding waivers yesterday, it’s clear that Dylan Coghlan and Haydn Fleury will open the season on the NHL roster in their stead after both signing two-way deals in Winnipeg this summer.

Winnipeg Hoping To Get More From Younger Players

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While at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta earlier today, the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke very candidly about the younger players on the roster (Article Link). According to TSN, Cheveldayoff said, “The ball’s in their court. If you’re a young player in our organization right now, it’s all in front of you, there for the taking“.

The only GM in team history wasn’t speaking generally either as he specifically called out Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Cole Perfetti. The quote is significant given that new head coach Scott Arniel is instituting a major change in philosophy to the Jets’ organization.

Winnipeg has long been known to slow-play prospects to the professional level. Most quality prospects in the organization spend several years in the minor or junior levels before finally being graduated to the NHL where they will sometimes sit in depth roles for much of the season.

Heinola, Lambert, and Chibrikov spent all of last year (besides one game a piece for the latter two) in the minor leagues. The Jets kept an impressively healthy blue line through the 2023-24 regular season which prohibited Heinola from receiving a call-up. With several key players leaving through buyouts and free agency this summer — a strong training camp performance could earn them a full-time role at the NHL level.

The quote from Cheveldayoff is a bit more interesting when considering the career trajectories of both Perfetti and Stanley. Perfetti has been a full-time member of the Jets for two years now and played in 71 games last year. It was his most productive season to date as he scored 19 goals and 38 points in total.

He was still tremendously underutilized in the forward group as he averaged 13:35 of ice time each night which ranked 12th on the team for forwards with 15 or more games played. Perfetti has arguably already worked his way into a top-six role in Winnipeg and it will be intriguing to see how Arniel utilizes him this season.

Stanley, on the other hand, could be a bit jealous of Perfetti’s situation with the team. The 6’7″ defenseman went from averaging 15:39 of ice time over 58 games in 2021-22 to averaging 13:46 of ice time over 25 games this past season. Stanley has already proven himself as an adequate shutdown defenseman and could play himself into the former role of Nate Schmidt.

This fate felt inevitable for the Jets. Arniel is now in charge of plugging the holes left by Schmidt, Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, and potentially Nikolaj Ehlers. If Winnipeg hopes to compete in a rugged Central Division, they must give their young players more responsibility.

AHL Shuffle: 4/19/24

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Half the league has played their last games for the 2023-24 campaign, while the other half is gearing up for postseason action starting tomorrow. Either way, squads are making roster adjustments today, whether it’s assigning players back to the minors after their NHL seasons came to a close or recalling reinforcements for their playoff runs. We’ll keep track of all of today’s moves here:

  • The Bruins have recalled center John Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei from AHL Providence. Both will be available for tomorrow’s Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series against the Maple Leafs. The pair of youngsters were assigned to the minors throughout the last week for playing time down the stretch after spending most of the campaign on the NHL roster. They’ll likely be scratches for tomorrow’s contest, but after combining for 93 games played in the regular season, head coach Jim Montgomery won’t hesitate to plug them into the playoff lineup.
  • The Flames have assigned forwards Matthew Coronato and Adam Klapka, defenseman Ilya Solovyov, and goaltender Dustin Wolf to AHL Calgary. The NHL club’s regular season came to an end last night in a 5-1 win over the Sharks, a game all four players involved in today’s transaction played in. Wolf, one of the league’s top goaltending prospects, ended his season on a high note with 16 saves on 17 shots after putting up underwhelming numbers down the stretch for the Flames. All four will play major roles for the Wranglers over the next couple of weeks, at the very least, as they’ve clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
  • The Capitals have recalled goaltender Mitchell Gibson from ECHL South Carolina. The 24-year-old, who has no NHL experience, is in his first full season of pro hockey after spending the last four seasons in collegiate hockey at Harvard. He’ll serve as a Black Ace and emergency backup as their first-round matchup against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers gets underway. A fourth-round pick of the Caps back in 2018, he has a .899 SV%, 2.56 GAA, three shutouts, and a 22-14-3 record in 42 appearances with South Carolina this year, as well as a .915 SV% and a perfect record in two showings with AHL Hershey.
  • In a similar move, the Predators have brought up netminder Gustavs Grigals from ECHL Atlanta. Undrafted, the Latvian had spent the season in the Nashville organization on a minor-league contract before receiving a two-way deal from the Preds on deadline day. The 25-year-old was excellent last year for UMass-Lowell after transferring from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, posting a .924 SV% in 24 games and earning Hockey East Third All-Star Team honors. He’s adjusted decently well to the pro ranks, posting a .900 SV% and three shutouts behind a defensively challenged Atlanta squad in 34 appearances with an 11-19-0 record.
  • The Blackhawks have assigned forward prospect Lukas Reichel to AHL Rockford to finish his season. Chicago expected the 21-year-old to take a major step forward in his development this season and supplant himself as a top-six fixture for the future along with Connor Bedard, but it didn’t work out that way. The 2020 first-round pick was arguably among the worst players in the league this season, limited to five goals and 16 points in 65 games with a -29 rating despite seeing second-line looks for much of the season. His average ice time dipped to almost 14 minutes per game by the end of the campaign, however.
  • The Jets have assigned forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, Brad Lambert, and goaltender Collin Delia to AHL Manitoba. Winnipeg recalled the foursome yesterday to provide reinforcements for yesterday’s regular-season finale against the Canucks. Chibrikov and Lambert made their NHL debuts, with the former notching his first NHL goal in the process. Delia backed up Laurent Brossoit while Jennings Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was given the night off entirely, while Ford was a healthy scratch. Delia was again recalled under emergency conditions later Friday, suggesting he’ll be available as a Black Ace/emergency backup for Game 1 against the Avalanche on Sunday.
  • The Coyotes have made likely the final group of transactions in franchise history, returning forwards Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Aku Raty, and defensemen Michael Kesselring and Vladislav Kolyachonok to AHL Tucson. The sale of the team’s hockey operations to Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group was approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors yesterday, rendering the Coyotes franchise inactive and establishing a new franchise in Utah. The five youngsters will finish the season in the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Roadrunners. Some of these players, likely Guenther and Doan at a minimum, will travel to Salt Lake City and will be a part of that team’s opening-night squad next season. The others may remain in Tucson, which is expected to serve as the Utah franchise’s minor-league affiliate.
  • The Oilers have assigned defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Adam Erne to AHL Bakersfield. The pair were recalled earlier in the week to allow the Oilers to rest stars like Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard before kicking off their first-round playoff series against the Kings in a few days. They’ll return to playoff-bound Bakersfield for now but will be among the first in line for recalls if necessary.
  • The Kings have assigned forward Alex Turcotte to AHL Ontario. He’d spent most of the last week in the minors on an LTI conditioning loan, but was activated off LTIR and reinstated to the NHL roster on Tuesday. He didn’t play in the Kings’ final game of the regular season last night, though. The 23-year-old presumably won’t be in their Game 1 lineup against the Oilers and will report for playoff action with the Reign.
  • The Islanders have summoned goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport, per the league’s media site. The 23-year-old comes up to serve as the extra/reserve netminder as the Islanders begin their first-round series with Bridgeport eliminated from playoff contention. The 2018 third-round pick has again struggled in the third-string spot, posting a .888 SV% and 7-22-6 record in 36 appearances for the AHL Isles this year. He was passed over for recalls earlier in the regular season in favor of veteran Kenneth Appleby.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Jets Recall Brad Lambert, Three Others Ahead Of Season Finale

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It seems the Winnipeg Jets are preparing for a relaxing end to the season, recalling four minor leaguers ahead of their season-finale tonight against the Vancouver Canucks (Twitter link). The transaction includes AHL All-Star forward Brad Lambert, as well as forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford, and goaltender Collin Delia.

Each player is expected to slot into the lineup, with a long list of Jets taking the night off per TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). Lu reports that Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Brenden Dillon will all sit out on Thursday. Of note, Delia is expected to back-up Laurent Brossoit.

This means that top prospect Lambert is poised to make his NHL debut, lining up next to Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo at the team’s Thursday practice. Lambert has been a highly acclaimed prospect for much of his life, notably taking his talents overseas at a young age to grow up in a Finnish youth hockey program, rather than staying in Canada. The plan worked out for him, resulting in 99 games in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, before Lambert returned to the WHL, where he led the Seattle Thunderbirds to the 2023 Memorial Cup Finals. Winnipeg drafted him 30th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft – taking advantage of concerns about his consistency pushing him down the draft board. That’s something the Jets are certainly laughing about now, as Lambert managed a team-leading 20 goals and 54 points in 63 AHL games this season – his rookie AHL season.

This move will also provide Ford and Chibrikov with their NHL debuts. Both AHL rookies have lived up to their acclaim this season, with Ford potting 17 goals and 29 points in 70 games and Chibrikov recording 17 goals and 46 points in 69 games. Chibrikov, who the Jets selected in the 2021 second-round, is in his first season in North America, after growing up through the Russian hockey ranks. Meanwhile, Ford is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Jets last Spring after three years at Providence College.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Nikita Chibrikov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Winnipeg Jets signed forward Nikita Chibrikov to a three-year, entry-level contract Monday, per a team release. Chibrikov’s contract will begin in 2023-24 and carry a cap hit of $925,000. Chibrikov has also signed a professional tryout contract with the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, and he’ll join the team as they continue their play in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Winnipeg drafted Chibrikov, 20, with the 50th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. His development path since hasn’t been smooth, failing to secure extended playing time in any league in Russia. The constant shuttling between levels has stunted Chibrikov’s offensive development, with his point production today not dissimilar to his production during his draft year.

It makes the timing of the signing significant. With Chibrikov now under Winnipeg’s control, he’ll remain in North America next season and see extended time with the Moose, allowing him to play in an organization solely focused on his development.

He played most of this past season with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, recording just two points in 31 games with a very limited role. His game revolves around speed and skill, something he’ll have more opportunity to showcase with more minutes in the AHL.

Chibrikov will be a restricted free agent in 2026.

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