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Summer Synopsis 2025

Summer Synopsis: Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Now more than a month into the new league year, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason. Today, we’ll take a look at Vegas.

The Golden Knights enjoyed a strong regular season last year, posting 50 wins en route to a Pacific Division title. They carried that momentum into the playoffs with a decisive first-round victory over the Minnesota Wild. However, their postseason run came to an abrupt end in the second round, where they fell to the Edmonton Oilers in just five games.

Not content with regular-season accolades or modest postseason success, the Golden Knights were aggressive to start the offseason, pulling off arguably the biggest acquisition by locking up star forward Mitch Marner. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon also made several depth moves to fortify the lineup, and on paper, Vegas appears poised to contend for the Stanley Cup once again.

Draft

2-55 – F Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Luleå HF (Sweden J20)
3-85 – F Mateo Nobert, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
6-186 – F Alexander Weiermair, Portland (WHL)
6-187 – D Gustav Sjoqvist, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

One common downside for Stanley Cup contenders is a depleted prospect pool, often the result of trading away draft picks in pursuit of immediate success. That was the case for the Golden Knights at last month’s draft, where they lacked a first-round pick and made just four selections overall.

They made the most of the situation, starting with the section of Ihs-Wozniak, a forward with high offensive upside. He produced 57 points in 40 games during the 2024-25 season with Luleå HF J20, but truly showcased his talents on the international stage. At the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he helped Sweden to a bronze medal while tying for the tournament high of four goals. He then helped Sweden to a silver medal in the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, where he recorded seven points in seven games.

Nobert, 17, produced 67 points in 57 games for Blainville-Boisbriand in the Q, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. Known for his playmaking abilities, the Quebec native took his game to another level last season, nearly tripling his production from the year before. His continued development will be something Golden Knights fans can watch and look forward to.

Trade Acquisitions

F Mitch Marner (from Toronto)
F Colton Sissons and D Jeremy Lauzon (from Nashville)

Arguably, the biggest move of the offseason was Vegas acquiring Marner from the Maple Leafs with a sign-and-trade, resulting in an eight-year, $96MM deal ($12MM AAV). Joining a star-studded group that already features Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore, the move signals that the franchise is all in with their efforts to secure another Stanley Cup. While things ended unceremoniously for Marner in Toronto, he has done nothing but produce in his time in the league. Since debuting for the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season, Marner has scored 221 goals and 741 points in 657 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per night. That production was no different last year, as Marner, 28, produced 102 points in 81 games. He added 13 points in 13 playoff contests. The Golden Knights finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fifth-best goals scored average (3.34), third-best goals against average (2.61), second-best powerplay (28.34%), and the 13th-best shooting percentage (11.0%), and those numbers should only improve with Marner in the mix.

Perhaps lost in the shuffle of the Marner deal, adding Sissons and Lauzon as part of the deal that sent Nicolas Hague to Nashville provides Vegas with solid veteran experience and productivity.

UFA Signings

F Tuomas Uronen (three years, $852.5K)*
F Reilly Smith (one year, $2MM)^
F Brandon Saad (one year, $2MM)^
D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $775K)
D Jaycob Megna (two years, $800K)
F Cole Reinhardt (two years, $812.5K)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Golden Knights got to work before July 1, locking up veteran forwards like Smith and Saad before they could test free agency. Smith returned to Vegas following a mid-season trade with the Rangers, recording 11 points in 21 games. Now 34, his best seasons came during his first stint with the Golden Knights, and he remains a reliable depth option who can still contribute in the top six when needed. Saad, 32, produced 13 goals and 30 points last season, split between Vegas and St. Louis. Like Smith, Saad was dealt to Vegas mid-season and made a strong enough impression that McCrimmon re-signed him before he could reach free agency. The two-time cup champion with Chicago offers quality depth in the bottom six.

The remaining signings add organizational depth. The team announced the deals for Coghlan, Megna, and Reinhardt simultaneously on July 1. While each player received a one-way contract, a spot on the opening night roster is far from guaranteed.

Uronen, who was signed to an entry-level deal back on May 20, offers intriguing upside. Vegas selected Uronen with the 192nd pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. At the time, he was playing for HIFK’s U20 program, but he quickly transferred to the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s after being drafted. A native of Finland, Uronen showcased his offensive abilities last season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, posting 38 goals and 90 points in 63 games. Internationally, Uronen scored two goals and three points in seven games for Team Finland during the 2024-25 U20 World Junior Championship.

RFA Re-Signings

F Raphael Lavoie (one year, $775K)*
F Jonas Rondbjerg (one year, $775K)*
F Cole Schwindt (one year, $825K)
D Lukas Cormier (one year, $775K)*

Lavoie had an interesting path last season and will no doubt hope for more stability for the 2025-26 year. Last season, he was waived by Edmonton, claimed by Vegas, waived by Vegas, re-claimed by Edmonton, waived again by Edmonton, and finally re-claimed by Vegas before being sent directly to AHL Henderson in a matter of days last October. Injuries limited Lavoie’s effectiveness somewhat in 2024-25, but he still put together a decent 17-10–27 scoring line in 42 games on an underwhelming Henderson squad. When healthy, the 6’4″ winger can provide key organizational depth and quality scoring possibilities. He potted 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games for AHL Bakersfield in 2023-24.

Rondbjerg, a Golden Knights draft pick in the third round of their inaugural 2017 class, has topped out as a serviceable fringe NHL forward, recording 10 points in 76 games for the Knights over the past four years. Schwindt, perhaps the likeliest of the group to make an impact in Vegas next season, appeared in 42 games last season with Vegas after being claimed off waivers from the Flames during training camp last year. In that time, he produced eight points in a bottom-six role but did provide quality defense and holds a career 51 percent win rate in the faceoff circle. Meanwhile, Cormier will look to get back on track after an injury detailed his 2024-25 season.

Key Extensions

D Kaedan Korczak (four years, $3.25MM)

On the second day of free agency, Vegas locked up one of their own blueliners long-term, giving Korczak a four-year, $13MM contract extension. Despite having just one career goal in 77 games, Korczak clearly earned the confidence of the organization last season, which served as his first full year at the NHL level. He was often a healthy scratch over the course of the season, but still managed to record 10 assists, one penalty, and a plus-15 across 40 games. He added 59 hits and 40 blocked shots while averaging 15:04 of ice time per night. With the loss of Hague and the presumed retirement of Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas may have felt it was key to extend Korczak.

Departures

D Nicolas Hague (trade with Nashville)
F Tanner Pearson (Winnipeg, one-year, $1MM)
F Nicolas Roy (trade with Toronto)

The Golden Knights sit with a heap of unsigned free agents, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov and winger Victor Olofsson. That group is unlikely to re-sign with a cap-strapped Vegas lineup, but the Golden Knights will still leave the summer with minimal exits. Hague stands as the biggest subtraction in size and lineup role – vacating an impactful, third-pair role for a surprisingly rich extension with the Predators. He has posted 12 points and a negative plus-minus in each of the last two seasons, but led Vegas’ blue-line in hits-per-game in both seasons. The Golden Knights will lose similar physical prowess in Pearson and Roy – two depth forwards who both managed encouraging scoring from routine roles in the bottom. Roy finished the year with 15 goals and 31 points, while Pearson scored 12 goals and 27 points. Vegas will need to find internal replacements for all three players, and may be hobbled by their departure – but nonetheless found a way to add more talent than they lost this summer.

Salary Cap Outlook

A summer of strategic spending hasn’t yet come to fruition for the Golden Knights. They currently sit $7.64MM over the cap ceiling, per PuckPedia. Placing top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injured reserve will give the team just over $1MM in available cap space, though they’ll likely settle square-even with the cap floor after re-signing RFA Alex Holtz. It will be another season of cap gymnastics for the Golden Knights. Luckily, that’s a game they’re plenty experienced with by this point.

Key Questions

How Will Marner Look Outside of Toronto? The brightest spotlight in the league will be trained on Marner as he pursues his first season with the Golden Knights. The 28-year-old winger had a career-year last season, crossing the century mark for the first time with 102 points in 81 games. He’s paced for at least 100 points in each of the last four seasons, but often missed a handful of games for one reason or another. Still, that will be an incredible talent to join a Golden Knights offense already featuring Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. While he’s already played next to some of the best in the world, Marner could find the best setting of his career on Vegas’ top-line. If he does, the Golden Knights could find the X-factor they need to will to another Stanley Cup. If not, they’ll be strapped with a contract that pushes them against the cap ceiling, and a winger who commands attention in roster construction.

What’s Next For Pavel Dorofeyev? The Pavel Dorofeyev breakout was long-coming, and Golden Knights fans finally saw the payoff when the Russian winger chased a massive 35 goals and 52 points last season. The 24-year-old will enter the 2025-26 season with a strong argument for routine top-six minutes, and seemingly plenty of ramp to one-up on his hot-shooting season last year. Dorofeyev recorded a 13.8 shooting percentage last season, well within range of the 13.4 shooting percentage he posted in 47 games in the 2023-24 season. That could shed positive light on his chances to repeat his lofty goal total, especially as Vegas’ offense continues to load up. Dorofeyev is still due for a new contract next summer. It will be the deal that carries him through his prime years, and a price tag set by how well he’s able to maintain his performances this season.

Who Will Emerge As The Top Right-Defender? Vegas has suffered one major blow this summer. Pietrangelo will miss the entirety of the season, leaving the team without a clear-cut, top-pair right-defender. They’re loaded up on the left-side, with Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin vying for top minutes and Jeremy Lauzon and Zach Whitecloud sparring for the rest. But opposite of them, it seems Zach Whitecloud – who scored just 13 points and averaged 17:31 in ice time last season – sits as the most poised for hefty minutes. He’ll compete with Kaedan Korczak, who just cracked into the lineup last year, and Dylan Coghlan from the minor leagues. But in the end, Vegas could opt to play Hanifin on his off-hand side over all three options. Hanifin finished last season with 10 goals and 39 points in 80 games – six more goals and points than Pietrangelo. Next to the shifty Theodore, the consequences of playing on his backhand could be mitigated. That will be the test Vegas faces, as they tweak the bolts of the defense behind a loaded offense.

Photo courtesy of Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports and Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports.

Summer Synopsis: Washington Capitals

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Now more than a month into the new league year, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  We begin with a look at Washington.

Although they were unable to secure the second Stanley Cup in franchise history, the 2024-25 campaign was a monumental one for the Washington Capitals. Thanks in part to a loaded defensive core and standout goaltending, the Capitals surprisingly finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference, one year after qualifying for the postseason due to a tiebreaker. Outside of their play on the ice, team icon Alex Ovechkin broke the all-time goal record, surpassing Wayne Gretzky against the New York Islanders on April 6th. Still, after an offseason of little changes, will the Capitals be able to repeat their dominance?

Draft

1-27 – F Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw (WHL)
2-37 – F Milton Gästrin, MoDO (Sweden U20)
3-96 – F Maxim Schäfer, Berlin (DEL)
5-155 – F  Jackson Crowder, Chicago (USHL)
6-180 – D Aron Dahlqvist, Brynäs IF (Sweden U20)

Despite having fewer selections than normal and choosing toward the end of each round, given their finish in the standings, the Capitals did fairly well in the 2025 NHL Draft. Their success in the draft is weighed heavily by Lakovic, whom the team selected toward the end of the first round.

Lakovic was projected to be a mid-first-round talent, but fell approximately 10 spots to Washington. The Kelowna, British Columbia native recently completed his second season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, scoring 27 goals and 58 points in 47 games with a -25 rating. He’s a big winger with a powerful shot and good puck-handling skills. He has some deficiencies to sort out on the defensive side of the puck, though much of that comes through on-ice maturity, especially for wingers.

Other than that, the pair of Gästrin and Schäfer could see NHL playing time at some point in the foreseeable future, but they aren’t expected to turn into much. The former is coming off a solid year with MoDo Hockey’s U20 team, scoring 18 goals and 42 points in 40 games with a +6 rating. Still, a more accurate projection will be available next offseason, once he’s completed his first year in the SHL.

Trade Acquisitions

D Declan Chisholm (from Minnesota)

Unlike last offseason, the Capitals made very few trades this offseason. The only trade they made was with the Minnesota Wild, acquiring Chisholm and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for Priskie (who has since signed with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk) and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

Chisholm won’t get much playing time with the Capitals, unless injuries start to mount, since he was largely acquired to replace Alexeyev, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Still, Chisholm is coming off the best season of his brief NHL career (for his standards), scoring two goals and 12 points in 66 games for the Wild last season with a -5 rating, while averaging approximately 17 minutes of ice time per game.

UFA Signings

D Louis Belpedio (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Anthony Beauvillier (two years, $5.5MM)^
F Graeme Clarke (one year, $775K)*
F Sheldon Rempal (one year, $775K)*
D Calle Rosen (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

Like their effort in the trade market, the Capitals also did very little on the free agent market. Their biggest free agent signing was a re-sign, as they brought back Beauvillier on a two-year deal after a solid performance after the trade deadline. Washington acquired Beauvillier from the Penguins for a 2025 second-round pick, and he rewarded them with two goals and five points in 18 games down the stretch. He was a bigger factor in the postseason, scoring two goals and six points in 10 games.

In a less headline-worthy deal, the Capitals brought former Vegas Golden Knight winger, Rempal, back to North America on a two-way contract. Rempal was never a notable player during his time in Nevada, but he could prove to be a quality depth option in Washington. He had an impressive year with the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring 31 goals and totaling 61 points in 68 games, along with a +7 rating. He also added eight goals and 21 points in 19 postseason contests.

Even though they didn’t win the sweepstakes, it’s important to note that the Capitals were among the finalists for Nikolaj Ehlers’ services before he ultimately signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. If Washington were willing to procure a player of Ehlers’ talent, it could be something to watch out for during the 2025-26 season. Although it’s unlikely the Capitals deal from their depth of impressive young talent on the roster, they could go big-game hunting toward the deadline season if they’re in a position to make the postseason.

RFA Re-Signings

D Martin Fehervary (seven years, $42MM)
F Hendrix Lapierre (one year, $850K)

*-denotes two-way contract

Much like they did with the rest of their defensive core throughout the regular season, the Capitals extended Fehervary on a long-term contract. He had the best season of his career last year, despite having the lowest ATOI of his career since the 2019-20 season. Fehervary scored five goals and 25 points in 81 games with a +18 rating, averaging 19 minutes of ice time per game. He finished with the second-most blocked shots, third-most hits, and finished third among defensemen (with 65 or more games played) in on-ice save percentage at even strength (90.3%).

The team also re-signed Lapierre, who they are hoping can finally break out this upcoming season. After scoring eight goals and 22 points in 51 games for the Capitals during the 2023-24 campaign, Lapierre had a significant drop-off last season, only tallying eight assists in 27 games. It was apparent that Washington lost all confidence in Lapierre’s game last season, and he’ll need a big rebound season if he hopes to have any staying power within the organization.

Departures

D Alexander Alexeyev (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)
F Nicklas Backstrom (Brynäs IF, SHL)
D Ethan Bear (NY Islanders, one year, $775K)*
F Lars Eller (Ottawa, one year, $1.25MM)
F Alex Limoges (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Edmonton, two years, $7.2MM)
F T.J. Oshie (Retired)
F Luke Philp (Färjestad BK, SHL)
D Chase Priskie (traded to Minnesota)
F Taylor Raddysh (NY Rangers, two years, $3MM)
F Michael Sgarbossa (HC Lugano, NL)
G Hunter Shepard (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Outside of Mangiapane, the Capitals didn’t lose too much this offseason. The team’s recent departures mostly include depth players who had little impact during their dominant run in the Eastern Conference last season.

Even Mangiapane, who largely played in the bottom-six for Washington last season, finished 10th on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games. Thankfully, the Capitals already have an in-house replacement for Mangiapane in the 2023 eighth-overall pick, Ryan Leonard. Leonard only scored one goal and one assist through 17 combined regular-season and playoff games for the Capitals last season. Still, he should prove far better in 2025-26 with more comfort around an NHL organization.

Should Washington run into any hiccups through their bottom-six to start the 2025-26 campaign, each of the players lost should be fairly replaceable on the trade market, without having to give up an arm and a leg. Given the lack of roster turnover this offseason, the Capitals are bringing back a very similar team to the one that dominated the Eastern Conference last season.

Salary Cap Outlook

According to PuckPedia, the Capitals will have $4.125MM in cap space to work with to start the 2025-26 campaign. Outside of a decision on defenseman John Carlson’s future and a potential long-term commitment to Connor McMichael, Washington doesn’t have any longer-term issues to worry about thanks to their extension efforts throughout the 2024-25 season.

After next season, the Capitals should have plenty of cap space to re-sign Carlson and McMichael, while also having the ability to procure any top names on the free agent market. Still, there could be a significant cultural change to worry about, especially if Ovechkin chooses to retire from the NHL.

Key Questions

Will Ovechkin Stay? Outside of officially becoming the game’s top goal-scorer, the 2024-25 campaign proved how much Ovechkin has left in the tank. Even at 39 years old, Ovechkin scored 44 goals and 73 points in 65 games, tying for third in the league in goal-scoring. Assuming that his goal-scoring ability finally starts to deteriorate next season, would there be any hesitation from the Capitals to re-sign the greatest player in franchise history if he can only score 20 goals? The answer is no. Ultimately, the decision will come down to Ovechkin’s desires. Outside of another Stanley Cup ring, there’s nothing he has left to accomplish in the NHL, and with his contract expiring after next season, he may want to return to Russia to wrap up his professional playing career, similar to other Russian icons like Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Fedorov.

Will The Goaltending Hold Up? One of the key factors in Washington’s success last year was its goaltending, particularly Logan Thompson. Thompson finished the season with a 31-6-6 record in 42 starts with a .910 SV%, 2.49 GAA, and 12.4 Goals Saved Above Average. Despite having some solid years with the Golden Knights, it was the first time Thompson had received votes for the Vezina Trophy, placing fourth. Still, given his previous play in Vegas, there’s no reason to believe that Thompson will have any serious setbacks next season. Unfortunately, there are some injury concerns with Thompson, who lost significant playing time from 2022 to 2024 due to varying ailments. With only one quality season under his belt, is it safe for the Capitals to rely on Charlie Lindgren to keep the team’s head above water should Thompson have another serious injury?

Was Last Year A Fluke? There’s no questioning that outside the Capitals organization, few expected the year they had. Washington had not finished with more than 100 points since the 2018-19 campaign, a year after they won their first Stanley Cup championship. Given that Washington had a 20-point fall in the standings between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaign, is that something to be expected next season? The Capitals were bounced easily in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Hurricanes will again be fierce competition next season. Thankfully, outside of the Hurricanes and a healthy New Jersey Devils team, the Capitals have little to deal with in the Metropolitan Division. They should face some healthy competition from the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers, but there’s little reason the Capitals can’t have a similar performance next season.

Photos courtesy of Peter Casey (Fehervary) and Charles LeClaire (Ovechkin)-Imagn Images. 

Summer Synopsis: Winnipeg Jets

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Now more than a month into the new league year, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  We begin with a look at Winnipeg.

Expectations weren’t particularly high for the Jets heading into last season on the heels of a coaching change and the roster from an ugly first-round exit largely remaining intact.  But Winnipeg was a big surprise, winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the team with the most points during the regular season while making it to the second round in the playoffs.  There have been more changes roster-wise this time around but the core largely remains intact, meaning expectations will be higher than they were at this point a year ago despite being in a tough Central Division.

Draft

1-28 – D Sascha Boumedienne, Boston University (Hockey East)
3-92 – F Owen Martin, Spokane (WHL)
5-156 – F Viktor Klingsell, Skelleftea (Sweden U20)
6-188 – D Edison Engle, Dubuque (USHL)
7-220 – F Jacob Cloutier, Saginaw (OHL)

Boumedienne entered last season as one of the more intriguing blueliners in that he was already getting exposed to college hockey, playing at Boston University.  While he held down a regular role, it wasn’t a particularly prominent one which caused him to slide down some rankings.  While his output was rather low, he was behind some key offensive defenders so the hope is that over time, Boumedienne will be able to grow that part of his game, helping pave the way for him to become a second-pairing blueliner down the road.  While the Jets have strong defensive depth today, their prospect cupboard at that position is a little thinner so he should fill that gap nicely.

Martin, a Manitoba native, dealt with a fractured foot that cost him a couple of months last season but he was still a productive player with Spokane with 34 points in 39 regular season games, giving his draft stock a boost in the process.  More of a two-way player, Martin is probably four seasons away from being NHL-ready.

The other three players have similar timelines as well.  Klingsell was productive in Skelleftea’s junior system but still has to work his way up to the pro ranks over there, a process that will take some time.  Engle is expected to move to the OHL next season as a one-and-done player, beginning his college tenure in 2026-27, meaning Winnipeg could hold his rights for up to five seasons.  As for Cloutier, he played his first full OHL campaign last season and fared pretty well with 47 points in 67 games.  They’ll only have two years to sign him as things stand as the changes to draft rights only change in the next CBA.

Trade Acquisitions

While the Jets had a fair amount of roster turnover this offseason, none of it has come from the trade front so far.

UFA Signings

D Kale Clague (one year, $775K)*
F Walker Duehr (one year, $775K)*
F Phillip Di Giuseppe (one year, $775K)*
F Samuel Fagemo (one year, $775K)*
D Haydn Fleury (two years, $1.8MM)^
F Cole Koepke (one year, $1MM)
F Gustav Nyquist (one year, $3.2MM)
F Tanner Pearson (one year, $1MM)
G Isaac Poulter (one year, $775K)*
F Mason Shaw (one year, $775K)*^
F Jonathan Toews (one year, $2MM plus $5MM in performance incentives)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

Toews was the headliner from this group, agreeing to terms a week and a half before free agency started.  He didn’t play at all last season as he recovered from Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome so there are some questions about his ability to last the season and if he can fill the second-line center vacancy that has been somewhat of a revolving door in recent years.  The bonuses are tied to games played (and some playoff success) which isn’t a shock and hedges their bets in case he’s unable to make it through an 82-game campaign unscathed.  Toews had 31 points in 53 games in 2022-23, his last NHL season.  If he can produce around that point-per-game rate, he’ll be able to play a key role for them.

Nyquist is coming off a down year, notching just 28 points after putting up a career-high 75 in 2023-24.  Still, he’s a middle-six winger who can help deepen the attack while also potentially slotting in on the penalty kill.  For one year, it’s a reasonable move, especially if they think his offense will bounce back this season.

Pearson needed a training camp PTO to eventually land a deal with Vegas and became a valuable fourth liner while Koepke was a regular for the first time last year in Boston, adding some physicality to their fourth line.  Both players are likely to play similar roles on a new-look fourth line for Winnipeg next season.  The remainder of their signings are of the depth variety though a handful of their two-way forwards could plausibly see time with Winnipeg at some point in 2025-26.

RFA Re-Signings

F Morgan Barron (two years, $3.7MM)
D Tyrel Bauer (one year, $775K)*
F Parker Ford (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Isaak Phillips (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Dylan Samberg (three years, $17.25MM)
F Gabriel Vilardi (six years, $45MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Vilardi was the big ticket for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to deal with this summer.  The centerpiece of the return for Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer, Vilardi had his best season by a significant margin, tallying 27 goals and 34 assists in 71 games during the regular season, setting personal bests across the board including in games played.  Two years away from UFA eligibility, the question was would both sides commit to a long-term deal and clearly, they were comfortable doing so.  This deal ensures that a key cog of Winnipeg’s forward group is sticking around for the long haul; it’s particularly notable after another key cog departed on the open market last month.

There was quite a gap to bridge in the arbitration filings between Samberg and the team but they settled on this contract, a deal that buys Winnipeg an extra two years of club control.  He’s coming off a breakout year, one that saw him move from being a depth defender to a key part of their top four and their top shutdown option.  It’s not always easy to find the proper market value for that type of player but the Jets are banking on Samberg staying at this level moving forward.

Barron is likely to be the lone holdover from the fourth line, a role he has filled for the last couple of seasons after being deployed on the third line a bit more often in 2022-23.  A natural center, he has primarily played on the wing since becoming a regular with Winnipeg but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him shift over since last year’s fourth line center isn’t with them for the upcoming season.

Departures

F Mason Appleton (Detroit, two years, $5.8MM)
D Dylan Coghlan (Vegas, one year, $775K)
G Chris Driedger (Chelyabinsk, KHL)
F Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina, six years, $51MM)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (Brynas, SHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (Lugano, NL)
F Simon Lundmark (Tampa Bay, two years, $1.55MM)*
F Brandon Tanev (Utah, three years, $7.5MM)
F Dominic Toninato (Chicago, two years, $1.7MM)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Ehlers is the obvious headliner from the group.  He had suggested in the past that he felt that he should be getting more ice time given his success when healthy so it wasn’t a shock that he tested the open market although he may have a similar role with Carolina than he had in Winnipeg.  When healthy, Ehlers has been a consistent 20-plus goal-scorer and while the Jets added some forward depth, none of their acquisitions are likely to reach that mark, creating a void that’s going to need to be filled by committee.

Appleton wasn’t able to replicate his breakout 36-point effort from 2023-24 despite being a middle-six regular for most of the year.  While the two aren’t necessarily the same player stylistically, Nyquist is likely to take his spot on the roster.  Tanev was a trade deadline acquisition with an eye on adding some grit to the fourth line.  He was decent in that role down the stretch but moved on in free agency with Koepke effectively being his replacement.

Kupari opted to sign overseas in early June, a move that came as some surprise.  But clearly, he was looking to play somewhere where he could have more of an offensive opportunity and he’ll get that in Switzerland.  He received a two-year deal, one that walks him right to UFA eligibility although Winnipeg issued a qualifying offer to retain his rights in the short term.  Jonsson-Fjallby and Toninato didn’t see much NHL action last season but have been among the regular recalls in recent years.  Players like Duehr and Di Giuseppe figure to take those spots on the depth chart.

Salary Cap Outlook

By structuring Toews’ contract with $5MM of bonuses and not adding any big-ticket contracts in free agency, Winnipeg is in pretty good shape to start the season with a little over $3.8MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  A good chunk of that money could ultimately be used to pay for some of the bonuses that Toews reaches but if the Jets are in contention heading toward the trade deadline, they could instead spend their cap room on win-now help, pushing some of the bonuses onto their 2026-27 cap in the process.  Cheveldayoff has left himself some decent wiggle room heading into the season.

Key Questions

Will Connor Be Extended? Two years ago, Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele signed long-term extensions entering the final year of their deals, keeping Winnipeg in a spot to be competitive at a minimum for the long haul.  Last year, Ehlers clearly didn’t do the same.  What will happen to this year’s core player on an expiring deal, Kyle Connor?  He has notched at least 30 goals in four straight years and is coming off a season that saw him score 41 goals and 56 assists for a career-best 97 points.  A legitimate top-line scorer, Connor appears to be well on his way toward landing a contract with at least a double-digit AAV.  The Jets have the cap space to give him that type of deal but will they be able to get it done?

Will Winnipeg Move Some Defensive Surplus? With Fleury re-signing just before free agency, Winnipeg fits itself with nine defensemen on one-way contracts.  Considering it’s unlikely they’ll carry just 12 forwards and nine defenders, something has to give.  Ville Heinola, their former top prospect, hasn’t played much between injuries and being a waiver-blocked healthy scratch last season but they might get a bit of interest in his services.  Logan Stanley once had a trade request in play and after five seasons with the Jets, he still hasn’t progressed past being a low-minute third-pairing piece when he’s in the lineup.  But, at six-foot-seven, someone would take a flyer on him.  If Fleury is eyed as the ideal seventh option, both Heinola and Stanley are on the outside looking in.  Will they find a trade for one or try to sneak one through waivers?

Can Perfetti Take The Next Step? Winnipeg has taken the slow and steady route with Cole Perfetti.  The 10th overall pick in 2020 has seen his playing time managed carefully to the point where he only nudged past the 15-minute mark for the first time last season, a year that saw him reach 50 points.  With Ehlers gone and their newcomers being more secondary options, it feels like Perfetti should have a chance to secure a bit more playing time.  If he has success in that role, he’d go a long way toward helping replace the offense Ehlers brought to the table while positioning himself nicely for a trip through restricted free agency next summer when he’ll have salary arbitration rights for the first time.

Photos courtesy of Jamie Sabau (Toews) and Terrence Lee (Vilardi and Connor)-Imagn Images. 

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