- Winnipeg Jets star Nikolaj Ehlers has been dealing with neck spasms so far in camp according to Jets head coach Rick Bowness, and his status is something to watch for Jets fans and hockey fans alike. The Jets’ Jamie Thomas reports that Ehlers was on the ice this morning, but won’t be making the trip to Edmonton for tonight’s preseason contest. It’s not known at this moment whether Ehlers’ availability for opening night is at all in question, but given how Ehlers has struggled with injuries the past two seasons one would hope that this current ailment is only a temporary setback.
Jets Rumors
Ehlers, Barlow To Miss A Few Days
- The Winnipeg Jets will have to wait a bit longer to get one of its best players and one of its best prospects back on the ice for training camp. In a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, head coach of the Jets, Rick Bowness states that forward Nikolaj Ehlers will miss this weekend’s on-ice sessions due to neck spasms, and recently signed 2023 first-round pick, Colby Barlow, would skate in limited action due to an undisclosed illness. Bowness relays that neither player is expected to miss significant time.
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Winnipeg Jets Sign Colby Barlow To ELC
The Winnipeg Jets took care of some business today as they announced that they’ve signed 2023 first-round pick Colby Barlow to a three-year entry-level deal. Barlow was drafted 18th overall back in June out of the OHL after he captained the Owen Sound Attack last season. The native of Orillia, Ontario had good numbers as a winger last season with the Attack registering 46 goals and 33 assists in 59 games. In two seasons in the OHL with the Attack, Barlow has 76 goals and 50 assists in 118 games.
On top of his short, but successful OHL career, Barlow has also seen a lot of success internationally. In 2022, Barlow helped the Canadians win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as well as a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Barlow’s ELC will pay him an NHL salary of $950K to go along with a signing bonus that will be paid out in three-year installments of $95K. He will carry an annual cap hit of $1.2MM at the NHL level, and should he play in the minors, he would receive a salary of $82,500.
It’s unlikely that Barlow will make the Jets out of training camp, but he’s done enough to earn his first NHL contract and can hang his hat on that should he be sent back to the OHL for more seasoning.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. 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 see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2023-24 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 CapFriendly.
Winnipeg Jets
Current Cap Hit: $81,720,357 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Ville Heinola (one year, $863K)
F Cole Perfetti (one year, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Heinola: $425K
Perfetti: $850K
Total: $1.275MM
Last season was Perfetti’s first full year at the NHL level and it was going along well in the first half of the season, spending a fair bit of time in the top six while collecting 30 points in 51 games. However, an upper-body injury ended his season early. After only playing 18 games in his first year, there probably isn’t enough of a track record for a long-term agreement. But if he returns and stays in that role, a short-term bridge deal in the $2MM range should be doable. Perfetti’s bonuses are of the Class A variety (tied to specific thresholds). Had he stayed healthy, he probably would have reached one of those last season and if he takes a step forward, two or three could be legitimate possibilities which will be notable for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to keep in mind.
Heinola is a victim of Winnipeg’s depth chart as his performance with AHL Manitoba has demonstrated that he’s worthy of a longer-term look with the Jets. That chance doesn’t appear to be coming at the moment although a trade or two can certainly change things. Having said that, unless he’s on the roster and in the lineup regularly, he’s unlikely to reach his two ‘A’ bonuses and will almost certainly be heading for a short-term second contract.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
G Laurent Brossoit ($1.75MM, UFA)
D Kyle Capobianco ($762.5K, RFA)
D Declan Chisholm ($775K, RFA)
D Dylan DeMelo ($3MM, UFA)
D Brenden Dillon ($3.9MM, UFA)
F David Gustafsson ($775K, RFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($6.167MM, UFA)
F Nino Niederreiter ($4MM, UFA)
F Mark Scheifele ($6.125MM, UFA)
D Logan Stanley ($1MM, RFA)
Scheifele’s future with the Jets has been in question for a while now and wasn’t resolved over the summer either by trade or extension. While he doesn’t produce a point per game most seasons, he’s still a number one option for Winnipeg and would be for several other teams. Accordingly, he’s well-positioned to earn an extra couple million per season at a minimum. Whether that’s from Winnipeg or another team remains to be seen.
Niederreiter was a victim of the down market in 2022 when he signed this deal with Nashville (who flipped him to Winnipeg near the trade deadline). He has reached the 20-goal mark in the last three seasons and if he can make it four, he might have a shot at doing a little better than this next summer. But as a winger best suited for the middle six, his earnings upside is going to be limited. Gustavsson had a very limited role last season and while he played in a career-best 46 games, he didn’t do much to push for a spot higher in the lineup. Unless that changes, his next contract should be below the $1MM mark even with arbitration rights.
Dillon has been a capable piece on the second pairing for the past two seasons after being acquired from San Jose. Offense is hard to come by but as a defender who can kill penalties, block shots, and play physical, there should still be a market for him next summer. It’d be surprising to see him command a big raise at 33 but a multi-year deal in this price range should be doable. DeMelo has shown that he can be more than a full-time third-pairing option but beyond last season, points have been hard to come by. Being a right-shot option helps but again, a big pay jump doesn’t seem likely; instead, another multi-year deal close to this point makes more sense.
Stanley had a hard time locking down a regular spot in the lineup last season, leading to a trade request that appears to have since been rescinded. But with their depth chart, playing time is still going to be hard to come by. He’ll basically need to keep going year-to-year until that changes for him either with the Jets or another organization. Capobianco and Chisholm will be battling for one spot on the roster. Capobianco held it last year but didn’t play much while Chisholm is waiver-eligible for the first time. Capobianco is likely to stay close to the minimum salary being a bit older while Chisholm will need to carve out a spot in the lineup to be able to get any sort of significant raise next summer.
Hellebuyck’s situation is well-known by now. After the season, it didn’t appear as if he was interested in signing a long-term extension to stay in Winnipeg, fueling trade speculation. However, a reported asking price of $9.5MM on a new contract cooled that speculation pretty quickly. Even though he’s among the higher-paid starters already, he’s still underpaid relative to the value he brings to the Jets. A true starter capable of carrying one of the heaviest workloads in the NHL, Hellebuyck has done a lot to keep Winnipeg in the playoff picture over the years. But he’ll be 31 when his next contract begins, making a max-term agreement a bit less palatable, particularly at his desired price point.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Mason Appleton ($2.167MM, UFA)
F Morgan Barron ($1.35MM, RFA)
F Nikolaj Ehlers ($6MM, UFA)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby ($775K, UFA)
F Rasmus Kupari ($1MM, RFA)
F Alex Iafallo ($4MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($2MM, UFA)
D Neal Pionk ($5.875MM, UFA)
D Dylan Samberg ($1.4MM, RFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($5.95MM, UFA)
F Gabriel Vilardi ($3.438MM, RFA)
Ehlers, when healthy, has been a top-line producer in recent years. However, staying healthy has been a challenge for him over the past three seasons. If he can stay healthy over the next couple of years, he’ll still be well-positioned for a decent-sized raise but if the injury issues continue, it will certainly hurt his market. Iafallo comes over from Los Angeles in the Pierre-Luc Dubois swap and is in a similar situation as Niederreiter – a middle-six winger who can be moved around the lineup. However, Iafallo’s scoring touch is a bit more limited which, if not bolstered by the change of scenery, might limit him to a contract similar to this one in 2025, not a more lucrative pact.
Let’s stick with pieces acquired in the Dubois swap. Vilardi was the headliner of that trade, a 24-year-old who has played center in the past and is coming off a 23-goal campaign despite missing 19 games. This contract basically amounts to a second bridge deal to see if there’s another gear to get to or if he’ll settle in closer to the offensive range of Iafallo and Niederreiter. Obviously, whichever outcome he winds up at will go a long way toward determining his next deal but it’s worth noting he’ll have a $3.6MM qualifier. Kupari was the other player involved in the swap, another former first-round pick but he has been limited in the NHL so far. He’ll need to at least grab a hold of a third-line spot over the next two seasons to position himself considerably more than his $1.1MM qualifier.
Appleton hasn’t been able to match his output in 2020-21 although he had a chance to do so last year had he stayed healthy. His production is at the level of a third-liner which is in line with his salary although he plays a bit more than a typical bottom-six forward. He’ll need to improve his output to have a shot at cracking the $3MM mark on his next deal. Namestnikov has bounced around lately (eight teams over the last six seasons) and his market value has hovered in this range for the last few years. Barring any big improvements or injuries, his next one should be in this area as well. Barron’s first full NHL campaign was a decent one and this is a traditional bridge contract to better assess his future. Jonsson-Fjallby, meanwhile, was on waivers twice last season and will simply be looking to lock down a full-time roster spot.
On the back end, Schmidt was acquired for relatively cheap at the time with Vancouver looking to clear some cap space. His first season with them was good but he took a step back last year. If he’s going to be more of a fourth option moving forward, this will be a negative-value deal for them. Pionk has also had some ups and downs in his three seasons in Winnipeg. He hasn’t matched his per-game output from his first year with them but has settled in nicely as a second or third option most nights. If his ten-goal total from last season is repeatable, he’ll be in good shape for another jump in 2025. Samberg was a regular most nights in 2022-23, albeit in a limited role. Like Barron and Kupari, this is a true bridge agreement; he’ll be looking to get into a top-four spot where he’ll be better-positioned for a significant raise.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Kyle Connor ($7.143MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($3.25MM, UFA)
Connor has somewhat quietly averaged more than a point per game over the last four seasons combined with the last two being particularly impressive, including a 47-goal showing in 2021-22. He’ll be 29 when he signs his next contract and even if his output remains at the 80-point mark it was a year ago, Connor should be in a good spot to get a max-term agreement and another couple million on that pact. Lowry, the newly-named captain, is on a contract that’s a bit high for a third-liner but he was a bit more productive last season, notching 36 points. If he can stay around that mark, they’ll do fine with this contract.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Declan Chisholm
The Winnipeg Jets have announced a one-year, two-way contract for defenseman Declan Chisholm. The deal will pay Chisholm a total of $775K at the NHL level and will be the second professional contract of his career after being drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
For the most part, Chisholm spent much of his entry-level contract with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Over the last two years in the AHL, although a bit limited due to injuries, Chisholm was not only one of the highest-scoring defensemen on the Moose but one of the highest-scoring players overall.
In those two seasons, over 112 regular season games, Chisholm had 14 goals and 59 assists but also carried a -12 rating. Given the current depth of their defensive core at the time being, it’s most realistic that Chisholm once again starts the year in Manitoba, but he could be an exciting call-up option in the case of injury.
Based on how the regular season goes in Winnipeg, the team will have two expiring contracts on their blue line in Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo, and they both could be moved by the trade deadline. However, given that he excels in moving the puck and still needs a bit of improvement to his defensive assets, Chisholm likely will not replace either of those two in the lineup. Nevertheless, given his play in the minor leagues, Chisholm should see more playing time at the NHL level this season.
Adam Lowry Named Winnipeg Jets Captain
A second Canadian franchise has named a player captain in just as many days. After the Vancouver Canucks named star defenseman Quinn Hughes as their next captain, the Winnipeg Jets have followed up with their own choice, tapping center Adam Lowry to wear the “C.”
Lowry is the Jets’ third captain since the club relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta. The previous captains were Andrew Ladd, who officially retired on Sunday, and Blake Wheeler, who was stripped of the captaincy before the 2022-23 season.
Lowry isn’t exactly a surprising choice for the role, as although the Jets have bigger-name star players on their roster, Lowry has long been recognized for exemplary leadership skills.
The 30-year-old veteran forward has been a captain before in his career, leading the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos during the 2012-13 season.
Before this past year, Lowry’s on-ice production may not have been exactly what one would expect for a player set to take on the prominent role of captaining a team in a high-pressure Canadian market. Bottom-six players typically don’t have a ton of staying power on their teams, and change clubs with more frequency than higher-scoring stars.
But this past season was the best of Lowry’s career, one that cemented his place in Winnipeg for years to come. He scored 13 goals and 36 points in the regular season and five points in five playoff games.
Lowry is under contract through the 2025-26 season, and seeing as he’s only played for the Jets so far, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him play his entire NHL career in Winnipeg. It’s also worth noting is also that Lowry is a second-generation NHL captain. Lowry’s father, Dave Lowry, captained the Calgary Flames from 2000 to 2002.
With significant uncertainty facing the Jets due to the looming expiration of contracts for franchise netminder Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, this is an extremely important season for the club to make a strong competitive push.
Now, today’s announcement confirms that Lowry’s leadership will take a central role in any competitive push the team makes.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Could A Short-Term Extension Work For Connor Hellebuyck?
When word surfaced this summer that Connor Hellebuyck was hoping for a long-term deal worth around $9.5MM per season, trade speculation cooled sharply. To that end, Murat Ates of The Athletic speculates (subscription link) that the Jets could shift focus and look to try to extend the netminder on a short-term contract. Since Winnipeg’s books are relatively clean for 2024-25, they could theoretically make an offer around that range in the hopes that they could entice him to stick around for at least another year or two. That would allow Hellebuyck to get the top dollar that he’s seeking while extending Winnipeg’s current window, one that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff believes his team can contend in. If a long-term deal at that price point can’t be done, this could be the next best option.
Kristian Reichel Changes Agents
- Jets prospect Kristian Reichel has changed agencies, joining Octagon per an announcement on Twitter from agent Allan Walsh. The 25-year-old is entering the final season of a two-year, two-way contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Last season, Reichel spent most of the season in the minors, picking up 24 points in 61 games. He did get into a pair of games with Winnipeg, however, and has 15 career appearances at the top level over the past two seasons.
Cheveldayoff Plans To Resume Talks With Scheifele And Hellebuyck At Camp
The futures of Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele with the Jets has been a source of speculation all summer with no extensions in place as they enter the final year of their contracts. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that he plans to meet with both players once training camp gets underway to continue talks on a new deal. After trading Pierre-Luc Dubois and buying out Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg’s roster looks a bit weaker on paper heading into the season but having Hellebuyck and Scheifele around would certainly help their chances of making the playoffs. At this point, they’re expected to be on the roster when the regular season starts whether or not an extension is in place.
Winnipeg Jets To Be Patient With Connor Hellebuyck And Mark Scheifele
Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele have been in trade rumors all summer long. And Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe says that training camp isn’t putting any pressure on the Winnipeg Jets to find a deal. Wiebe says that the Jets don’t want to make a rash decision regarding their top center and goaltender, especially following the trading of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Scheifele’s former number-two, to the Los Angeles Kings.
Instead, Wiebe expects both Scheifele and Hellebuyck to attend training camp, where reporters and fans should be able to get a much better sense of what path forward the players may prefer. The team remains open to both trades and possible contract extensions, although the price of either option would be steep. How the Jets handle Hellebuyck and Scheifele’s situation will be very interesting to follow, as it could be a strong indicator of the team’s goals over the next few years.
And while Hellebuyck has been a stone wall in net, Scheifele has been the team’s goal-scorer. He netted 42 goals in 81 games last season, his first time breaking the 40-goal mark. He’s reached 272 career goals, all coming with the Jets, placing him just 56 goals behind Ilya Kovalchuk’s franchise goal-scoring record. Scheifele also ranks second in all-time franchise scoring, with 645 career points. While the Jets have tended to spread around their ice time, Scheifele continues to operate confidently as the team’s top-line center.
The Winnipeg Jets aren’t necessarily up against the cap but keeping around a Vezina-caliber starter and 40-goal-scoring top-line center beyond this season will undoubtedly come at a rich price. For a team with a lot of questions looming, decisions around Hellebuyck and Scheifele will be telling.