Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor is entering the final season of his contract and will be UFA-eligible next July. The 28-year-old would draw plenty of interest if he hit the open market. Since his 2017-18 sophomore campaign, Connor has exceeded the 30-goal plateau seven times, including two 40-plus goal seasons, the latest being in 2024-25. He sits eighth among all NHL scorers [https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20172018&seasonTo=20242025&gameType=2&sort=goals&page=0&pageSize=50] with 282 total goals during that period. Connor's contract status has been overshadowed by that of Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. The 28-year-old McDavid would be the biggest name in next year's UFA market, prompting some pundits to ponder potential destinations [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-the-latest-on-oilers-connor-mcdavid-and-canucks-quinn-hughes] for the Edmonton Oilers' captain. Nevertheless, NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently mused on Bleacher Report [https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1955326919093711231] about where Connor might land if he tests the market next summer. He believed the Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] might be a good fit, suggesting they could use the scoring punch the Michigan native would bring to their roster. Seravalli doesn't discount the possibility of the Jets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets] re-signing Connor. While they lost right winger Nikolaj Ehlers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/latest-news/breaking-nikolaj-ehlers-signs-six-year-51-million-contract-with-the-carolina-hurricanes] this summer to free agency, they surprised the hockey world two years ago by re-signing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele to identical seven-year contract extensions. Like McDavid, Connor can sign an extension [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/kyle-connor-s-impending-payday-set-to-challenge-jets-financial-philosophy] before his UFA eligibility next July. And like the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] captain, the longer the Jets winger goes without a new deal, the greater the conjecture about his future with his current club. NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Blues' Kyrou And Penguins [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e1e9096f-f5b3-4117-adfa-1d612b684c5b.webp] NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Blues' Kyrou And Penguins St. Louis Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou became the subject of trade rumors this spring following his club's first-round playoff elimination. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-the-latest-on-blues-kyrou-and-penguins] Turning to the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars], Sean Shapiro of DLLS Sports indicated they looked into what the return could be for Jason Robertson. Appearing on The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test” on Aug. 12, he suggested [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMs1TDlTCQg&t=2063s&ab_channel=TheSickPodcast-TheEyeTest] they would've sought something that would've involved a roster player who could replace some of the points they would've lost by moving the 26-year-old left winger. He also felt he could be part of a bigger deal. Robertson is eligible to become an RFA with arbitration rights next July and is two years from UFA eligibility. He surfaced in the rumor mill [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-will-the-stars-trade-or-re-sign-jason-robertson] following the Stars' elimination from the Western Conference final in May. Shapiro also indicated that the Stars had kicked around the idea of pursuing Mitch Marner before the right winger joined the Vegas Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights] on June 30 in a sign-and-trade situation. Had the Stars made this move, the amount of money required to pull that off would've meant making a cost-cutting trade. Shapiro suggested that it might've involved trading Robertson for prospects. It doesn't appear as though the Stars are peddling Robertson. Shapiro pointed out that Glen Gulutzan, the Stars' new coach, could help the winger improve his postseason performance. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
