Nikolaj Ehlers is at the center of trade rumors as the Jets look to find more cap space for their pending free agents.
According to Capfriendly, the Jets have a projected cap space of around $13.6 million entering the offseason.
This includes pending free agent forwards Sean Monahan, Cole Perfetti and Tyler Toffoli as well as blueliners Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon and netminder Laurent Brossoit.
It may be very challenging for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to retain all these key players, making the conversation around Nikolaj Ehlers' contract that much more interesting.
The 28-year-old Dane has been a key part of the Jets' lineup since he was drafted by the team ninth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He is coming off a 61-point campaign which looks better than his $6 million cap hit.
Fellow offensive stars Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi are also going to need new contracts soon and could make Ehlers expendable for some much-needed cap space.
The team should oblige Ehlers with the courtesy of being able to be involved in the trading process, as he has been with the team for nine seasons and has a no-move clause. He was already brought up in conversation last season in trade rumors when the Jets were seeking out a top-four defenceman.
Sources have also come out saying that he may not be interested in extending with the Jets, making the collaboration of a trade seemingly more likely to happen.
One direction the team could go would be to possibly deal Ehlers to a team that works for him, while getting the Jets back a much needed piece on the back-end like New York’s K’Andre Miller, Philadelphia’s Cam York or Buffalo’s Bowen Byram.
All three players are due for new contracts soon and could work as low-cost options, as they all recorded 30 or fewer points this past season and are all 26 and under, which means they have room to improve.
They make the Jets back-end younger and stronger, as Cheveldayoff wants to continue contending for Stanley Cups. Additionally, it won’t cost Winnipeg too much in the process besides Ehlers and at most a mid-round draft pick.
They could also look to deal Ehlers to a team willing to give the most out of their draft capital for him like the New York Islanders, who have an extra second round pick.
The Islanders are one of many teams that desperately need point production out of their top-six, which makes them a great landing spot as they would like to improve on their offence - which finished 22nd in goals per game last season - and continue making the playoffs.