Winnipeg Jets sign Minnesota's Gustav Nyquist to one-year deal with hopes of being Nikolaj Ehlers replacement

The Winnipeg Jets are coming off a historic season, where they hit franchise bests across the board but with it coming to an end, they were forced to make some tough decisions. Since being drafted by Winnipeg ninth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, Nikolaj Ehlers has been a lineup mainstay with the Danish winger regularly posting 55-60 points. 

He is coming off another solid season with 63 points and wanted to explore other options outside of Winnipeg as an unrestricted free agent. Carolina would go on to offer Ehlers a massive six-year deal with an annual cap hit at $8.5 million per season. Quite a lot for a regular 60-point producer but because of this, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was forced to make an adjustment and bring in another winger that could produce similar numbers and play top-six minutes. 

During the 2023-24 season, Nashville's Gustav Nyquist had a career-best year with 75 points through 81 games. The following season, he would see complete flip in his numbers as he would suffer a career-worst year with just 28 points between the Predators and Minnesota Wild. There's no telling if the 35-year-old winger still has his best or if he is past his prime but it is a gamble worth taking. 

Nyquist is a consistent 60-point producer like Ehlers and costs more than half the price at $3.25 million for one season. If things don't work out and Nyquist faces another bad season then adjustments will need to be made and he could move to the third line to work with Vladislav Namestnikov. Regardless of his role, Nyquist is a risk worth taking as he has the potential to be an immediate fix for the Ehlers problem while also giving the team flexibility with the cap that currently leaves them with $10.5 million available to make further moves if problems arise. 

Early lineup projections have Nyquist on the second line with rising star Cole Perfetti and veteran centre Jonathan Toews, meaning he should be in a favorable position to finish with his regular 50-60 points. 

Winnipeg's Best Individual Performances During their Historic 2024-25 Season Looking back at the most impressive single-game performances from the Jets historic 2024-25 season.