Nikolaj Ehlers Postgame Final cuts have been made, and the Winnipeg Jets are set for battle in their first test of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. On Monday, the Jets announced the team's three final releases, meaning the opening night roster has been set. In opting to keep three goaltenders on the roster rather than attempt sending one down to the American Hockey League via Waivers, the Jets were forced to part ways with three youngsters. Despite making strides last season and strong training camps this September, Winnipeg sent down their three most promising prospects. The Jets' three final roster cuts were defenceman Elias Salomonsson and forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Brad Lambert. The chose to keep Eric Comrie and Kaapo Kahkonen as rotating backup netminders behind reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Also passing through Waivers unclaimed on Monday was forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who will now attend the latter stages of Moose camp with Chibrikov, Lambert and Salomonsson. The Jets also officially placed defenceman Logan Stanley on their injured reserve, while fellow blueliner Ville Heinola was designated as an injured 'non-roster' player due to reporting to camp injured, as opposed to Stanley, who suffered his injury during training camp. The current roster does have $1.75 million in salary cap space, while also milking $5.5 million in dead cap from the Blake Wheeler ($2.75 million) and Nate Schmidt ($2.7 million) contract buyouts. The full breakdown of the opening night roster includes one extra player at each position (13 forwards, seven defencemen, three goaltenders). Winnipeg Jets opening night roster: Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi Perfetti-Namestnikov-Ehlers Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton Barron-Kupari-Iafallo/Gustafsson Morrissey-DeMelo Samberg-Pionk Fleury-Miller/Coghlan Hellebuyck Kahkonen/Comrie
