The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenceman Haydn Fleury to a two-year contract. The deal will be worth $950K per season and is of the one-way variety, meaning the 28-year-old would require to be passed through Waivers should be sent down by Winnipeg. Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA Today [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a90e63bb-63a6-41cd-a755-dce474a658d2.jpeg] Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA Today Skating in his first season with the Jets in 2024-25, the Carlyle, SK. product put up seven assists in his 39 regular season games. Often serving as the seventh defenceman, Fleury was able to work his way into the favour of head coach Scott Arniel through his strong skating, puck-moving abilities and offence-first mentality. A former seventh overall selection of the Carolina Hurricanes (2014), Fleury stepped up his play in the postseason when called upon due to various injuries. With Logan Stanley, Colin Miller and Ville Heinola also downgraded due to the Luke Schenn deadline addition, Fluery elevated his play and served as regular third-pairing defender. His best showing came in Game 7 of the first round vs. St. Louis when Winnipeg's top defenceman Josh Morrissey went down with an injury early. A steady diet of Neal Pionk and Fleury followed. In 307 career games for the Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg, the 6-foot-4, 208-pound rearguard has 10 goals, 44 points and 85 penalty minutes. Winnipeg still has contracts for Nikolaj Ehlers, Gabe Vilardi, Morgan Barron, Dylan Samberg, Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev to sort out before all players hit free agency on July 1.
