After signing Kyle Connor to an eight-year, $96 million deal, the Jets now focus on managing the cap, re-signing key players, and developing young talent to maintain long-term success.
The Winnipeg Jets made headlines Tuesday night into Wednesday morning when extending superstar Kyle Connor to a new eight-year, $96 million deal with an annual cap hit at $12 million per season.
Jets Sign Kyle Connor to Franchise Record Eight-Year, $96 Million Contract Extension
The Winnipeg Jets have come to terms on a monstrous eight-year, $96 million contract extension for pending unrestricted free agent winger Kyle Connor.
It was the news all Jets fans were waiting for as once again GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was able to retain his top end talent. As the story dominated the news cycle in Winnipeg and the rest of the hockey world, it begs the question of what's next for the Jets? Is there another outstanding contract that needs taking care of or an area of the team that needs to be fixed? We look to examine several areas of the team that Cheveldayoff could be looking next to in terms of future actions.
Re-Signing Lowry, Perfetti, Comrie
Connor was the most notable but not the only impact player on an expiring deal heading into this season. Winnipeg's captain and underrated two-way center in Adam Lowry is also in need of a new deal as well as high-end prospect Cole Perfetti and popular backup goaltender Eric Comrie. The Jets are getting tighter and tighter to the cap with their limits being tested.
They currently have just $1.38 million in cap space but the news of a potential $11.5 million league cap increase next off-season would certianly help. They would like to extend Perfetti long-term if possible with a new seven-year deal while Lowry and Comrie are in their early 30s and could be negotiated with on the term of a new deal. The expectation is that Lowry and Perfetti will sign contracts that fit within the expanded cap space available after next offseason’s increase, while Comrie could become expendable given the emergence of younger goaltending prospects like Domenic Divincentiis.
Preparing for Future Roles As The Cap Tightens
With the Lowry, Perfetti deals likely to have the Jets pressed against the cap, they'll still need to worry about re-signing veterans on one-year deals like Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, Colin Miller and Logan Stanley.
Jets Add Youth As Chibrikov, Ford Earn Main Roster Spots
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets">Jets </a>prospects Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford are getting a major opportunity to prove themselves at the NHL level, as injuries have opened the door for them to showcase their talents heading into the new season.
This could create some opportunities for young players to come up and compete for starting jobs like Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert and Brayden Yager up front while the defense could see the infusion of young talent with Ville Heinola, Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips. The problem with this is what if some of these cost-effective rookies don't pan out and the Jets don't have enough money to replace them? It could cause the Jets to suffer a bit of a setback with the depth of their lineup truly tested.
Despite these concerns, Winnipeg has plenty of time to navigate any challenges, with Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabe Vilardi all under contract through 2031. Their top four defensemen in Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg, and Dylan DeMelo are locked in through 2028, and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is signed through 2031 as well.
Continue To Develop From Within Like They Have
The Jets have done well with growing talent within their system and despite it taking a longer amount of time than wanted for some due to a lack of spots available, their are still players coming up that can hopefully be difference makers in the future. Russian pro leagues and the Manitoba Moose have housed and grown winger Nikita Chibrikov into a solid player with his chance finally coming this season after being selected back in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
If the Jets can continue developing their prospects patiently while ensuring players remain confident that there’s a clear path to the NHL roster, they’ll be better positioned to fill future bottom-six roles with affordable, homegrown talent. This approach allows their long-term core to keep driving the top of the lineup while maintaining depth and cap flexibility. Although it didn’t work out with Rutger McGroarty, the organization hopes to learn from that situation as more promising young options prepare to compete for roster spots in the near future.
Still Slept On: League-Best Jets Defense Snubbed Despite Back-to-Back Elite Seasons
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets">Jets</a>’ league-best defense highlights how the team as a whole continues to be discounted, despite back-to-back seasons of elite defensive dominance.