Nikolaj Ehlers’ Jets future is in jeopardy, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says he met with Ehlers’ agent, Andre Rufener, for two hours on Monday.
That such a meeting took place is a positive sign toward an Ehlers extension — they did not do the same with Brenden Dillon or Nate Schmidt’s representation at this time last year — although it’s clear the Jets are also preparing themselves for the possibility of an Ehlers departure.
“We will put our best foot forward to try to make our case (for Ehlers) to be one of those guys who can be a unique ‘Jet for Life’ type of player,” Cheveldayoff said at Jets exit interviews on Wednesday. “We’ll see where it goes from there, but the relationship is great. He did contribute to the success of this organization on many fronts and we hope that that’s something that can continue.”
Jets fans hoping for an Ehlers contract can take optimism from that kind of dialogue. Ehlers and his camp have done an excellent job of keeping their business private, giving themselves the opportunity to come to an agreement with Winnipeg or explore the open market on July 1. Just don’t mistake optimism for certainty.
The Jets will have an internal budget for Ehlers, knowing that they have Dylan Samberg and Gabriel Vilardi to extend this summer and that Kyle Connor’s contract ends next season. Ehlers’ power play promotion helped him score 63 points in 69 games, the highest per-game rate of his career, but he was still a secondary player at even strength. He received the ninth-most five-on-five minutes per game during the regular season — and again in the playoffs — and, whatever the contract terms are, there’s a chance Ehlers is more interested in playing a bigger role than Winnipeg can promise him.
Cheveldayoff says Winnipeg will be prepared for a future with or without Ehlers, who they drafted ninth in 2014 and developed into a dominant, if chaotic, five-on-five player.
“If he does choose to go in a different direction, then obviously as an organization we will have to evolve as we have in the past with other things,” Cheveldayoff said. “It will be another opportunity for us to grow in a different area.”
Will Ehlers stay? Will he go? What about the rest of the Jets — whether they need new contracts or not — as Winnipeg’s offseason begins?
The three untouchable core players
Connor Hellebuyck isn’t going anywhere. He’s just completed the first year in his seven year, $8.5 million contract extension, is a finalist for the Hart Trophy, and will win the Vezina Trophy. Cheveldayoff called him “the best goaltender in the world” twice on Wednesday. This is a franchise player.
Mark Scheifele isn’t going anywhere, either, nor is anybody clamoring for it after the 87-point season he just had and the family tragedy he played through in Game 6. His contract matches Hellebuyck’s — they’re the two pillars upon which this contention window is built — and the Jets are fortunate that both were signed before the salary cap started to skyrocket.
Josh Morrissey will receive Norris Trophy votes for the third straight season while earning a $6.25 million AAV. His decision to frame his struggle with his dad’s death as a lesson to help him be there for Scheifele is one of the most striking bits of humanity of the Jets’ season. He’s the heart of the Jets defensive group.
Core adjacent players, not going anywhere
Cole Perfetti is tracking to move from this group into the core; he hit 50 points as a 22-year-old and should see his minutes increase next season. He should be first in line for top power play minutes if Ehlers signs elsewhere, while continuing to grow at even strength. His $3.25 million bridge deal has been great short-term value for the Jets; his next contract will ideally be long-term and will cost more now that he’s proven himself than it would have last summer.
Neal Pionk just signed a six-year contract extension and it’s clear the Jets are invested in him as a person and part of their leadership group. He deserves credit for an epic, 46-minute performance in Game 7 against St. Louis after Morrissey was hurt. There’s a chance that his $7.0 million cap hit ages poorly; this depends on his performance, health, and the degree to which the cap increases to mitigate age-related decline. He’ll be 30 this summer, though, and he’s a big part of this team.
Dylan DeMelo has three years left on the $4.9 million AAV contract he signed last summer. He showed his first real signs of wobbling in a top four role alongside Morrissey this season, but the chemistry continues to produce positive regular-season results. It’s starting to look more and more like Winnipeg needs a more Byfuglien-esque version of a No. 1 RD to partner with Morrissey; even if it found such a player, DeMelo would be valuable further down the depth chart.
Recent signees, staying put
Alex Iafallo has bought in to Winnipeg as a team and as a place to play, signing a three year, $3.67 million contract that could see him elevated from the fourth line — particularly if the Jets are willing to let Mason Appleton, Brandon Tanev, or both hit free agency.
Nino Niederreiter was the first non-core player to extend in Winnipeg following the matching Hellebuyck and Scheifele extensions. His $4.0 million AAV contract has two years left on it. If that seems expensive, consider that Lowry’s shutdown line has excelled since Niederreiter’s 2023 arrival bumped inferior competition like Saku Maenalanen, Karson Kuhlman, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, and Jansen Harkins from the role.
Vladislav Namestnikov‘s $3.0 million AAV contract was the first of three end-of-season extensions, followed by Iafallo and Pionk. That’s an excellent price point for a versatile player who is often listed as Winnipeg’s No. 2 centreman. Will the Jets try to upgrade down the middle again? Yes. If they succeed, Namestnikov will have no trouble finding a different useful role.
Core players who are UFA in 2026
Adam Lowry told us that he sees himself as a lifelong Jet and Cheveldayoff said the organization is on board. Cheveldayoff also shared that, when he called Lowry to talk about his last extension, it was about a week before the 2021 trade deadline and he accidentally spooked Lowry with the timing: “He thought he was getting traded.” Cheveldayoff said he and Lowry were laughing about it on Wednesday, with the GM promising not to put Lowry through a similar scare this time around.
Kyle Connor‘s $7.1 million contract comes to an end next summer. His next contract is a massive priority for the Jets. Assuming Connor signs an extension before next year at this time, he’ll automatically become the highest-paid Jets player. There’s risk here, given that Connor turns 29 this December, but 90-plus point players who love Manitoba’s outdoors are a rarity in the NHL. The Jets value Connor and will do everything in their power to sign him.
Nikolaj Ehlers: Jet for life? Or soon to be set free?
“I know how this world works,” Ehlers told The Athletic earlier this season. “Everyone wants answers and I get that.”
What he didn’t do was tip his hand as to his future plans. Questions about his contract were met with uncertainty, while questions about the bonds he’s formed in Winnipeg were met with love.
“Ask the retired guys, you know what I mean? They may not miss the hockey part so much when they retire — it’s the guys,” Ehlers said. “It’s going to the rink, hanging out with the guys, and shooting the s—. You grind for so long to get to the same thing. There’s guys here that we’ve been trying to win the Stanley Cup for the Winnipeg Jets for nine years. So yes. You do create a special bond with the guys that sit in here and go through the same things on and off the ice and that’s something that lasts for a long time.”
What does it all mean? Some of the conversations that determine whether he’s a Jet “for life” as Cheveldayoff said — or a free agent — will happen after he’s done at the World Championships. If I’m guessing, I think that a team that can offer Ehlers a bigger role on the ice — perhaps a bigger, Eastern Conference metropolis — will have the best shot at signing him when all is said and done. He played low-end second-line minutes (or high-end third-line minutes, depending on where you set the boundaries) and I wonder if he’ll want more than that while his production is still worthy of it.
It’s too soon to be sure, though — and it was clearly a special year in Winnipeg.
Core players: In need of RFA contracts
Dylan Samberg has turned himself into a cornerstone of Winnipeg’s defence corps. He’ll be back. The only questions are about dollars and term — and whether Samberg’s goal is multiple cracks at UFA status or a longer-term deal that maximizes stability. He wasn’t interested in detailing his hopes when speaking to reporters on Wednesday but I fully anticipate a multi-year contract extension. Note that Samberg could theoretically become a UFA as soon as July 1 of next summer — he has more leverage than might be expected for a player with one year of top four experience.
Gabriel Vilardi isn’t eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2027. This opens the door for a one-year contract as well as long term options. He’s due for a sizable raise regardless of term but Vilardi is a big part of Winnipeg’s future.
In both cases, Cheveldayoff was more excited about the players’ development than worried about their contract.
“That’s going to take care of itself,” he said of negotiations. “We’ll find a way to find common ground.”
Restricted free agents hoping to grow
Morgan Barron played his way into the fourth-line centre job in the wake of Rasmus Kupari‘s concussion. I think the Jets are hoping Barron can grow beyond that role, perhaps inspired by the power forward type goals he started to score at the end of the season.
Kupari told The Athletic on Wednesday that his concussion recovery was a slower process than he’d anticipated. It sounded as though he’s done a good job of listening to his body, managing symptoms, and making the right choices to make a full recovery. He will be keen to consolidate the step forward he took this season.
Barron and Kupari are each eligible for arbitration this summer. That said, their limited offensive numbers make it hard to imagine a case for a substantial raise.
UFAs: A heavy helping of ‘If the price is right’
Mason Appleton scored 22 points in 71 games. He’s been a dogged part of Winnipeg’s shutdown line, helping it achieve dominant flow of play numbers since Niederreiter’s arrival. He sounded hopeful that a contract would get done, although conversations between his agent and the Jets haven’t started in earnest the way they have for other players. I wonder if he’s a player the Jets would like to bring back, but not at the $3.25 million or $4.0 million prices of his linemates.
Brandon Tanev was fun to watch but didn’t score or control the flow of play in concert with his $3.5 million contract. Like Appleton, I could see the Jets being interested but not at a price that brings him close to Lowry or Niederreiter’s AAV. Having said that, there’s also a chance that Winnipeg is so entrenched in its win-now mode that veterans like Appleton and Tanev are more appealing to them than opportunities for Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and the next generation.
Dominic Toninato won’t be in line for a substantial raise from the $775,000 contract he’s just finished; he’s been a great fit in his role playing in the AHL and NHL as needed, though, and I could see him signing in Winnipeg once again.
Haydn Fleury signed with Winnipeg in part because the Jets and Moose share a city. He then took his opportunity and ran with it out of training camp, earning third pairing minutes, getting promoted beyond his reach when Samberg was hurt, and then showing well when added to Winnipeg’s playoff lineup. That’s a good addition to Fleury’s resume and should see him earn an everyday job somewhere in the NHL. He said he’d love to say in Winnipeg; if the Jets are interested in that, they might have to work to create room or run the risk of losing multiple defencemen to waivers.
Chris Driedger could be a good option to insulate Thomas Milic and Dom DiVincentiis in the AHL if the Jets still expect they need one. He enjoyed his hometown return. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby didn’t get into an NHL game this season. I wonder about a return to Sweden; I’m not sure what his future holds.
Jets depth under contract
Luke Schenn has one more year left on his contract. Schenn spoke openly about how hard it was to be away from his wife and three kids, who stayed behind in Nashville when the Jets acquired him. Winnipeg did its part, allowing him to leave the team to be with his family during off days. Assuming he’s back next season, one hopes for a more sustainable arrangement; Schenn’s family is clearly his No. 1 priority.
Colin Miller is the player whose minutes Schenn largely took. Miller’s underlying numbers were superior to Schenn’s, while the Jets performed better on the scoreboard in Miller’s minutes than they did with Schenn on the ice. He’ll be back to compete for the third pairing job one more time.
Logan Stanley has one more year left on his $1.25 million AAV contract before UFA eligibility next summer. Based on this season’s usage, Stanley is first in line for the job at third pairing left defence. Ville Heinola could theoretically offer competition for that job, depending on his health and Winnipeg’s roster construction, but Heinola only played in two games after the 4 Nations break and seven in 2025.
Eric Comrie is an ideal fit as Hellebuyck’s backup. Their friendship is strong, their working relationship is strong, and the Jets were pleased with Comrie’s .914 save percentage in 20 regular-season games.
David Gustafsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan combined for what was very briefly an important goal against St. Louis in Game 3 of the first round. They’ll be in the mix for fourth line jobs next season, depending on what happens further up the depth chart.
Salomonsson, Lambert, and beyond: Is there room?
Winnipeg’s prospects are in tough to make next year’s team, barring dramatic steps forward or spectacular training camp performances.
Elias Salomonsson is Winnipeg’s top prospect. He is in tough to win an NHL job, with DeMelo, Pionk, Schenn, and Miller slotted ahead of him on the right side; he’ll turn 21 this August and has two years left on his ELC.
Brad Lambert struggled to produce AHL offence last season — a fact true for every Moose but worrisome for an offence-first speedster with Lambert’s skills. It seems worth tempering expectations about the nature of NHL impact he could make if he earns a Jets job this fall. Brayden Yager is likely Moose-bound and may have surpassed Lambert as Winnipeg’s top forward prospect; it would be exciting to see them play on the same line at any level.
Nikita Chibrikov has the most NHL-ready game of Winnipeg’s forward prospects but his season ended early due to a lower-body injury. Colby Barlow redeemed an underwhelming OHL season with a dominant playoff performance, scoring 33 points in 21 games. He’ll likely head to Manitoba to start his pro career.
The 2025-26 Winnipeg Jets?
LWCRW
Kyle Connor
Mark Scheifele
Gabriel Vilardi*
Nino Niederreiter
Vladislav Namestnikov
Cole Perfetti
Morgan Barron*
Adam Lowry
Alex Iafallo
Jaret Anderson-Dolan
David Gustafsson
Rasmus Kupari*
LDRDG
Josh Morrissey
Dylan DeMelo
Connor Hellebuyck
Dylan Samberg*
Neal Pionk
Eric Comrie
Logan Stanley
Luke Schenn
Ville Heinola
Colin Miller
UFATop AHL Prospects (Projected)
Nikolaj Ehlers
Elias Salomonsson
Mason Appleton
Brad Lambert
Brandon Tanev
Brayden Yager
Dominic Toninato
Nikita Chibrikov
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
Colby Barlow
Haydn Fleury
Dom DiVincentiis
Dylan Coghlan
Thomas Milic
Chris Driedger
Asterisks in the table denote restricted free agents
Prospect list projects NHL/AHL/ECHL eligible professionals
(Top photo of Nikolaj Ehlers: Derek Cain / Getty Images)