Get to Know Jets’ 2026 Free Agent Signings Ferraro, Gregor, & Skinner

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff signed three players on July 1, the so-called free-agent frenzy day: defenseman Mario Ferraro, forward Noah Gregor, and goaltender Stuart Skinner. It’s time to get to know them.

Mario Ferraro

Ferraro was a top-four defenseman for the San Jose Sharks who will be an upgrade on the left side of the Jets’ third pairing and also an option for the penalty kill.

The 27 year old, one of the top-rated unrestricted free agent blueliners and someone the Jets were linked to at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, inked a three-year deal with a $4 million average annual value (AAV) and an eight-team no-trade clause. He has spent his entire seven-year career with the Sharks and posted a career-high 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 82 games last season.

Originally drafted by the Sharks in the second round (49th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Ontarian has 24 goals and 90 assists for 114 points in 490-career games to go along with 955 hits and 920 blocked shots. He served as an alternate captain for the past four seasons.

Ferraro is known primarily for his defensive prowess, solid puck moving ability, his calm, composed game. He also has a physical edge as he led Sharks’ d-men in hits last season with 137.

The Sharks were bad for Ferraro’s entire tenure, never making the playoffs or finishing above .500, and they leaned on him heavily to the tune of 21-plus minutes per night since he was 22 years old. While his possession metric and career plus/minus rating are both rough, one should caution in putting too much stock in them considering the tanking/rebuilding team he belonged to. He could really flourish in a place like Winnipeg, where he can play behind Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg rather than being depended on to be “the guy.”

Noah Gregor

Gregor, a centre/left winger the Jets signed to a one-year $850,000 contract, will be a bottom-six or depth option.

The 27 year old split time between the Florida Panthers and their AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers last season, recording four goals and five assists for nine points in 37 NHL games. The Edmontonian, originally drafted by the Sharks in the fourth round (111th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft) has 40 goals and 39 assists for 79 points in 330-career games between the Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs Ottawa Senators, and Panthers.

Stuart Skinner

In a signing widely seen as an insurance policy if or when three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck is traded after all the rumours that have swirled, the Jets inked Stuart Skinner to a two-year deal with a $3.75 million AAV.

Skinner, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound 27 year old, is a durable and competitive netminder, but has received his fair share — or perhaps more than his fair share — of criticism over the years for his penchant for allowing soft goals and his lack of high-end technical skills.

Drafted in the third round (78th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by his hometown Edmonton Oilers, Skinner spent the first five-and-a-half seasons there, becoming the starter in 2022-23. He had stretches of excellence and stretches of struggles in both the regular season and in the Oilers’ back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final, leading to him receiving much scrutiny and the fanbase developing a polarizing opinion of him.

Last December, the Oilers traded Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins after he’d become somewhat of a scapegoat and pariah. In 50 starts between the two teams, he posted a 23-17-9 record, 2.92 goals against average (GAA), .891 save percentage (SV%), and two shutouts.

Over his career, he has a 121-73-23 record, 2.77 GAA, .901 SV%, and nine shutouts in 224 regular-season appearances and a 26-25 record, 2.89 GAA, .892 SV% and four shutouts in 53-career playoff games.

While those numbers are not elite, one has to consider that the Oilers never played very good defense in front of him. Regardless, the Jets have ensured stability between the pipes if Hellebuyck is shipped out. If Hellebuyck remains, Skinner is an undoubted upgrade at backup over Eric Comrie (who signed with the Sharks), but also four times more expensive.

“As of right now, me and ‘Helle’ are teammates, which is so exciting,” Skinner said Wednesday afternoon on a Zoom media availability. “I mean, he’s the best goalie in the world, so it’s a great opportunity for me. I think, again, with the thought process of growing my game and just becoming a better goalie and the type of culture that Winnipeg brings, it’s extremely exciting.”

“Looking at the track record and just the years before, you look down their lineup and they’re a scary team to play against,” he continued. “Whenever I played against them, it was a tough matchup. They are an incredible team, I think they’re extremely well-coached. You look down the lineup and we have some incredible players. Some of the best in the world. I also believe the depth the team has is very impressive. For my mind, I truly believe this team can do amazing and special things. I’m honoured to be a part of that.” (From ‘Skinner signing adds to Winnipeg Jets goalie intrigue,’ Winnipeg Free Press, July 1, 2026.)

A Good Start, But More to Do

While adding these three players — specifically Ferraro and Skinner, who both have the chance to move the needle — is a good start, Cheveldayoff should not be done seeking free agents and exploring trades he thinks can help the team avoid another down season like 2025-26. He still has $10.68 million of cap space available as per PuckPedia, and a number of useful players remain on the market despite all of July 1’s signings.