At the conclusion of the 2024-25 NHL season, the Winnipeg Jets will have six unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and four restricted free agents (RFAs). Last season, the Jets re-signed Nino Niederreiter in early December before he could reach UFA status, and it’s likely fans will see a similar situation again. With so many pending free agents this season, let’s take a look at a few players the Jets could re-sign before the season comes to an end.
Nikolaj Ehlers
Chatter about Nikolaj Ehlers’ future with the Jets has been the talk of the offseason. He scored 25 goals and tallied 36 assists last season, bringing him to a grand total of 61 points in 82 games. After some cryptic responses regarding a contract extension, most fans assumed he would be traded before the start of the 2024-25 season, but that has yet to happen.
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It’s hard to say whether he will re-sign or not, but the fact that he hasn’t been traded yet should give Jets fans a bit of hope. With head coach Scott Arniel at the helm, Ehlers will probably see an uptick in ice time, which might be enough for him to want to stay. His current contract is worth $6 million a year, and if he keeps up with his current level of play, he might be looking for something similar or more. He’s someone the Jets should prioritize keeping around long-term if they want to stay competitive, especially now that they traded Rutger McGroarty.
Dylan Samberg
Dylan Samberg is essential to the Jets’ defence, usually playing on the second pair. Without Brenden Dillon around, it’s likely Samberg’s role with the team will increase. He recorded 111 blocked shots last season, and the Jets will need to hold onto him to maintain their strong defensive core.
He’s an RFA, so extending him as soon as possible likely isn’t one of the team’s most pressing issues right now. His current contract is worth $1.4 million a year, and if he can keep up his current level of play, he will undoubtedly be looking for a pay raise. Still, securing Samberg on a reasonable deal would be a big accomplishment for the club this season.
Gabriel Vilardi
Gabriel Vilardi made waves in his first season with the Jets, scoring 22 goals in only 47 games with the club. He most often played right wing on the first line with Mark Scheifele and either Ehlers or Kyle Connor. Like Samberg, he’s an RFA, so re-signing him isn’t urgent yet, but it’s still possible to see an extension signed during the season.
What a superb first regular season in Winnipeg for Gabriel Vilardi 😍 pic.twitter.com/hbKGQSZvsC
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 19, 2024
He’s coming off a two-year, $3.4 million average annual value (AAV) contract at the end of the season, though he’s valued much higher. If he has another great season, he’ll probably be looking for a pay raise. However, Vilardi historically has trouble staying healthy; he has yet to play a full NHL season since he’s been sidelined by injury so often. It’ll be interesting to see where the final number for Vilardi lies at the end of it all.
Vladislav Namestnikov
Veteran forward Vladislav Namestnikov is set to be a UFA at the end of the season. While he typically plays on the fourth line, he bounced around all four lines last season. He finished the 2023-24 season with 11 goals and 26 assists, bringing him to a total of 37 points, his highest since the 2017-18 season.
Namestnikov has one quality that separates him from the rest of this list: he’s cheap. At the end of the upcoming season, he’ll be finishing a two-year, $2 million AAV contract. His last several contracts have all hovered around the $1 million to $2 million range as well. While he’s proven valuable to the team, he’s also 31 and doesn’t generate as much offence as a lot of the other forwards. Still, it’s not often to find a player who can slot into virtually any forward spot in the lineup. Assuming some of the other, more expensive UFAs get traded or head to free agency, the Jets would be smart to lock Namestnikov down for a couple more years on a cheap, reasonable contract.
The Rest of the Free Agents
Excluding the players on this list, the Jets will have two RFAs (Morgan Barron and Rasmus Kupari) and four UFAs (Mason Appleton, Alex Iafallo, Axel Jonsson-Fjalby, and Neal Pionk) left at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Both RFAs are kind of up in the air — Barron is likely to get re-signed, but I can see Kupari getting traded if the Jets can’t find a spot for him this season.
In terms of the UFAs, my guess is that most of them would have to be willing to take cheaper contracts with the team unless they decide to test free agency. Iafallo and Pionk in particular have hefty contracts as it is, and the team is unlikely to extend them at a comparable pay. Some of the more expensive UFAs will likely be off the roster by next summer if the team prioritizes giving raises to players like Ehlers and Vilardi. Either way, the Jets certainly have their work cut out for them this season with their pending free agents.
