Coming off of a 110-point regular season, the Winnipeg Jets had a handful of notable departures in free agency. Sean Monahan, Brenden Dillon, Tyler Toffoli, and Laurent Brossoit all signed elsewhere, opening the door for younger players to crack the lineup for the first time in 2024-25.
It’s no secret that the Jets, a small market team, will need players to contribute on their entry-level contract (ELC) in order to compete. Young players making a big impact on cheaper contracts is what made the 2017-18 Jets, the team that made the Western Conference finals, so special. Here are three players who could earn a roster spot and become full-time NHLers for the first time in their careers next season.
Brad Lambert – Centre/Right Winger
The most likely candidate to crack the lineup next season is 20-year-old forward Brad Lambert. The 30th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft has developed rapidly, and last season was a massive step forward. As a main scoring option for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL), he posted 55 points in 64 games, was named an AHL All-Star and to the AHL’s All-Rookie First Team.
The opportunity is there for Lambert, as the team is searching for a second-line centre after the departure of Monahan, and he will certainly be a part of the battle for that spot during training camp. Lambert will be competing with Cole Perfetti, Vladislav Namestnikov, and potentially even Gabriel Vilardi to be the team’s second-line centre on opening night.
Even if Lambert is unable to crack the opening night lineup as the second-line centre, that opportunity may eventually present itself if the Jets struggle to begin the year, or if an injury occurs. Regardless of Lambert’s NHL-or-not status when the Jets open their season, it’s looking likely that he will get more NHL games in 2024-25 than the one he got to end last season.
Related: Jets Have 4 Options for Second-Line Centre in 2024-25
Lambert’s training camp, and the battle for the second-line centre role, will be a top storyline when it gets underway in Sept. With his dynamic skating and speed, he may make the jump to the NHL as a winger, which would place less defensive responsibility on him to begin his career. Look for Lambert to get NHL action in 2024-25, with it potentially coming on Oct. 9th, when the Jets open their season against the Edmonton Oilers.
Elias Salomonsson – Right Defenceman
Elias Salomonsson is the next best bet to crack the 2024-25 lineup, however, it looks as though he has a lower chance to crack the opening night roster. He is a 19-year-old right-shot defenceman whose post-draft stock has skyrocketed with Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Without any AHL time under his belt, it’s unlikely that he will skip over the AHL and head straight into the NHL. I believe he will still see NHL games next season, whether it’s due to injury or performance after he has had a handful of games to adjust to the AHL. Dillon leaving in free agency, as well as Neal Pionk being in the final year of his contract, gives Salomonsson a pathway to NHL ice time as early as this season.
In 31 games last season he posted only 11 points, but Salomonsson’s biggest strength is not being a point-producer, it is him being a smooth-skating 6-foot-2, 185-pound defender who can move the puck effectively out of his own zone.
Nikita Chibrikov – Left/Right Winger
Potentially an underrated candidate in this discussion, Nikita Chibrikov could earn a roster spot in 2024-25. The skilled, forechecking winger whose motor is always set on ‘high’ has the tools to be an effective forward very soon in the NHL. He is 21 years old and coming off of a 17-goal, 47-point season in 70 games for the Manitoba Moose.
The number one thing working against him is the logjam in the Jets’ bottom-six. As a winger, he will be competing against Alex Iafallo, Morgan Barron, Nino Niederreiter, and Mason Appleton for a spot, and I do not envision him cracking the top six quite this early in his career.
Last season, along with Lambert, he got into the final regular season game for the Jets and ended up scoring his first career NHL goal, the game-winner in a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
If Chibrikov is to crack the lineup full-time, it’s most likely to come in the 2025-26 season, when Iafallo and Appleton are unrestricted free agents. However, an extended look in the bottom six could be in the cards for him as early as this season, if the Jets struggle early, or if there is an injury. He is a versatile winger whose play style can mesh with most players, and he could be an early call-up if needed.
