Pro Hockey Rumors

Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Central Division, last up are the Jets.

Winnipeg Jets

Current Cap Hit: $91,536,190 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None that are projected to be full-time regulars.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

G Eric Comrie ($825K, UFA)
F Kyle Connor ($7.143MM, UFA)
F David Gustafsson ($835K, RFA)
D Ville Heinola ($800K, RFA)
F Cole Koepke ($1MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Colin Miller ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Gustav Nyquist ($3.25MM, UFA)
F Tanner Pearson ($1MM, UFA)
F Cole Perfetti ($3.25MM, RFA)
D Luke Schenn ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Logan Stanley ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Toews ($2MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Toews: $5MM

Connor’s pending free agency isn’t generating as much attention as it normally would, it’s just that there are some other big-name players also entering the final year of their respective deals as well.  But Connor is in that high-end tier as well.  In his eight full seasons as an NHLer, only seven players league-wide have scored more goals.  He has two years with more than 90 points over the last four campaigns.  He’s an above-average top-line winger, simple as that.  He has been on a team-friendly deal for a while now and will be for this season but that will change soon.  A long-term pact is likely going to add another $4MM or more per year to his current cost and it’s a price that many teams, not just the Jets, will likely be willing to pay.

Of the trio of players at the $3.25MM mark, one is on the way up, that being Perfetti after his first 50-point season.  Many think he still has another gear to get to and he’ll get a chance to play a bigger role following the departure of Nikolaj Ehlers.  He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time next summer with a $3.5MM qualifying offer.  Assuming that Winnipeg will want to sign him to a long-term deal, it will likely take more than double that amount to get something done.

Lowry has ranged between 34 and 36 points over the last three seasons while bringing a strong defensive game and physicality to the table.  In a perfect world, he’s a solid number three center although his usage was a bit more than that at times last season.  Given that he’ll be 33 when his next deal starts, he may not be able to command too much more on his next deal but pushing past the $4MM mark should be doable.  Nyquist had a career-best 75 points in 2023-24 but tapered off last season, managing just 28, leading to this deal in July.  At 36, he should be going year-to-year from here on out.  A bounce-back could push him past the $4MM mark, especially on a re-signing where Winnipeg often has to pay a bit of a higher rate.

Toews was able to benefit from an early free agency, so to speak.  After not playing in the past two seasons while recovering from illness, he was free to work out a deal before July 1st, making him the focal point of the market for a couple of weeks.  His structure gives Winnipeg a bit of insurance as most of his bonuses are based on games played with some for some playoff success, also dependent on playoff games played.  So, if he struggles and can’t last the full season, they’re not out the full weight of the contract but if he returns and makes an impact, he’ll be one of their higher-paid forwards.  Given his age (37) and recent history, he’s probably going to go year-to-year if he keeps playing beyond this season.

Pearson had to earn a deal of a PTO last season with Vegas and did just that before being a solid depth contributor for the Golden Knights.  At this stage of his career, he’s a depth player who will be going year-to-year but he’ll add some length to a lineup that hasn’t always been the deepest.  Koepke also adds some depth after being a regular on Boston’s fourth line.  With a limited track record at this point (73 of his 99 games came last season), there’s some room for his price tag to jump up still if he can hold down a similar role this year.  Gustafsson has had a limited role in recent years and assuming that remains the case, he’s likely to stay near the minimum salary moving forward.

Schenn was brought in near the trade deadline last season to give the back end a bit more snarl and depth.  He largely played on the third pairing and killed penalties, the role he has had for most of his career.  Given that he’ll be 36 soon, he’s someone who might be on one-year deals moving forward, allowing for a bonus structure that could get the total potential value of the contract close to what it is now.  Miller’s first full year with the Jets was serviceable but his minutes remained rather low for a blueliner.  Even with some offensive skill, if he can’t log 15 minutes a night, he’ll probably be hard-pressed to match this deal next summer.

Stanley has been in the same spot for several years now, a sixth or seventh option on the depth chart who doesn’t play a lot when he’s in the lineup.  Still, given his size (six-foot-seven), there will probably be teams who think they can get him going in a different environment.  Accordingly, he could wind up near the $2MM mark next summer.  Heinola, on the other hand, has seen his stock drop in recent years to the point where he could be a waiver candidate.  He needs to play in 27 games to retain his RFA status, otherwise, he’d be a Group Six UFA.  Unless he can establish himself as an NHL regular, he’s likely to be at or near the minimum moving forward.

Comrie hasn’t had a lot of NHL success outside of Winnipeg but his two best seasons have come with the Jets over two separate stints.  Based on his numbers with this team, a jump past $2.5MM would make sense.  But with his spotty track record elsewhere, he might only be able to land more in the $1.5MM range.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Morgan Barron ($1.85MM, UFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($950K, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($3MM, UFA)
F Nino Niederreiter ($4MM, UFA)

Niederreiter isn’t the 50-point player he was a while back but he is still a relatively consistent secondary scorer.  His type of role is a tough one to thread, however, as it’s the middle class that might get squeezed with more money heading toward top talent.  If he stays around 15 goals and around 40 points per season, he should be able to get another contract like this.  However, if the production drops off over the next couple of years, he’ll be 35 and in a spot where overall interest could be limited.

Namestnikov has settled in well with Winnipeg, filling a bit of a ‘Swiss Army’ role where he’s moved around a lot.  The same concern with Niederreiter applies here to a point as well although Namestnikov’s ability to play center helps his cause.  His free agency has been a bit perplexing in the past in terms of the type of interest he gets but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land another two-year deal around this price point.  Barron has been a regular on the fourth line for several years now and signed this deal this summer to walk him right to UFA eligibility.  He will need to find a way to land a spot higher in the lineup if he wants to beat this by a significant amount in 2027.

Fleury played a limited role in his first season in Winnipeg and this contract reflects the expectation that he’ll remain a depth defender for the next couple of years.  That has been his role for several years now so there’s no reason to think his future deals are going to remain at or near the minimum salary moving forward.

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