Morgan Barron has the opportunity of a lifetime to take his bottom-six role to a top-nine spot after signing his brand-new two-year contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets.
The two-year contract carries an average annual value (AAV) of $1.85 million a season. The sixth-round (174th overall) draft selection by the New York Rangers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft has been a crucial part of the Jets’ fourth line.
The 26-year-old restricted free agent (RFA) avoided arbitration with the contract, leading Barron right to unrestricted free agency (UFA) when the contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The news broke after the Jets’ season ended that Captain Adam Lowry is due for hip surgery that will keep him out of action to start the season. With a few months on the books for Lowry’s time on the shelf, Barron could take advantage of this opportunity to excel as the answer the Jets need for their third-line centre brief vacancy.
The centre depth is certainly no issue for the Jets either. Mark Scheifele is locked as the Jets’ number one centre, Vladislav Namestnikov and Jonathan Toews are going to be battling alongside Barron for a bigger role with the team, but that comes down to line combinations.
Questions surround that second-line centre vacancy, too. There is reasonable concern around Toews being the potential short-term stopgap for the Jets’ second-line centre role. Add the financial concern on Toews’ contract, and there is a divide when it comes to the hometown kid.
Take a look back at the last three seasons and postseasons for the Jets, Barron hasn’t been flashy whatsoever, but he’s been reliable as the team’s fourth-line centre.
A chance to learn from a three-time Stanley Cup Champion who excelled as a faceoff specialist in his NHL career is nothing to scoff at. Barron can take this chance and elevate his game to help piece together the Jets’ short-term issue at who will play the third-line centre role.
Add to the fact that Barron has been a reliable penalty killer for the Jets, and this just adds to his case to be given more leeway in 2025-26. The 6-foot-4 forward resembles a power forward who hits frequently and blocks shots.
His deployment on the wing for a good stretch of the season was questionable, but when Scott Arniel moved him to centre, Barron looked far more comfortable and natural in that role. He won 52.1% of faceoffs and was only on the ice for 15 even-strength goals against while also averaging 10:23 TOI in the 2024-25 season.
Barron’s new deal brings the list down to four RFAs: Tyrel Bauer, Parker Ford, Dylan Samberg, and Gabriel Vilardi were all due new contracts when Barron signed, but Bauer signed a day after Barron.
ITR 49: For Real This Time – Inside The Rink
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