The Winnipeg Jets have been eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and with that, the offseason begins for the Presidents’ Trophy winners.
Lots of big names are due new contracts for this club, and big needs must be addressed this summer. The offseason primer for the Winnipeg Jets gets you set for the coming months.
2025 NHL Entry Draft
The Winnipeg Jets have five draft selections at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. They own their first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh round picks for this year’s draft.
The Jets are slated to select 28th overall in the first round of the draft, and there are great prospects available. Given the history of the Jets’ draft selections, they will likely go with a European-born player, but there are also some North American players I wouldn’t be surprised to see end up a Winnipeg Jet, see below:
- Jack Nesbitt – 6-foot-4, C – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
- Henry Brzustewicz – 6-foot-1, RD – London Knights (OHL)
- Haoxi Wang – 6-foot-6, LD – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
- Ivan Ryabkin – 6-foot, C – MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)
- Jakob Ihs-Wozniak – 6-foot-3, RW – Lulea HF (J20 Nationell)
- Cole McKinney – 6-foot, C – USDP (NTDP)
These are six names in the range of 28th overall, some higher and some lower, that the Jets could be interested in. Given the ceilings of these players, they could evolve into players who help the team long-term, but likely not in the short term.
2025 Free Agency
The Jets are at a crossroads. They have a lot of players to sign and will have to make tough decisions. See the list below for unrestricted free agents (UFA) and restricted free agents (RFA). This list will include Manitoba Moose players.
Unrestricted Free Agents
- Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW, 29
- Brandon Tanev, LW/RW, 33
- Mason Appleton, LW/RW/C, 29
- Dominic Toninato, RW/C, 31
- Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, C/LW, 27
- Haydn Fleury, LD/RD, 28
- Dylan Coghlan, RD, 27
- Chris Driedger, G, 31
Restricted Free Agents with Arbitration Rights
- Gabriel Vilardi, RW/C,
- Morgan Barron
- Rasmus Kupari
- Parker Ford
- Dylan Samberg
- Simon Lundmark
- Mason Shaw
Restricted Free Agents without Arbitration Rights
- Tyrel Bauer
- Isaak Phillips
Biggest Needs for the 2025-26 Season
The Winnipeg Jets are in a sticky situation as they have a lot of glaring needs when it comes to the 2025-26 season. Breaking it down into five separate categories, take a look at the biggest needs the Jets should address in the 2025 offseason.
Top-Six Forward (Scoring Depth Still a Problem)
The first line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi was the highest-scoring line in the NHL’s 2024-25 regular season. The Jets’ scoring after that takes a nosedive production-wise. Ideally, this top-six forward would play center and can take a lot of pressure off Scheifele, and maybe split the 1C role with Scheifele.
When you look at the Jets’ 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs run, it became clear that secondary scoring plagued them, and it’s been an annual thing. Don’t get me wrong, Vladislav Namestnikov has been great in the 2C role, but come playoffs, the Jets get exposed when not having a true 2C that can step up if an injury happens.
This must be addressed if the Jets want to remain competitive in the long haul, but if it’s not addressed, it could be catastrophic. This could become more of a glaring hole should Nikolaj Ehlers walk in unrestricted free agency, and if no Manitoba Moose player is ready to step into the Jets’ lineup in the top six, it could pose issues.
Right Side Defensive Upgrade
Arguably, this could be an internal thing if Haydn Fleury steps into the Jets’ top four. However, I don’t see Fleury being re-signed given the Jets’ depth waiting down in Manitoba, specifically Elias Salomonsson.
The need for another right side defender is going to become an issue that worsens as the years pass with Neal Pionk’s body cashing cheques he can’t cash. His style of play is going to catch up to him and lessening his minutes, even on the $7 million contract is necessary with an upgrade in his position.
I brought up Salomonsson as a potential upgrade, as he could come in and look great on a line with Samberg or Morrissey, but an external short-term addition is likely the strongest solution to keep the Jets’ competitive window open.
Backup Goaltending Plan
Connor Hellebuyck is as elite as ever at 32 years old, but it’s time to start talking about managing his load throughout the regular season and bringing his games played down to a more manageable level. For the past four seasons, Hellebuyck has played 253 of 328 possible games, with his highest coming in 2021-22, playing 66 games.
This is one game shy of his career high of 67 games played back in the 2017-18 season, and this isn’t sustainable. Hellebuyck is going to have to take a step back and manage a workload of 55 games or fewer, and the Jets need to find a backup goaltender who can fill that gap of playing potentially 30 games in a season. This is also not saying Eric Comrie can’t manage that workload, but Comrie was sheltered in the 2024-25 season.
Alternatively, give one of (or both) Domenic DiVincentiis or Thomas Milic a few games up with the Jets while Eric Comrie plays 15-20 of the remaining games. It’s not entirely outlandish, but it would be a positive step in the development of the young goaltenders of the Jets’ future.
Commit to Youth or Move On
Year after year, the Jets seem to neglect giving their younger players the leeway to develop into their projected selves. Ville Heinola, regardless of the injuries he’s dealt with, hasn’t been given adequate playing time whatsoever throughout the 2024-25 season. This was amplified by Heinola sitting for the majority of the 2025 half of the season.
Look down to the talent with the Moose, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, Elias Salomonsson and the incoming additions of Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, Connor Levis and Zach Nehring. Add in the potential addition of Dmitri Rashevsky and the Jets’ future looks bright, but the team must commit to the youth similar to what the Dallas Stars did or move on.
Developing the Bottom Six into Identity Lines
The Jets have an issue in their bottom six, and it’s the lack of identity. This comes at its own head-to-head as the bottom six almost lack energy, physicality and enough strength in those lines to make them a constant in the lineup.
The need is one or two gritty, defensive-minded forwards who can be trusted in late-game or playoff penalty kill roles, and these depth guys who excel in these roles come in abundance. The players who are the best in these roles are hardest to find, and the Jets must find the guys best suited for their bottom six on the open market.
Final Thoughts
While most of these are unlikely to come to fruition, a full rebuild is completely out of the question, but a minor tweak is more likely.
There are priority signings for the Jets in the offseason and others that may not be as high a priority, but with crucial offseason dates in the draft and free agency looming, decisions may come to light sooner rather than later.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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