The Winnipeg Jets signed one of their top defensive prospect, Alfons Freij, to a three-year, entry-level contract on Saturday. The contract carrier has an annual average value of $975,000 across the three years, while the cap hit is $905,833.
Freij was drafted 37th overall by the Winnipeg Jets at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. It was held at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Freij was a part of the 2024 draft class, which is currently known as the last centralized draft class.
The second-round pick, used to draft Freij, was acquired in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. The pick originally belonged to Montreal. Winnipeg also acquired Rasmus Kupari, Alex Iafallo, and Gabriel Vilardi in this same trade.
Freij is seen as an exceptional skater and has recently finished his first professional season in Sweden’s second league, HockeyAllsvenskan. He notched eight points (2G, 6A) in 29 games for IF Bjorkloven.
It is expected that Freij will remain in Sweden as he’s expected to make his SHL debut with Timra IK in 2025-26. Freij joins Kieron Walton and Kevin He as the Winnipeg Jets’ 2024 draft class prospects to sign their ELC. Markus Loponen remains the only player from the 2024 draft class who hasn’t signed his ELC.
Like fellow Swedish defender Elias Salomonsson, Freij’s contract will be eligible to slide one year and a second should he stay overseas that long.
Alfons Freij likely won’t join the Winnipeg Jets organization until 2027-28, where he is likely to join the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
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