The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Parker Ford to contract extensions today.
Ford received a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in year one and $850,000 in year two, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. Vilardi received a six-year contract worth $7.5 million annually, avoiding salary arbitration days before the hearing.
These two contract extensions make defenseman Dylan Samberg the final restricted free agent the Jets have left to sign. He is due a salary arbitration hearing, but the last time he filed for arbitration, he signed a two-year contract well before the hearings were set to take place.
There are no trade clauses in Vilardi’s deal reported at the time of writing. This article will be updated to reflect the salary breakdown and trade clauses (if applicable) in Vilardi’s new contract.
Parker Ford’s contract is a two-way deal and is worth $775,000 in year one and $850,000 in year two. It is worth $125,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL) with a $150,000 guarantee in year one and $250,000 in the AHL with a $300,000 guarantee in year two.
Vilardi’s Extension is Smart for Both Sides
Getting six years for Gabriel Vilardi in a rising salary cap climate is smart, but it’s also smart for the player who gets a significant pay raise and long-term security. The Jets get their first-line right winger locked up for the next six years at a great annual average value (AAV).
It’s easy to argue the value of the contract, especially noting Vilardi’s history with his health and not having played a full 82-game NHL season yet. Given his production stays the same or improves in 2025-26 and beyond, Vilardi will be a key piece of the Jets’ top line for years to come.
If you look at what Evolving Hockey projected, a six-year deal between the Jets and Vilardi would’ve been around the $8.4 million mark. Six years is also an interesting number to note, given the new CBA, which will come into effect in the 2026-27 season, limits player contract terms to seven years if re-signing with a team and six years for an unrestricted free agent signing with a new team on July 1st. This makes me wonder if the new contract terms make an eighth year on newly signed contracts a rarity going forward.
To date, the 25-year-old has 175 points (90G, 85A) in 270 career NHL games across six seasons split between the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings.
With Vilardi out of the way on a smart deal that works for both parties, one has to wonder if Samberg gets a similar deal as the final RFA left to sign with the Jets.
Ford is a Great Example of Hard Work Doesn’t Go Unnoticed
Having watched Parker Ford play with the Manitoba Moose and the Winnipeg Jets, it goes without saying that he’s put in work to get to where he is in his professional hockey career.
Scoring in his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins with family and friends in the crowd makes it all the more emotional for the 24-year-old. Getting to suit up for two more games, but not recording any more points, gave him a taste of the NHL that he may be looking for again.
Ford, who turns 25 on Sunday, can seize the opportunity to be a solid bottom-six forward who may not play every game, but his tenacity and speed can be a reason why he draws in every so often. Given the Jets’ depth being a little thin at centre, Ford could also jump at the chance to make his mark in the 2025-26 season.
The undrafted player has 66 points (34G, 32A) in 123 AHL games, all with the Moose. Ford played four seasons for Providence College before making his professional hockey debut.
ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing – Inside The Rink
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