On the Winnipeg Jets …
Emily Kaplan: Looking the keys to the offseason for the Winnipeg Jets.
1. Connor Hellebuyck – The Jets have Steve Mason for another year at $4.1 million, but the Jets need to commit long-term to pending RFA Connor Hellebuyck.
2. Patrik Laine – The Jets are eligible to sign Laine to a contract extension on July 1st and he’ll surpass Mark Scheifele ($6.125 million) as the highest paid Jets forward. The Jets will also need to take into consideration that Blake Wheeler will need a new contract after next year.
3. Re-sign their pending RFAs – The list of RFAs includes Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, Joel Armia, Adam Lowry, Joe Morrow and Brandon Tanev.
Trade deadline acquisition Paul Stastny is a pending UFA and fit nicely with Laine. The 32-year old would need to sign a short-term deal and sign at a reduced rate to remain.
33-year old defenseman Toby Enstrom is effective when healthy, but he only got into 43 games this past season. He’d have to cut from his $5.75 million if they were to bring him back.
Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press: Pending unrestricted free agent forward Paul Stastny didn’t rule out the possibility of re-signing with the Jets.
“There is always a possibility. I have no regrets,” said Stastny. “Probably the best decision I ever made was this one. It made the game that much more fun again.”
The Jets sent the St. Louis Blues a first-round pick and Erik Foley for Stastny at the deadline.
Stastny had 13 points in 19 regular season games, while adding six goals and 9 assists in the playoffs. He only recorded one assist during round three against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Every door is open. I never look that far down the road because in the past I’ve done that, you think something is going to happen (and) it doesn’t,” he said.
“We all now there are a lot of players who need to be signed here. There’s not just one person. When you have success like this, a lot of guys need to get rewarded. And you’ve got to take care of those young guys first. Those guys really earned it. We’ll talk with Chevy down the road.”
