Latest news with #ColePerfetti
New York Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jets mailbag, Part 2: Landing a second-line centre, Dmitri Rashevsky's potential and more
Today we're finding Winnipeg its second-line centre. We're also projecting timelines for its top prospects, from Elias Salomonsson, Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov through Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow and beyond. Then we're taking our first steps toward rewriting the CBA and exploring trade possibilities, UFA signings, and even an offer sheet or two — and we will do all of it based on your questions for our latest mailbag. Advertisement Thanks, as always, everyone — it's been a great start to the offseason. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. How can the Jets address their recurring need for a second-line centre? — Travis R. There are four ways, as I see them. The first is to take a different approach, forgive Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti their lack of footspeed, and attempt to use them in the role. Coach Scott Arniel prefers faster centres who can offer low support in the defensive zone and help lead transition attacks. Perfetti and Vilardi have the hockey sense to do so, but Arniel hasn't typically been satisfied with their skating. The second is to approach the unrestricted free agent market, where the most realistic acquisition is one of the NHL's all-time great players, but he hasn't played since April 13, 2023. Jonathan Toews, 37, was not an elite centre for Chicago in either of his last two seasons, but he is someone with whom Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff maintains a relationship. Winnipeg is interested and likely willing to bet on Toews' return to good health, mitigating continued age-related decline. (If the Jets do manage to sign Toews, it may be safer to think of him as a bottom-six centre until his return to form — if there is one — proves otherwise.) The UFA market also includes Sam Bennett, John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Ryan Donato and Pius Suter — who all strike me as various shades of unlikely to sign in Winnipeg. If I'm right, the idea of Toews gains appeal — not because I view him as a sure thing but because throwing a dart at his middle-six capability offers some odds of helping Winnipeg. This stands in stark contrast to signing someone like Bennett: a zero percent shot at signing him equates to zero help, regardless of his current effectiveness as a player. (The zero percent number is my belief, not sourced information.) Advertisement The third approach is the restricted free agent market, which provides younger players but requires Winnipeg to commit assets to a trade or an offer sheet. Let's take a quick look, using information from PuckPedia: Let's start by using Marco Rossi as an example. Michael Russo and Joe Smith have reported that the Wild are not interested in signing the 23-year-old centre to a deal in the $7 million range and are thus exploring the idea of a trade. The appeal of acquiring such a player is clear: Rossi is already a 60-point centre, he turns 24 this September and he's not UFA-eligible until 2029. If he helps, he helps through the heart of Winnipeg's current window. A trade for such a player could cost a first-round pick and a top prospect — or more, depending on the market. What about offer sheets? If you're unfamiliar with the process, an offer sheet is a way for teams to acquire RFAs from rival clubs. Winnipeg could theoretically sign Rossi to a contract, which Minnesota would then have the option of matching. If the Wild matched the Jets' contract offer, then Minnesota would keep Rossi without any cost to the Jets. If they declined to match that offer, Rossi would join Winnipeg and the Jets would send Minnesota draft picks. The number of picks would depend on the price of the contract: Some of the offer sheet tiers are shown in red because Winnipeg doesn't have its second-round pick in either of the next two drafts and thus can't make an offer sheet in that range. Let's consider two examples. First, imagine that Winnipeg signed Rossi to a five-year, $35 million contract with a $7.0 million average annual value. That would only cost the Jets a first-round pick and a third-round pick, which carries tremendous appeal. If the Wild believe in Rossi at all, though, they'd likely be willing to match that offer sheet and look for a better trade at a later time. Advertisement A second example would target a player in that same compensation range who would be harder to match for his current club. Maybe they don't have enough cap space — or maybe, unlike our Rossi example, the Jets' offer is rich relative to the player. Let's say Winnipeg approaches Morgan Geekie with that same five-year, $35 million contract offer. Let's say Geekie loves the idea of living in Winnipeg, just under a three-hour drive down the Yellowhead Highway from his hometown of Strathclair, MB. And let's say the Boston Bruins look at Geekie's 33-goal breakout season, gamble on his 22 percent shooting percentage being unsustainable and let him go. It's not quite realistic, in that Boston has a ton of cap space, but $7 million AAV is further outside a reasonable contract projection for Geekie than it was for Rossi. There are challenges in this approach. Offer sheets get discussed more than they get executed because it's tough to find the perfect mix of a player willing to be poached, a rival club unable or unwilling to hold onto him, and a team willing to run the risk of retribution somewhere down the line. There's thought in some circles that teams will be more likely to go this route, given the St. Louis Blues' successful acquisition of Dylan Holloway and Phillip Broberg from Edmonton last summer, but the Oilers were more cap-strapped than any of the clubs I've listed above. Maybe it's less about an offer sheet, then, and more about acquiring one of these RFA targets by trade. As a final and very different thought: If we're talking about offer sheets at all, what about 23-year-old power forward Will Cuylle, who scored 20 goals and 25 assists for the New York Rangers last season? Cuylle can play either wing and has the ability and intensity to drag teammates into the fight. How big of an addition would Dmitri Rashevsky be for the Jets if they convince him to come overseas? — Brad B. According to a report from Sport Express, Rashevsky has signed a three-year offer sheet with Avangard Omsk, with Dynamo Moscow now given the opportunity to match. Either way, it looks more like he'll play the next three years in Russia than come to North America. But let's run the analysis anyway. Rashevsky is a 24-year-old prospect whose elite stickhandling leads to highlight-reel offence in the KHL. He's scored 62 goals and 59 assists in his last 199 KHL games for Dynamo and stunned a lot of observers — myself included — when he scored 19 goals in 48 games right after the Jets drafted him as an overager in 2021. I don't think the Jets are going to be successful in bringing him to North America this season, but it's still a fun question to explore because the range of possibilities seems to be enormous. Advertisement The data-informed approach would be to take a look at every player who moved between the KHL and NHL in recent seasons, check out how their scoring rates changed and build an estimate for Rashevsky. Thankfully, this study of NHL equivalencies (NHLe) is commonplace, with one recent study estimating Rashevsky's KHL offence would translate to approximately 50 points per 82 NHL games. First up, new NHLe values! 7.0 brings new NHLe values for every league in every year, calculated in a new way (more on the specifics in my 7.0 writeup coming soon). Here are the 20 best leagues in the 2024-2025 season based on NHLe and their change over the past 5 years! — Nick (@nickiacoban) June 8, 2025 If Rashevsky pulled off a 50-point NHL season, it would tie him with Perfetti for sixth among Jets skaters. That's a touch ambitious. There have been a lot of players to move between the NHL and KHL (and back) in recent history. When I look at the scoring of NHL castaways like Josh Leivo, Ryan Spooner and Jordan Weal (Rashevsky's teammate in Moscow), one gets the sense of overinflated offensive totals. Take Leivo, who I remember best as a Maple Leaf but whose NHL work included 16 points in 51 games for the 2022-23 St. Louis Blues. He's 32 years old now and just scored 80 points in 62 games for the Chernyshev Division-winning Salavat Yulaev in Ufa. Spooner, who I remember best as a Boston Bruin and who scored at a point per game in the AHL at his peak, is 33 years old and has scored at a rate of 0.80 points per game through his last three KHL seasons, while Weal — who was also a roughly point-per-game AHL scorer — has scored 0.88 points per game in the KHL in that same time frame. It's the sort of stuff that should bring our expectations for Rashevsky crashing down to earth. But then you take a look in the other direction. Kirill Marchenko was a star for Columbus this season, scoring 31 goals and 74 points in the NHL at 24. Rewind to his last KHL season — the 21-year-old Marchenko scored fewer points per game than Rashevsky did that year — and it's easy to understand why Winnipeg wants Rashevsky to sign as soon as possible. It feels like the Jets have a glut of youth ready to arrive within a year or two of each other. Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, Dmitri Rashevsky, Elias Salomonsson, Colby Barlow and Brayden Yager. What do their arrival schedules look like? — Ryan F. This is a great question. There could be an opportunity available as early as this season. If UFA forwards Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev sign elsewhere, then the current Jets roster has room for three additional forwards — four if you assume Adam Lowry starts the season on the injured reserve. Even if two of those players are veterans, there's room for Lambert and Chibrikov to start the season with Winnipeg if they earn it at camp. Advertisement Ford turns 25 this summer, so I'm not thinking of him as a prospect in the same light, but he does make sense as a depth forward on Winnipeg's current roster. He's a small player with a ton of competitive fire — a spark plug in a way Winnipeg could use. (That said, Ford hasn't been an elite scorer at any level. His career arc implies more of an NHL/AHL tweener than a middle-six impact player. He could 'make' the Jets a whole bunch of times in between AHL stints over the course of his next contract.) I'm projecting Yager and Barlow to start their pro careers in the AHL this season, while Salomonsson could be anything from a viable third-pairing defenceman if the Jets clear room ahead of him to a 2025-26 Manitoba Moose who has to bide his time for parts of two AHL seasons as Dylan Samberg did before him. Salomonsson is younger than Samberg was and likely a step ahead in terms of his eventual ceiling, but this may not earn him an early arrival. We'll deep-dive this later in the summer. Do you think the league would ever consider getting rid of modified no movement clauses? — Trevor G. No. The NHL and NHLPA appear to be on track to negotiate their next CBA smoothly and without massive changes. But I couldn't help but poke around a little bit. The number of no-trade clauses is unique to the NHL, and so too is the proportion of them likely to include the Jets. I was shocked to read that the NBA only has two no-trade clauses: LeBron James and … Bradley Beal. The NFL has eight, all of them star quarterbacks. The MLB automatically grants '10-and-5' trade-vetoing rights to players who achieve 10 years in the league, along with five consecutive years with the same club. I was told by an MLB writer that the number of players with 10-and-5 rights (or independently negotiated no-trade clauses) is 'relatively small.' According to PuckPedia, the NHL has 80 players with full NMCs and another 164 players with at least some amount of no-trade protection. Remember that 49 percent of polled NHL players report that Winnipeg would be the first team on their no-trade clause; add them to the 80 NMCs and you get at least 160 players — 21.7 percent of the league — likely to have a 'no thank you' to Winnipeg built into their contracts. Advertisement Winnipeg built a Presidents' Trophy team with Eric Comrie and Colin Miller as their marquee UFA signings and one-fifth of the NHL — or more — listing it in their NTC. Take a moment to applaud that fact and another one to rage against the machine. The Jets are flying against the wind both ways, even compared to other Canadian teams. What prospect in the upcoming draft excites you the most for the Jets (and why is it Blake Fiddler?) — Adam B. It's draft season! Great question. I consulted an array of scouts in making the Jets' pick in our next mock draft, which will be published on Wednesday. Fiddler is an intriguing prospect — read Scott Wheeler's feature story for more — but you'll have to stay tuned for proper draft content on my end. In the meantime, check out Wheeler's rankings here and Corey Pronman's rankings here. (Top photo of Marco Rossi: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Winnipeg Free Press
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Opinion: Perfetti perfection distils the wonder of Winnipeg: A love letter to a city that is often underestimated
Opinion The fear of tumbling down rows of seats from the 300-level of the Canada Life Centre was never more real than the night of the Manitoba Miracle. A moment of genuine Winnipeg history, as forward Cole Perfetti flicked the puck in just under the crossbar with seconds left in the first-ever Game 7 on home ice for the Jets 2.0. The jumping — that frenzied celebratory bedlam — posed a real threat to the safety of all of us, stabilized only by the hugs from friends and strangers in the vicinity. And, perhaps, by the sticky beer that had been tossed in the air only to end up coating the floor. I've never screamed so loud in my life, to the point of feeling completely dizzy. It was sports at its absolute best, but also a moment, upon reflection, indicative of the uniquely Winnipeg lived experience. Amid that opening-round series against the St. Louis Blues and the subsequent clash with the Dallas Stars, despite the Jets finishing the regular season as the NHL's top team and regardless of fans' placards declaring 'We Believe,' a nagging doubt of going all the way persisted. That a city like ours could not possibly achieve such a feat. It felt as if it tapped into the core belief Winnipeggers seem to have, that we are somehow less than — not just in sports, but in many other arenas. Despite heroics by Cole Perfetti (91) and signs touting resolute belief in the Jets' playoff crusade, there was always niggling doubt the city didn't warrant this level of fame. (Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press files) My parents said it and I know I have too, that you must be from this city in order to love it. A belief that we should reach out and name for the lie it is. Winnipeg is a fabulous city, built on a community that is unlike any I've ever seen. Is it a perfect place? Of course not. But it is a place where you find people who care about each other and get back up after our failures and try to do better. Some readers might recognize my name from past issues of the Free Press. Having been both a regular contributor to this newspaper for years from the streets of the Exchange District and the West End, and a less-frequent contributor when I moved abroad to cover Russia's war in Ukraine, somewhere along the way I set up a base camp in London, England. My most recent return forced an appreciation, perhaps for the first time from an outsider's perspective, of just how special Winnipeg is. And I'm learning the hard way that sometimes, it takes leaving to appreciate the things that matter the most. This spring I came home for a pair of weddings, taking several weeks off work to show my British partner the city that still remains 'home' no matter how long I'm away. We arrived to an overwhelming patina of brown, a city still shaking off the grungy remnants of a long winter. We arrived before the street cleaners emerged, before the lilacs bloomed, before the Beer Can opened its gate. Vapour rises from buildings downtown on a cold morning. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) I apologized to my partner Alex for bringing him here at the worst possible time of year because, I figured, even in the thick of winter when it's -30 C, we could have gone skating down the river or attended Festival du Voyageur. If it was summer, I countered, there would have been an onslaught of festivals from Folklorama to the Fringe, the beer gardens would have all been in top form, and nearby beaches would have called our names. As I ran through the list of my favourite things to do in Winnipeg, none of them would suit in April and early May. And yet, this city still managed to enamour him, and me, with the wonder that is Winnipeg. Playoffs were an obvious boon, stoking a not-often-seen unbridled enthusiasm for the city. And hockey was a new and entertaining sport for a Brit used to the comparative crawling-pace of soccer. (Football, sorry London). But we also watched Free Press columnist Jen Zoratti try standup comedy for the first time as one of the featured performers in the Winnipeg Comedy Festival's pro-am event. Nearly three hours of non-stop laughter, only 20 per cent of which I had to 'subtitle' for the foreigner, as the humour turned self-deprecating for the city I now defend. We spent an hour watching butterflies at The Leaf, and many more walking around The Forks and Garbage Hill, and Kilcona Park, too. I introduced him to the joy of singing with beats up and the car windows down, a simple pleasure I've long taken for granted. But he doesn't even have a driver's licence. In London, why would you? Smokies lit up the grill for catch-ups with some of the best friends the world has to offer. We ate our way through the finest restaurants in town and settled down with family for Alex's first experience of s'mores around a backyard fire. (Before the fire ban took effect — safety first.) I didn't offer him a rose-coloured view. I took him to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and talked about the struggles we face with our colonial legacies. We walked past homeless encampments and he saw the North End, too. An imperfect place, with so much work to be done. But what city isn't? On the grounds of the legislature on a sunny afternoon, a family from Hamilton told us how much fun they were having visiting Winnipeg for the first time. And it surprised me, I'm embarrassed to say — despite the fact I was having a blast showing off same city. But that's just because I'm from here, right? Evening fun on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature. (Mike Sudoma / Free Press files) Through the years I've left for different parts of Canada, only to return time and time again, drawn back to this place. Not out of necessity, but out of a deep and enduring love that only finds new facets the more of the world I see, the more I learn about the quirks of other cities not only across Canada, but around the world. I was reading the other day an interview with Perfetti about the Manitoba Miracle. He said he couldn't remember the moment surrounding his buzzer-beating goal, and that he blacked out from the excitement amid the roar of the crowd. I just want to say the rest of us will remember it forever. A moment of absolute perfection that embodied just one part of what makes me love this city so much. Now, I wake in London to my partner relaying NHL playoff scores and highlights from games played in the wee hours of the morning, at least in our time zone. Winnipeg has clearly left an impression. And it hardly matters that the Jets couldn't top the Stars. Or that the leaves weren't out to greet us. It is a place and community that always punches above its weight. I am fortunate to have so much love in my life that I can claim to have two homes. But it feels so bittersweet leaving, saying goodbye when the time is never long enough.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canucks: Nikolaj Ehlers' scoring stock rises as possible replacement for Brock Boeser
Nikolaj Ehlers believes he's a first-line NHL player. The speedy and quick-striking Winnipeg Jets winger proved that point by letting his play do the talking in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs on a second line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti. The unrestricted free agent also silenced his critics, who had every right to wonder if Ehlers could produce when it mattered most with just 14 career playoff points in 37 games. He responded this spring by striking for five goals in his last five games of the second round. While the pain of a 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday that kept the Jets from forcing Game 7 home ice in the riveting series will persist, it will eventually subside for Ehlers. And when it does, the reality of his value and options will come into greater focus. Ehlers, 29, will top a lot of wish lists for a winger would can play at heightened pace, drive the play and finish. The Vancouver Canucks, who had past interest, will be among the suitors because UFA Brock Boeser is going to test the market and there's a sizable top-six roster hole here to fill. Ehlers had a career-high 63 points (24-39) in 69 games this season and scored at least 20 goals in eight-straight campaigns. However, he has also been injury prone and that has kept him from being that consistent 30-goal guy. He had 28 goals in just 62 games in 2021-22 and 29 in a full season in 2017-18. Ehlers' expiring salary cap commitment is $6 million annually and predicts a bump to $8.1 million in a six-year deal. Of course, his production takes us back to another curious Canucks draft decision in 2014. They selected Jake Virtanen sixth overall and passed on William Nylander (eighth) and Ehlers (ninth). And when Ehlers had 25 goals in his second season, and then 29 in his third, the Canucks took notice. Virtanen would struggle before hitting a career-high 18 goals in 2019-20. This was a Province critique when the Canucks committed to the winger: 'They added size and a budding power forward from Calgary (WHL). Aside from shoulder surgery, he's pure power and speed and those 45 goals (2013-14) look pretty good right now on a team starving for offence. Ranked first in physical play among North American prospects. Huge upside. Hopefully.' With the Canucks ranked 23rd offensively this season, they not only require bouncebacks from Nils Hoglander and Dakota Joshua, they need another scoring threat. Remove UFAs Boeser and Pius Suter, who had 25 goals apiece, and it's team leader Jake DeBrusk (28) as the lone 20-goal guy. Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood had 19 apiece. The Canucks were also tied for a league-high 14 overtime losses this season and winning half would have vaulted them into the second Western Conference wild-card position. They were also 3-20-5 when trailing after two periods. The Canucks must also trade for a quality centre to support the struggling Elias Pettersson and concussion-prone Fillip Chytil. They have the assets with the No. 15 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and plenty of defencemen, but landing a scoring winger will be about dollars and sense. Boeser, who had 50 points in 75 games this season on an expiring $6.65 million salary cap hit, turned down a five-year, US$40 million extension offer. He could receive more term and money July 1, and according to CapWages, that could be six years at $8.45 million in annual average value. Boeser could also pivot back to the Canucks, but that seems unlikely with odd management optics of his value at the trade deadline. Boeser's career output compares favourably to Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny, 28, who signed an eight-year, $70 million extension last July that carries an $8.75 million annual cap hit. Even though the salary cap ceiling is rising from $88 million to $95.5 million next season, the Canucks are still saddled by paying those who aren't playing, including the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout that jumps to $4,766,667. Add extensions for UFA defencemen Derek Forbort and Noah Juulsen — and possibly Suter, if the price is right — and it adds up fast. The versatile Suter is projected to cash in on a career season and a leap from an expiring two-year, $3.2 million deal to a four-year commitment worth $4.983 million annually on the open market. Factor in new deals for restricted free agents to play support roles here in forwards Aatu Raty, Max Sasson and Arshdeep Bains, and that cap space dwindles. According to the Canucks have 16 players signed and $17,558,333 in salary cap space. A scoring winger and support centre could easily eat up a big chunk of that room. Here are top free-agent options to wing it without Boeser, (all figures in US dollars): The stats: Had 24 goals in 69 games. Missed nine with foot injury. Aggravated it April 12. The skinny: The Canucks have kicked the tires before. Fast, feisty and a good finisher. The stats: Career-high 31 goals in 80 games while winging it with Connor Bedard. The skinny: Canucks scouted him in latter part of season. Versatile. Likely affordable. The stats: Had 22 goals in 81 games, second in club accuracy (15.4 per cent). The skinny: Versatile. Durable. Good size. Was also on Canucks' radar in the past. bkuzma@
National Post
18-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Canucks: Nikolaj Ehlers' scoring stock rises as possible replacement for Brock Boeser
Nikolaj Ehlers believes he's a first-line NHL player. Article content Article content The speedy and quick-striking Winnipeg Jets winger proved that point by letting his play do the talking in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs on a second line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti. The unrestricted free agent also silenced his critics, who had every right to wonder if Ehlers could produce when it mattered most with just 14 career playoff points in 37 games. He responded this spring by striking for five goals in his last five games of the second round. Article content Article content While the pain of a 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday that kept the Jets from forcing Game 7 home ice in the riveting series will persist, it will eventually subside for Ehlers. And when it does, the reality of his value and options will come into greater focus. Article content Ehlers, 29, will top a lot of wish lists for a winger would can play at heightened pace, drive the play and finish. The Vancouver Canucks, who had past interest, will be among the suitors because UFA Brock Boeser is going to test the market and there's a sizable top-six roster hole here to fill. Article content Ehlers had a career-high 63 points (24-39) in 69 games this season and scored at least 20 goals in eight-straight campaigns. However, he has also been injury prone and that has kept him from being that consistent 30-goal guy. He had 28 goals in just 62 games in 2021-22 and 29 in a full season in 2017-18. Article content Article content Of course, his production takes us back to another curious Canucks draft decision in 2014. They selected Jake Virtanen sixth overall and passed on William Nylander (eighth) and Ehlers (ninth). And when Ehlers had 25 goals in his second season, and then 29 in his third, the Canucks took notice. Article content Virtanen would struggle before hitting a career-high 18 goals in 2019-20. This was a Province critique when the Canucks committed to the winger: 'They added size and a budding power forward from Calgary (WHL). Aside from shoulder surgery, he's pure power and speed and those 45 goals (2013-14) look pretty good right now on a team starving for offence. Ranked first in physical play among North American prospects. Huge upside. Hopefully.' Article content With the Canucks ranked 23rd offensively this season, they not only require bouncebacks from Nils Hoglander and Dakota Joshua, they need another scoring threat. Remove UFAs Boeser and Pius Suter, who had 25 goals apiece, and it's team leader Jake DeBrusk (28) as the lone 20-goal guy. Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood had 19 apiece.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jordan Beck's first-pitch home run (7)
It Took Some Time, But Jets' Cole Perfetti's Shooting Luck Has Finally Arrived Through the first five games of the opening round series against the St. Louis Blues, Cole Perfetti could not buy a goal, robbed by Jordan Binnington on multiple occasions, but as things tend to balance out, the Winnipeg Jets forward was finally rewarded for his hard work. 1:10 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
