How should Jets fans worry about the lack of a new Kyle Connor contract? – Hockey Writer – Winnipeg Jets
You can forgive Winnipeg Jets fans for their PTSD touch.
They just saw the dynamic forward Nikolaj Ehlers became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer, leaving a hard-to-fill hole in the top six.
Now, sharp left-wing winger Kyle Connor is in his final year of contract. No new deals were generated in the offseason talks.
Is the same situation for Ehlers?
Connor is unwilling to grasp the contract status
On the first day of Jets training camp, Connor gave a diplomatic non-answer to the position of things.
“All I can do is control me every day I go to the rink and that stuff will take care of myself,” the Jets’ first round of 2015 said Thursday. “I really just focus on myself and be the best player I can do. Let the business take care of the business.”
Connor had a kind word to the organization and said, “It’s a great community. Obviously, it’s a family.”
“We pride ourselves on the community, which is a tightly connected group. You can feel the relationship around the room,” Connor, who is married and has a young daughter to his wife, Ally, continues.
However, the words are meaningless. Ehlers praised Winnipeg but still thought it wasn’t good enough to continue his career and decided to leave Carolina.
General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff admitted that he wanted to reach an agreement.
“We had a good conversation with the rep of KC and we kept going,” Cheveldayoff said. “You want to finish it yesterday. These are things you’ve been pushing to. Every conversation, you want it to be something that closes it type. But it’s not…I don’t know it’s a time-frame thing. (From “excited to what we’ve been doing,” Winnipeg Free Press, September 18, 2025. )
Connor has been a frontline and a key member of the Jets’ offensive offense. He leads the team with goals (41) and assists (56) to score a career-high 97 points; the talented sniper and underrated playmaker scored 582 points in 613 regular season games (284 goals, 298 assists) and 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) and 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) and 49 points in 59 professional playoffs.
Related: Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 STAT Director Forecast
He scored over 30 goals in seven separate seasons, ranking 12th in his goal range since his first NHL season since 2016-17. In short, he is not a person who can be replaced.
Connor will be the highest paid jet; there are term options
Given that the NHL salary cap will rise significantly in the coming years, it is safe to say that if he is going to re-sign, it will be a long-term high-paying aircraft. $11 to $12 million a year is not impossible; David Pagnotta, the fourth phase, reported earlier this month that his new deal “will start at $1, followed by at least seven zeros.”
While a long-term deal signed with Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele in 2023 before opening night will fit Cheveldayoff and the company, Connor can choose to earn a two to three-year contract when the salary limit for the 30 or 31 year old is larger.
If the jets were to re-sign Connor, the sooner they would finish, the better. As a team that appears to be ready to challenge the playoffs again after the 2024-25 Presidential Trophy Championship campaign, despite his UFA status pending, they may not trade him by the 2026 trade deadline. The narrative surrounding Ehlers’ “Will, He Will” is a seasonal disturbance and imminent cloud that the Jets would not want to repeat if they could avoid it.
With hockey not down in 2025-26, it’s not the time to leave Connor lacking a new contract. Connor said he will “leave it to the business side.”
But as each day goes by, Jets’ fan attacks will certainly increase a little bit, which is understandable. They’ve watched this show before and the ending is a stupid person.
