Jets’ Wisdom in Balancing Senior Leaders and Young Commitments in 2025-26 Years – Hockey Writer – Winnipeg Jets
After their Presidential Trophy-winning 2024-25 season, the Winnipeg Jets will never have a quiet summer. The challenge is to reprocess without losing the core identity that makes them so successful. General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff passed a thin line during the offseason.
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How does Jets build a team that competes today? At the same time, how do they get key pieces that will help the team become winners in the future? First, the jet must keep the essentials in place. Secondly, they say goodbye to familiar faces. Third, they have to make calculation bets on veterans and emerging talents.
At the center of all this is the fusion of three elements (experience, contract stability and youth) that will define the success of the Jets entering the 2025-26 season.
Hometown Reward: Toyce in Winnipeg laces
A year ago, few people would have predicted that Jonathan Toews would return to the NHL, let alone through the Jets. The 37-year-old Stanley Cup champion will return to his hometown team for a year due to health issues.
It has nothing to do with nostalgia. Winnipeg is betting on Toyce’s leadership and professionalism to help bridge the gap, while Captain Adam Lowry recovers from hip surgery. No one expected him to be a 70-point player at his peak. Still, his voice in the room, his ability to stabilize the line, and his championship lineage are valuable, especially to keep the team at the top of the rankings.
Jets have secured core: Vilardi and Samberg expansion
Cheveldayoff’s priority is to keep as many key restrictions as possible free agents as possible. He then re-signed Gabriel Vilardi for a $7.5 million AAV for six years. The long-term commitment demonstrates the Jet’s confidence in Veraldi’s ability to continue to develop. His combination of scale, skill and stable production made him the foundational work of the Jet Offensive.
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On the Blue Line, the organization then redesigned Dylan Samberg as a three-year contract worth $5.75 million. Negotiations are as simple as that, without the hint of drama. The move shows the team’s decisive vote against a young defensive player that has been steadily improving since joining the NHL. The Jets think there is more.
The cost of change: Say goodbye to Ehlers, Appleton and Tanev
Not every offseason decision is painless. Nikolaj Ehlers’ departure from the Carolina hurricane is probably the toughest pill for jet fans to swallow. Ehlers’ native talent developed in Winnipeg’s system brings speed, creativity and reliable scoring touches. There is no doubt that he will be missed.
(Amy Irvin / hockey writer)
Mason Appleton (Detroit Red Wings) and Brandon Tanev (Utah Mammoth) also continued in free agency. To offset these losses, the Jets brought Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson. Even if they didn’t replicate Elles’ offensive output, both veterans brought versatility and experience.
Jet youth thrust: Chibrikov, Lambert and Salomonsson
One of the most engaging storylines to get into training camp is the chance for young players to crack the lineup. Nikita Chibrikov gave a brief look in the NHL last season and will now try to prove that he can handle a full-time role at the age of 22. Meanwhile, 2022 first-round draft pick Brad Lambert has a wealth of skills, but needs to show greater consistency after a disappointing year in the American Hockey League (AHL). On the blue line, Elias Salomonsson stands out in the All-Star Game for the Minors and has the scale and balance necessary to challenge the defensive position immediately.
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None of these young men have a position, but with some vacancies in strikers and defense, the opportunity is real.
Walking rope: compete immediately, after development
The Jets’ offseason strategy is clear about one thing: they won’t tear anything up. This is a “competitive immediately” team, and also focuses on the future. The goal is to bring together veterans like Toews and Nyquist without stopping the roads of Chibrikov, Lambert or Salomonsson.
This balancing behavior will require flexibility. If young players work hard in training camp, they can play a key role. If they struggle, Winnipeg will have enough building depth to maintain its competitive edge early this season.
The president’s trophy is a good sign of success, but the Jets know their real goal in the spring. The key to reaching the playoffs again will be managing this fusion of experience, stability and emerging skills.
Related: Winnipeg Jets History
Toews’ leadership can become valuable in the playoff series. The new deal between Vilardi and Samberg makes the jet’s cost certainty and lock in the core. Young talent provides rising and fresh energy. Put together, it’s a lineup that can now compete as you prepare for what’s next. The runway is clear. The engine is warming. The question is whether the jet can take off again – this time even further.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
