Winnipeg GM Goal To Keep Nikolaj Ehlers on the Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are one of the best teams in the NHL. Not only do they lead the race for the President’s Trophy, but the Jets are the top team in the Western Conference. While Winnipeg has returned to the pack since their hot start to the season, a big reason why, besides their goaltender, they remain in the top position is because of the play of Nikolaj Ehlers.

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Entering the season, there was much talk of the Jets moving on from Ehlers. At the end of the season, Ehlers will be an unrestricted free agent. Teams called the Jets about his services, but the Jets were hesitant to move him. Those questions continued into the season, but once the Jets got off to a hot start and remained in the top spot, they went away. 

However, with Mikko Rantanent’s recent trade to Carolina, Many wonder if the Jets would consider moving Ehlers just in case they can’t sign him. That question has been answered.

Jets Want to Keep Ehlers

During an interview with Darren Millard and John Shannon on 100% Hockey, Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he wants to lift the Stanley Cup with Ehlers on the team.

My plan is to hopefully lift the Cup with him at some point in time down the road here. So again, we’ve got lots of guys that obviously, from a free agent standpoint, both UFA and RFA that we’ll have to sort out over a period of time. But first and foremost, it’s all about winning right now. And we had the situation last year too, where we had several guys that that are were up for potential UFA. We were able to keep some of them. Some of them went in different directions for various different reasons. So when it comes to that for us, I want the focus to be totally on winning. And that’s kind of how we’ve approached things.

Kevin Cheveldayoff has done a masterful job of putting his team together despite the turmoil over the years with Blake Wheeler, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Patrik Laine, and Jack Roslovic. Not to mention the other players that did not want to be in Winnipeg. But the return on the Dubois deal of Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iaffalo, and a second-round pick really set this team up for success.

Cheveldayoff noted that Ehlers is a significant part of the team. So when he was asked in a follow-up about the March 7th trade deadline and if he had plans to move Ehlers, the Jets GM emphatically said “No.”

Ehlers Trade Talk Will Continue to Circulate

The Jets GM knows there will be a lot of chatter surrounding Ehlers as people will talk, and he will let them. It was interesting that Cheveldayoff said he would look at everything if a trade of Ehlers helped his team win. But Cheveldayoff knows Nikolaj Ehlers is part of the winning formula in Winnipeg.

Cheveldayoff continued:

“I guess, from our if there’s a chance to help us win, I guess you look at everything, but it’s, he’s been part of our winning equation here this year. And look to him to be a big part of it.”

Nikolaj Ehlers is in the final year of his deal, which pays him $6 million a season. That number will likely go up. It will probably be in the $7-$8 million range. This season for the Jets, Ehlers has 47 points (16 goals and 31 assists) in 45 games, just a bit over a point per game.

The team will have other needs as well, including an extension for Kyle Connor. Connor is eligible to sign as early as July 1. So if Ehlers continues this pace he will get a nice raise. But as their GM said, Ehlers is not going anywhere as he is part of the winning formula in Winnipeg.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Sabres, Flames, Sens, Penguins & Leafs