Paul Stastny is staying in Winnipeg on a one-year deal

Veteran centre @Paul Stastny won’t be testing the free-agent market.

According to Elliotte Friedman, Stastny and the Winnipeg Jets have agreed to a one-year contract worth $3,750,000.

The Jets re-acquired Stastny from the Vegas Golden Knights last off-season as a salary cap dump, sending a fourth-round draft pick and prospect @Carl Dahlstrom back the other way. Stastny served as the second-line centre for the Jets in 2021, scoring 13 goals and 29 points over the course of 56 games.

Last season was Stastny’s second go-around with Winnipeg. Back in 2018, the Jets acquired him from the St. Louis Blues as a trade deadline pick-up in exchange for a first-round pick. Stastny was key in helping the Jets reach the Western Conference Final this spring but he left in free agency to sign a three-year deal with the Golden Knights.

Now 35 years old, keeping Stastny around on a one-year deal is a nice, low-risk move for Winnipeg. He showed last year that he can still be effective and neither the term nor the cap hit is a significant investment. Stastny will likely remain as Winnipeg’s second centre, between @Mark Scheifele and @Adam Lowry on the depth chart.