Gustafsson left Winnipeg's preseason matchup on Wednesday in the second period due to an undisclosed injury and is not practicing on Thursday. The Jets are expected to provide an update from head coach Scott Arniel on Gustafsson's injury status later Thursday. In 39 games played in 2023-24, Gustafsson had three goals, seven points, and 27 SOG.
Stanley's run of injuries and bad luck continued on Friday after it was announced the 26-year-old would be undergoing knee surgery and is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks. The towering defenseman has struggled to stay healthy throughout his entire four-year career, missing 120 of the last 164 games in the previous two seasons alone. In 2023-24, he struggled to get anything going offensively with a goal, two points, 36 PIMs and 29 SOG in 25 games played.
After a long drawn-out summer of negotiations, Cole Perfetti and Winnipeg have agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension ($3.250,000 AAV) on Monday. The 22-year-old was Winnipeg's 2020 1st-round pick (10th overall) and is entering his fourth season with the team. In 2023-24, he had career highs in goals (19), points (38), games played (71), powerplay points (11) and SOG (142).
Heinola last took the ice on January 19, 2023 due to an ankle surgery and will remain out indefinitely after it was announced Friday that he has an ankle infection in the same surgically repaired ankle. The 23-year-old was Winnipeg's 2019 1st-round pick (20th overall) and has not appeared in more than 12 games in any of the four seasons he's played in since 2019-20. In 35 career NHL games, he has 1 goal, 11 points, and 18 PIMs.
When Rutger McGroarty announced he would be returning to Michigan (NCAA) this upcoming April he handcuffed Winnipeg which has led to them trading his rights to Pittsburgh for Brayden Yager. Yager was Pittsburgh's 2023 1st round pick (14th overall) and has already signed his three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old is expected to return to Moose Jaw for the 2024-25 season where he had 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games played in 2023-24.
Phillips set career highs in both games played (33) and assists (6) in 2023-24 and has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract to remain with Chicago. The 22-year-old mobile defensemen has struggled defensively in his three NHL seasons with a collective -37 plus/minus in just 53 career games played but will look to improve that ugly number when he takes on an expected bigger role in 2024-25.
Yager was Pittsburgh's 2023 1st round pick (14th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on Thursday. The 19-year-old forward has spent the last four seasons in Moose Jaw (WHL) and had 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games played in 2023-24.
Restricted free agent Ville Heinola has come to an agreement with the Jets and will avoid arbitration after signing a two-year, contract $1.6 million extension ($800,000 AAV) with Winnipeg. The 23-year-old was Winnipeg's 2019 1st round pick (20th overall) and has a goal and 11 points in 35 career NHL games across four injury filled seasons.
Stanley has been a fringe player for the Jets the last two seasons, playing in just 44 of 164 games. The massive (6-foot-7, 231 lbs.) defenseman has just two goals and three assists (five points) in those two seasons combined. If given a full work load, Stanley would likely top 150 hits and 100 blocked shots.
Gustafsson has been a fringe roster player for the Jets for the last two seasons, combining for 13 points (3G / 10A) in 85 games. Entering the 2024-25 season, Gustafsson looks poised to lockdown the Jets' fourth-line centre role.
Shaw had spent the first three seasons of his career in Minnesota but will be taking his talents to Winnipeg after the forward signed a one-year, two-way contract on Wednesday. The 25-year-old was Minnesota's 2017 4th-round pick (97th overall) and had only a goal, three points and 21 PIMs in 20 games with the Wild in 2023-24.
Winnipeg strengthened up its defensive unit once more on Wednesday as it signed 28-year-old defenseman Haydn Fleury to a one-year, two-way contract. Fleury was drafted seventh overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and has 10 goals and 37 points in 268 career games across seven seasons. In 2023-24, he had a goal, five points and a +5 plus/minus in 24 games played.
Winnipeg has added to their offensive depth on Monday by signing Jaret Anderson-Dolan to a two-year, $1.55 million contract. The first year of Anderson-Dolan's contract will be a two-way contract, with the second season (2025-26) being only a one-way. In 31 games in 2023-24 with both Nashville and Los Angeles, the 24-year-old had a goal and four points.
Despite only playing five games with Winnipeg after the trade deadline in 2023-24, Colin Miller has signed a two-year contract extension worth $3.0 million ($1.5M AAV) with the Jets. The 31-year-old defensemen is entering his 10th NHL season after putting up four goals and nine points in 46 games between New Jersey and Winnipeg in 2023-24.
Boston added to its offensive depth on Monday by signing Cole Koepke to a one-year, two-way contract through the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old has appeared in 26 games between the last two seasons with Tampa Bay but had no goals, two assists, and nine SOG in nine games with the Lightning in 2023-24.
After six lacklustre seasons away from Winnipeg, Eric Comrie will return to the Jets on a one-year deal worth $825,000 to provide much-needed goaltending depth. The 28-year-old spent 2023-24 with Buffalo and struggled mightily in his 10 appearances, with his 2-7-0 record, 3.69 GAA and .874 SV%.
Clague appeared in three games for the Sabres in 2023-24 and earned himself a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $775,000 on Friday. The 26-year-old defensemen is in his fifth NHL season and has two goals, and 21 points in 94 career NHL games played.
In his fourth full season with the Jets, DeMelo finished with a career-high 31 points (3G / 28A) in 82 games. The 31-year-old has now posted 100-plus hits and blocked shots in three consecutive years and is a key part of the Jets' penalty kill.
Fagemo was originally drafted by the Kings but was claimed off waivers by the Predators last October before being re-claimed by the Kings five weeks later. He spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, where he tallied 62 points (43G / 19A) in 50 games. Through four professional seasons in North America, Fagemo has just four points (3G / 1A) in 21 career NHL games.
Di Giuseppe has been a healthy scratch for Vancouver's previous two games but is expected to draw back into the lineup for Game 5 as he replaces Linus Karlsson. The 30-year-old has struggled through his eight games played so far in the playoffs, with one assist, two SOG, and two PIMs while averaging 10:11 TOI/GP.
