In the final part of a 32 part series leading up to the start of the 2025-26 National Hockey League regular season, we will look at the key off-season transactions made by all NHL organizations with an overall grade. Here are the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets are coming off a Presidents’ Trophy title in 2024-25, their first in franchise history. In the offseason, they said goodbye to Nikolaj Ehlers, who had been part of the Jets offense for the last decade. But Jets management did a commendable job of bringing more talent. Let’s take a look at the four new Jets forwards.
Jonathan Toews
Toews is returning to the NHL for the first time in two years and he is coming home as he is Winnipeg born. Toews had spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks before taking some time away from hockey due to health concerns. Toews is back now and after signing a one-year deal worth $2 million. Toews is set to be on the Jets second line with Cole Perfetti of Whitby, Ontario and Gustav Nyquist of Halmstad, Sweden. Toews’s resume includes winning three Stanley Cups, one Selke Trophy, one Conn Smythe Trophy and being a NHL All-Star four times.
Gustav Nyquist
Nyquist is coming to Winnipeg after signing a one-year contract worth $3.25 million on July 2. He is joining his sixth NHL franchise after eight seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, one season with the San Jose Sharks, thee seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and two seasons each with the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators. In 79 games in 2024-25 with the Predators and Wild, Nyquist had 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points. He was a -24 with 16 penalty minutes, three power-play points, two shorthanded points, 103 shots on goal, 11 faceoff wins, 30 blocked shots, 44 hits, 19 takeaways and 59 giveaways.
Tanner Pearson
Pearson signed a one-year contract worth $1 million on Canada Day. The native of Kitchener, Ontario is joining his sixth NHL franchise after six seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, five seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, and one season each with Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, and Vegas Golden Knights. While with the Kings in 2014, Pearson won the Stanley Cup. Â This season, Pearson is set to be on the Jets’s fourth line with Morgan Barron of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Cole Koepke of Two Harbors, Minnesota. In 78 games in 2024-25 with the Golden Knights, Pearson had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points. He was a +4 with eight penalty minutes, one shorthanded point, to game-winning goals, 109 shots on goal, six faceoff wins, 45 blocked shots, 96 hits, 15 takeaways, and 46 giveaways.
Cole Koepke
Like Pearson, Koepke signed a one-year contract worth $1 million on Canada Day. He has played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and one season with the Boston Bruins. In 2024-25 with the Bruins, Koepke had 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points. He was a +1 with 17 penalty minutes, two game-winning goals, 85 shots on goal, 26 blocked shots, 177 hits, eight takeaways, and 33 giveaways.
Projected Offseason Grade
The Jets deserve high praise in signing Toews. The wealth of experience and two-way ability at the centre is invaluable. I believe they overpaid for Nyquist, while the contracts for Pearson and Koepke were just right. The physicality that Koepke showcased last year was impressive. My offseason grade for the Jets is a B.
