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Former Manitoba Moose forward Samuel Fagemo signs three-year deal in SHL

Evan Waldner — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:43:29 GMT

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The Manitoba Moose’s leading scorer from the 2025-26 season is heading back overseas.

After rumours surfaced earlier in the season that forward Samuel Fagemo would return to Sweden following the conclusion of the campaign, those reports were confirmed today when Frölunda HC announced they had signed the Swedish forward to a three-year contract through the 2028-29 season.

Välkommen hem till Frölunda HC, Samuel Fagemo!

Efter sex år på vift är Fagge tillbaka i Frölunda och har skrivit kontrakt över de tre kommande säsongerna.

– Det är en trygghet att vara hemma och jag vill vinna SM-guld, kommenterar Samuel.

Läs mer här: https://t.co/KA2e3wachW pic.twitter.com/lkXUt3O4gN

— Frölunda HC (@frolunda_hc) May 20, 2026

Fagemo signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets organization last summer as a free agent after spending five seasons in the Los Angeles Kings organization, primarily with the Ontario Reign.

Despite a down year offensively by his standards, Fagemo still led Manitoba’s scoring with 19 goals while adding 16 assists for 35 points in 72 games. He also recorded two goals in seven playoff contests. Entering the 2025-26 season, no AHL player had scored more goals over the previous five years than Fagemo.

In limited NHL action with the Kings and Nashville Predators over the past five seasons, he recorded three goals and one assist for four points in 21 games. Fagemo scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 3, 2022.

Fagemo has been a highly productive player in the AHL, but with limited opportunities at the NHL level, a return to Sweden gives the 26-year-old a chance to reestablish himself with one of the country’s premier clubs, and one with which he won a championship in 2018-19.

The Kings selected Fagemo in the second round, 50th overall, of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The left winger represented Sweden at back-to-back IIHF World Junior Championship tournaments in 2019 and 2020. He recorded one assist in five games in 2019, then broke out in 2020 with eight goals and five assists for 13 points in seven games.

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What does Cole Perfetti’s next contract look like as a restricted free agent this summer?

Connor Baldwin — Wed, 20 May 2026 04:50:56 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets continue to be in off-season mode as the NHL Conference Finals begin tomorrow in Colorado. All of the Jets players at the 2026 IIHF World Championship are making some kind of impact with their home country so far, and the two week tournament is almost halfway into the round robin. Another reminder that the official start of the Jets Nation “year in review” series will be at the start of June, so today the focus shifts to one of the Jets current pending restricted free agents: Cole Perfetti.

The 24-year old from Ontario finished 5th on the Jets in scoring despite missing the first 14 games of the regular season due to injury. Having to return from injury after the first month of the season definitely affected Perfetti’s production, leading to a “down” season. In 68 games, Perfetti scored 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points. The former 10th overall pick from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was poised for a “breakout” season, but things didn’t go his way in his final year of his current contract.

Perfetti’s current contract was a “bridge” deal for the last two seasons at $3.25 million per season. Factoring in his injury shortened season, it’s projected that Perfetti will sign another short-term deal with the Jets this off-season. The interest is definitely mutual from both sides, and it’ll be up to the Jets to construct a contract that makes sense for the restricted free agent forward.

The flashes of excellence were still seen in Perfetti’s game this season, although not as often as some would have expected or liked. With the departure of Nikolaj Ehlers in the last off-season, Perfetti was locked into the 2nd line wing with various linemates throughout the season. The Jets continue to see the high potential for Perfetti, but both sides will benefit from another “bridge” deal this off-season.

Current projections have Perfetti’s next deal in the $4 million to $5 million range on a 1 to 2 year deal. If Perfetti goes out in the 2026-27 season and has a “true” breakout season, his next extension could be the one that locks him up long term in the Jets organization with a higher salary adjusted to the rising salary cap. The Jets want to make sure Perfetti continues to improve his game before giving him a long-term deal, while Perfetti wants to prove his potential in order to secure that important long term deal in the upcoming prime of his career.

Rewinding to the 2024-25 season, Perfetti posted a career high 50 points in an injury free 82 game season. This season Perfetti’s point per game dropped from 0.61 to 0.47, but some grace can be given due to his injury and the overall dip in production from a lot of Jets players in a non-playoff season. A more concerning dip was Perfetti’s shooting percentage, which was only 8.8% this season after it was 13.4% and 12.6% the last two seasons. Perfetti hopes to re-gain his scoring touch next season, with hopefully a new addition to the Jets 2nd line to assist his production along the season.

Perfetti has stated in his end of season media availability that he ultimately wants to do what’s best for the organization. The free agency “process” is still pretty new for the 24-year old, so he’ll take some time this off-season before he starts to consider his options. If all goes well, Perfetti will be back on the Jets 2nd line for the opening game of the 2026-27 season. A new linemate (a top-six addition) and some more consistency from Perfetti’s game will lead to a much better 2026-27 season for a key piece of the Jets forward group.

Up Next

Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo and Gabriel Vilardi have Wednesday off, before Team Canada takes on Team Norway on Thursday morning at 9:20 am CDT. Sascha Boumedienne didn’t end up making the final Swedish team, as he’ll now just have to watch as his country battles Team Slovenia at 1:20 pm CDT on Wednesday. Ville Heinola and Finland have a day off on Wednesday, before what should be a low scoring battle against Team Latvia Thursday morning at 9:20 am CDT. Nino Niederreiter and Team Switzerland’s next game will be against a surprising 3-0 Austria team on Wednesday morning at 9:20 am CDT.

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Manitoba Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer named AHL Man of the Year

Evan Waldner — Wed, 20 May 2026 01:14:17 GMT

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A Manitoba Moose defenceman has been named the AHL Man of the Year.

The AHL announced this morning that defenceman Tyrel Bauer has been awarded the 2026 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as the league’s Man of the Year.

Join us in congratulating Tyrel Bauer, who is the winner of the 2026 Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as AHL Man of the Year! 🥳

🗞️ | https://t.co/JKgXe3kwPE pic.twitter.com/vHsstNbRUH

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) May 19, 2026

Presented annually since 1998, the award recognizes an AHL player for outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. The recipient is selected by the AHL and representatives from IOA and American Specialty from among the 32 team Man of the Year honourees.

Bauer becomes the third player in franchise history to receive the honour, joining Jimmy Roy (2003) and Jimmy Oligny (2023). He was also recognized by the Moose in both 2025 and 2026 with the EPRA Julian Klymkiw Community Service Award and the Richard Bue Ultimate Teammate Award, and earned this season’s Fan Favourite Award.

In the community, Bauer continued his work with the Kinship and Foster Family Network of Manitoba. He also served in his third consecutive season as a coach with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, while participating in Project 11 events, the True North Youth Foundation Gala, and several other initiatives.

The Calgary-born defenceman was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round (164th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

In 52 games with Manitoba this season, Bauer recorded one goal and four assists for five points, while setting a new career high with 110 penalty minutes. His lone goal was his first since the 2023-24 AHL season. Over 214 career AHL games, Bauer has totaled five goals and 16 assists for 21 points, along with 401 penalty minutes.

The six-foot-three blueliner signed a one-year contract with the Jets organization last summer worth $775k and is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

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2026 IIHF World Championship update for the six Winnipeg Jets players after day 2 of the tournament

Connor Baldwin — Sun, 17 May 2026 05:00:36 GMT

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Most of the Jets roster continue their off-seasons as the NHL Conference Finals begin next week. Five of the Jets players (and one prospect) are not in off-season mode yet, as they are in Switzerland competing at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. This tournament began on Friday (May 15th) and runs until May 31st in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.

Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo are representing Team Canada, Ville Heinola is on Team Finland, Nino Niederreiter is playing in his home country playing for Team Switzerland, and Jets 2025 1st round draft pick Sascha Boumedienne is on Team Sweden. Here’s how each of the six Jets players are doing after two days of this sixteen team tournament.

Day one of the tournament was on Friday. The opening two games featured Ville Heinola and Team Finland against Team Germany. Team Finland controlled most of the game, and skated away with a 3-1 win. Heinola didn’t register any points, but he looked comfortable in his role while he earned his ice time from some good defensive moments.

At the same time that this game was happening, Team Canada and Team Sweden were battling in a tightly contested battle. After being tied at three after 40 minutes, Team Canada pulled away in the 3rd and held on for a 5-3 win. Gabriel Vilardi picked up an assist on Canada’s 2nd goal, while Dylan Demelo collected a secondary assist on Canada’s 3rd goal. Sascha Boumedienne did not appear in Sweden’s opening (and only) game of this tournament.

Nino Niederreiter didn’t get on the scoresheet in Switzerland’s opening game, but he provided valuable leadership for his national team. The host Swiss got revenge from last year’s Gold Medal Game where they lost to Team USA by opening their tournament with a big 3-1 win.

Day two of the tournament saw Ville Heinola score Finland’s opening goal in a 4-1 win over Hungary. Heinola also picked up a secondary assist on Finland’s 4th goal, finishing with 2 points as Finland outshot Hungary 32-10. Canada also coasted to their 2nd win of the tournament, outshooting Italy 41-19 in a dominant 6-0 win. Vilardi picked up a secondary assist on Canada’s 5th goal, and DeMelo and Scheifele didn’t register a point. Despite 0 points in 2 games, Scheifele has played well in his top 6 role, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets on the scoresheet.

Nino Niederreiter failed to register a point in Switzerland’s 2nd game, as they defeated Latvia in their opening game 4-2. Scheifele, Vilardi, DeMelo, Heinola and Niederreiter are all undefeated through two days of this tournament, while Boumedienne and Sweden remain 0-1 after a day off on Saturday.

Up Next

Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo and Gabriel Vilardi have Sunday off, before Team Canada takes on Team Denmark on Monday morning at 9:20 am CDT. Sascha Boumedienne hopes to get a chance in the Swedish lineup on Sunday morning, as they battle Team Denmark at 9:20 am CDT. Ville Heinola and Finland have the day off on Sunday, before a big game against Team USA on Monday morning at 9:20 am CDT. Nino Niederreiter and Team Switzerland’s next game will also be on Monday at Swiss Life Arena, as Germany takes on the host team at 1:20 pm CDT.

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DeMelo, Vilardi pick up assists in Canada’s opening win over Sweden

Evan Waldner — Fri, 15 May 2026 22:49:06 GMT

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A pair of Winnipeg Jets recorded an assist each in Team Canada’s 5-3 victory over Sweden today to open the preliminary round of the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

GAME OVER! Starting with a win. 🇨🇦🇸🇪

MATCH FINI! Une victoire en lever de rideau. 🇨🇦🇸🇪

📊 https://t.co/V2qysBskkX
📊 https://t.co/ItsGUA6puK #MensWorlds | #MondialMasculin pic.twitter.com/oB2Hh79AhD

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 15, 2026

After Canada took an early lead on a setup from Darnell Nurse to John Tavares, the Canadians doubled their advantage in the later stages of the opening frame.

Morgan Rielly fired a shot from the point that was kicked out by Magnus Hellberg to Gabriel Vilardi at the top of the crease. Vilardi tried to backhand the rebound on goal, but the puck remained loose in front, where Ryan O’Reilly buried it to make it 2-0. Vilardi picked up an assist on the play.

RYAN O'REILLY! 🫡#MensWorlds | #MondialMasculin pic.twitter.com/mPevmeFTnH

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 15, 2026

Mark Scheifele had a glorious opportunity to get on the scoresheet midway through the first period, but a strong defensive play by Mattias Ekholm prevented him from tapping the puck into an open net.

Sweden responded in the second period, tying the game on goals from Jacob Larsson and Lucas Raymond.

Canada regained the lead just a couple of minutes after Raymond’s equalizer when Dylan Holloway skated into the slot and snapped a shot past Hellberg to make it 3-2. Fraser Minten and Dylan DeMelo earned the assists.

What a shot by Holloway! 🤩

Quel tir de Holloway! 🤩#MensWorlds | #MondialMasculin pic.twitter.com/KIMxxLAyaB

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 15, 2026

Ekholm tied the game once again just over a minute later, making it 3-3.

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Connor Brown scored the eventual game-winning goal a little more than three minutes into the third period after a slick passing sequence involving Brown, Minten, and Porter Martone.

Dylan Cozens added an insurance marker with seven minutes remaining to extend Canada’s lead to 5-3.

Canada held on to improve to 1-0-0-0 and now sits second in Group B behind Czechia. Jet Greaves turned aside 22 shots for a .880 save percentage.

Italy will be Canada’s next opponent as the preliminary round continues tomorrow at 9:20 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on TSN.

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Lack of depth scoring a big contributor to the Jets disappointing 2025-26 season

Connor Baldwin — Wed, 13 May 2026 04:25:59 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets continue their off-season as the NHL gets closer to the final four teams in the playoffs. The 2026 IIHF World Championship starts on Friday, where five Jets players (and one Jets prospect) will be in action on the opening day of the tournament. Just like previous seasons, here at Jets Nation we will begin our “year in review” series in early June, giving you a detailed look at the seasons of each (most) Jets player in the 2025-26 season.

Before we get to June, there’s time to look back at the Jets as a team. There’s several reasons why this season was a disappointment, whether it’s the 11 game losing streak, the lack of depth scoring, or just an overall dip in production from all parts of the team. The focus for today is the Jets lack of depth scoring, a problem that affected this team throughout the entire season. Was this just a matter of the Jets not addressing certain needs in the off-season, or does the problem go deeper into certain players performance?

Looking back to the Jets 2024-25 regular season, almost everything went perfect. The Presidents’ Trophy was earned by the Jets because of a well-rounded team who produced on a nightly basis. Did Connor Hellebuyck’s Vezina and Hart worthy season help? Of course it did, but there were several other Jets player who really rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

A shocking difference between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Jets teams was the amount of players who reached 30 points in the season. This number isn’t everything in terms of how to highlight depth scoring, but it’s a good benchmark number to monitor at the end of a season. The 2024-25 Jets had ELEVEN players who reached the 30 point mark on the season, which is a great sign of scoring production for defencemen and forwards throughout the lineup. I’ll get to the 2025-26 Jets soon, but in terms of pure scoring production this made a huge difference in the Jets success that season. Kyle Connor led the way with 97 points in 82 games.

Fast forward to the 2025-26 season, where the Jets had all of those eleven players who had 30+ points in 2024-25 back in the lineup except for Nikolak Ehlers, who went to the Hurricanes in free agency after tallying 63 points. The Jets failed to properly replace their 3rd leading scorer in the off-season, and there was no one who was able to “step up” to the level that Ehlers produced even while some players got more ice time as a result.

It’s normal to expect some regression from a team who had their best regular season ever in 2024-25, but some of the Jets players in 2025-26 didn’t just regress, they put up career or near career lows for points. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi were of course the exception, led by Scheifele who had an amazing 103 point season. Connor almost matched his career high in points from the 2024-25 season, and Vilardi set career highs across the board even while splitting time between the 1st and 2nd line.

After this elite trio, there was only TWO Jets players who reached 30 points in the 2025-26 season. Josh Morrissey regressed slightly, only getting 55 points after three straight seasons with 60+ points. Morrissey gets a pass since he’s a defencemen, but the rest of the Jets forwards have some explaining to do. Cole Perfetti was the other Jet who reached 30 points on the season, but he only collected 32 points in 68 games after being projected to have a breakout 50+ point season.

Alex Iafallo, who was on the 1st line at times, finished with 29 points, and Jonathan Toews (who hadn’t played in two seasons) also had 29 points in an overall decent return to the NHL while playing all 82 games. After these two, the lack of depth scoring really begins to show throughout the rest of the Jets lineup. Morgan Barron did record a career high in points with 23, but there were greater expectations for Barron as he was given an elevated role in the lineup at times when there were injuries.

After Adam Lowry returned from injury, he could never seem to catch his stride in terms of scoring, finishing the season with only 5 goals and 21 points. Nino Niederreiter almost set a career low in points, and despite being one of the “better” free agent signings, Cole Koepke finished the season with 8 goals and 17 points. Vladislav Namestnikov had probably the biggest “drop off” of Jets forwards, getting only 14 points after a career high 38 points last season.

The final group of players who finished with fewer than 14 points include inexperienced players and free agency signings that went wrong. Gustav Nyquist scored a career low 1 goal, and the rest of the Jets forwards who appeared in at least 5 games (seven players) combined for a total of just 9 goals. You can give some leeway to the rookies and players who were new to the NHL, but you still need to expect some level of production from these replacement players at some point in the season.

The lack of depth scoring from the 2025-26 Jets was a big reason why they failed to reach the playoffs. There’s no “magical” fix for this, but the Jets need to add a few scoring forwards in free agency. Part of the Jets roster is aging, but part of the upcoming Jets roster appears ready for the NHL, which will hopefully lead to a rejuvenated Jets lineup. The depth scoring will improve with the right additions and line combinations, and it will contribute to what will hopefully be a return to the playoffs for the Jets in the 2026-27 season.

Up Next

Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo and Gabriel Vilardi kick off their IIHF World Championship with Team Canada on Friday, May 15th. Ville Heinola (Finland) and Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland) will also be in action on the tournament’s opening day. Canada takes on Sweden (who features Jets prospect Sascha Boumedienne, Finland takes on Germany, and the host Swiss take on USA to open the round robin.

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Winnipeg Jets prospect Sascha Boumedienne earns opportunity with Sweden’s senior national team

Evan Waldner — Fri, 08 May 2026 21:43:36 GMT

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A young Winnipeg Jets prospect has earned an opportunity with Sweden’s senior national team at this year’s IIHF World Championship camp.

We already knew that five Jets representatives would be participating in the annual tournament. Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo, and Gabriel Vilardi will represent Canada, Ville Heinola will suit up for his home country of Finland, and Nino Niederreiter will play for Switzerland. However, on May 2, it was revealed that Jets defensive prospect Sascha Boumedienne had joined Sweden’s camp roster.

The report was first published by a Swedish news outlet before being translated to English by a writer from Daily Faceoff.

Six players from Sweden’s gold medal-winning World Junior Championship team were named to the camp roster, including 19-year-old Boumedienne, the son of Sweden general manager Josef Boumedienne. Sweden snapped a 14-year drought on Jan. 5 when they defeated Czechia at the 2026 WJC to capture their third gold medal in tournament history.

The Stockholm, Sweden product recorded two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 35 games during his second season with Boston University (NCAA), a slight drop from the 13 points he posted in his freshman campaign. At the 2026 WJC, Boumedienne tallied two goals and two assists for four points in seven games.

Winnipeg selected the six-foot-two left-shot defenceman 28th overall in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, adding more depth to their defensive prospect pool.

Before making the jump to college hockey, Boumedienne played 49 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Youngstown Phantoms, where he recorded 27 points (3G, 24A).

Boumedienne is expected to once again play a key role for Sweden at the 2027 WJC. He’ll also begin his third NCAA season with a new team, Ohio State University.

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Canada Life Centre facilities are set for renovations as Jets dressing room stalls go up for auction

Connor Baldwin — Fri, 08 May 2026 20:00:17 GMT

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The Jets off-season carries on with the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs underway. Mark Scheifele, Dylan Demelo, and Gabriel Vilardi, Ville Heinola and Nino Niederreiter will be headed to Switzerland in just a few days, with the 2026 IIHF World Championship beginning on May 15th.

The Jets AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, look to stay alive in their 2nd round matchup against the Grand Rapid Griffins tonight on the road. The Moose won game one of the series, but lost the last two, and they play a must win game tonight in Grand Rapids as they trail the series 2-1 in this best of five.

Just a few days ago, the Jets learned their fate at the NHL Draft Lottery, as they dropped one spot from 7th to 8th. There’s plenty of options for the Jets to think about with the 8th overall pick, but for today, the Jets learned some news about their home arena, Canada Life Centre. If you caught the Jets end-of-season media availability, you may have seen the players signing their dressing rooms stalls.

News about the Jets planning renovations for this off-season was already known before this season began. Today, the Jets outlined some details for this multi-million dollar project. Notably, Winnipeg Jets fans will be able to bid for the locker room player stalls used at Canada Life Centre. The auction is up now on the Jets Gear eBay store. The stalls up for auction include the player’s name bar with their autograph on the side and a certificate of authenticity. The auction closes during the evening of May 17th.

The focus of this summer’s renovations at Canada Life Centre will be to add more space for operations in and around the Jets locker room. The team complex will add 3000 square feet for hockey operations during this first major renovation since the team returned to Winnipeg in 2011. Canada Life Centre will feature up to date strength and conditioning spaces, as well as updated amenities such as a medical treatment area and a therapy facility.

At the centre of the renovations is the Jets new home equipment room, which will add a tunnel that allows access to the visiting team’s bench without crossing the ice. This will be a very welcome change to the rink, as the building’s previous set up didn’t allow for it to be set up with the more standard NHL practice. The area for the media centre will be relocated in order to adjust where press conferences and post-game interviews take place.

Jets fans who want to take a look at a few of the dressing room stalls in person before bidding can check them out at the upcoming Jets Gear year-end locker room sale. The sale will be tomorrow, May 9th, at Canada Life Centre from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Some of the stalls will be on display, and they’ll be plenty of game-worn and used equipment for sale. The year-end sale is a great opportunity for fans to grab some discounted team merch now before the 2026-27 season begins in the fall.

Up Next

Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo and Gabriel Vilardi kick off their IIHF World Championship with Team Canada on May 15th. Ville Heinola (Finland) and Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland) will also be in action on the tournament’s opening day. Canada takes on Sweden, Finland takes on Germany, and the host Swiss take on USA to open the round robin.

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Four more players the Jets should target if they select 7th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft

Connor Baldwin — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:35:05 GMT

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The Jets off-season continues with the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs beginning over the weekend. Five Jets players will soon be off to Switzerland for the upcoming IIHF World Championship, while the rest of the team and staff continue their off-season routines. Although the NHL Draft is still over two months away (after the Stanley Cup is awarded), the NHL Draft Lottery is coming up tomorrow at 6 pm CDT. The Jets currently hold the 7th overall pick in the 1st round, but with some luck tomorrow they could be selecting 1st or 2nd overall.

Assuming the draft lottery doesn’t go the Jets way, here are more four players that the Jets should target at 7th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. This is a part two to an article I wrote where I mentioned four other players who the Jets could look at with the 7th overall pick: Carson Carels, Tynan Lawrence, Viggo Bjork and Alberts Smits. Gavin McKenna is a lock to go 1st overall and Ivar Stenberg is very likely to be selected 2nd overall, but there’s still some uncertainty about who will be selected from 3 to 10, leaving the Jets with a handful of options for the 7th overall pick depending on how 3 to 6 shakes out.

Caleb Malhotra

Malhotra is projected to be selected 3rd or 4th overall in some mock drafts, but if the teams selecting 3-6 go heavy on selecting defencemen, there’s a small chance that Malhotra could be available for the Jets at 7th overall. Malhotra is a highly skilled left handed centre that has risen up the rankings after a dominant season in the Ontario Hockey League. The 17-year old forward has some size, listed at 6’2″ and 182 lbs, and he uses his size to create space in the offensive zone. In 67 games with the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL, Malhotra scored 29 goals and 55 assists for 84 points.

Daxon Rudolph

If the Jets decide to focus on drafting a defenceman in the 1st round of the draft, Rudolph should be near the top of their list. Rudolph is one of the four or five defencemen expected to be selected between the 3rd and 10th overall picks. Rudolph is notable for his offensive skills as a versatile right shot defenceman. The 18-year old defenceman is listed at 6’3″‘ and 206 lbs. With the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL, Rudolph scored an impressive 28 goals and 50 assists for 79 points in 68 games.

Ethan Belchetz

These last two options are left handed left wingers which could be seen as a “stretch” to select at 7th overall, but they could be options if the Jets fall to 8th or 9th overall or if they decide to trade down a a few spots. Both of these players have size, and Belchetz is listed at 6’5″ and 228 lbs. The Jets could see Belchetz as a future 2nd line winger who brings his size as a physical and scoring forward. The 18-year old left handed winger played with the Windsor Spitfires this season, and in 57 games Belchetz tallied 34 goals and 25 assists for 59 points.

Oscar Hemming

A final option that the Jets should target if they drop to 8th/9th or trade down is Oscar Hemming. Like a few other players that are projected to be selected in the 8-14 range, Hemming could fall into the later part of the first half of the first round depending on team needs. The 17-year old left handed winger from Finland is listed at 6’4″ and 193 lbs. Hemming spent some time playing in Finland before joining Boston College this season. Hemming is noted for moving well for his size while playing a strong power forward type of game. In 19 games with Boston College, Hemming scored 1 goals and 7 assists for 8 points.

Up Next

There’s still plenty of time to think about who the Jets will target with the 7th overall pick. The final NHL draft rankings should become a little more clearer by June, which should hopefully narrow down the Jets options. The 7th overall pick allows the Jets to potentially draft a top 5 talent depending on how the earlier picks unfold. The NHL Draft Lottery will take place tomorrow, May 5th, where the Winnipeg Jets will have a 6.5% chance of winning the draw for the 1st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

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Jets’ Toews named Masterton Trophy finalist

Evan Waldner — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:40:58 GMT

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Winnipeg’s hometown product has been named a Bill Masterton Trophy finalist.

The NHL announced its finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy this morning, with Jets centreman Jonathan Toews among the three nominees. Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin and Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog round out the list.

Here are the finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 🏆 #NHLAwards

The Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. pic.twitter.com/i01Cc6Sh4H

— NHL (@NHL) May 4, 2026

The award is presented annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Toews was originally named the Jets’ nominee for the award on April 8.

The 37-year-old stepped away from the game at the end of the 2022-23 season while dealing with health issues, including Long COVID and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. He began his NHL comeback on July 1, 2025, signing a one-year deal with his hometown team.

Toews went on to play all 82 games during the 2025-26 season, recording 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points, along with 38 penalty minutes.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Toews has also captured several individual honours, including the Conn Smythe Trophy (2010), the Frank J. Selke Trophy (2012-13), and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award (2014-15).

In 1,149 NHL games, Toews has recorded 383 goals and 529 assists for 912 points, along with 645 penalty minutes. He has also tallied 119 points (45G, 74A) in 137 playoff appearances, adding 84 penalty minutes.

All three finalists have strong cases for the award, but Toews’ journey back to the NHL makes him a compelling candidate to bring it home.