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On Thursday, March 6th, the Winnipeg Jets made a move at this year&#8217;s trade deadline—though it&#8217;s a small one. The team announced that they have traded goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in exchange for goaltender Chris Driedger.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Welcome home, Driedgs! 🏡
We have acquired goaltender Chris Driedger from the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen. <a href="https://t.co/nPsEVPCzSQ">pic.twitter.com/nPsEVPCzSQ</a>
&mdash; Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLJets/status/1897739124355797058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kahkonen has had a rollercoaster year within the Jets organization. He started the season with Winnipeg, playing in the preseason before being placed on waivers. He was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche, where he made one appearance in October against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that game, he allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 5-2 loss. Kahkonen was subsequently placed on waivers again, reclaimed by the Jets, and spent the rest of his time with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.
In 22 games with the Moose this season, the Finnish goaltender struggled, posting a 6-14 record, a 3.29 GAA, and a .885 SV%. While he’s shown flashes of potential in his career, Kahkonen has failed to make a significant impact at the NHL level.
Kahkonen was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Meanwhile, the Jets are bringing in Chris Driedger, a Winnipeg native. Driedger has spent time this season with the AHL&#8217;s Charlotte Checkers, earning a 10-6-4 record, a 2.97 GAA, and a .878 SV% in 20 games. Driedger has a small amount of NHL experience, having spent some time with the Seattle Kraken, including in their inaugural season.
Though this trade is a relatively minor one, it could indicate that Jets’ general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is still evaluating options for potential moves ahead of the deadline. As I’m writing this, the Colorado Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders—another blow to Jets fans’ hopes of a competitive deadline. Still, let’s hope this AHL goaltender swap isn’t the only change on the horizon for the Jets.

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: <a class="text-accent" href="https://x.com/NHLJetsNation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@NHLJetsNation</a> and on Instagram: <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.instagram.com/jetsnationdotca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@JetsNationDotCa</a>
On Thursday, March 6th, the Winnipeg Jets made a move at this year's trade deadline—though it's a small one. The team announced that they have traded goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in exchange for goaltender Chris Driedger.
https://twitter.com/NHLJets/status/1897739124355797058
Kahkonen has had a rollercoaster year within the Jets organization. He started the season with Winnipeg, playing in the preseason before being placed on waivers. He was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche, where he made one appearance in October against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that game, he allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 5-2 loss. Kahkonen was subsequently placed on waivers again, reclaimed by the Jets, and spent the rest of his time with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.
In 22 games with the Moose this season, the Finnish goaltender struggled, posting a 6-14 record, a 3.29 GAA, and a .885 SV%. While he’s shown flashes of potential in his career, Kahkonen has failed to make a significant impact at the NHL level.
Kahkonen was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Meanwhile, the Jets are bringing in Chris Driedger, a Winnipeg native. Driedger has spent time this season with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, earning a 10-6-4 record, a 2.97 GAA, and a .878 SV% in 20 games. Driedger has a small amount of NHL experience, having spent some time with the Seattle Kraken, including in their inaugural season.
Though this trade is a relatively minor one, it could indicate that Jets’ general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is still evaluating options for potential moves ahead of the deadline. As I’m writing this, the Colorado Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders—another blow to Jets fans’ hopes of a competitive deadline. Still, let’s hope this AHL goaltender swap isn’t the only change on the horizon for the Jets.

Jets deal Kahkonen to Panthers for Driedger in goalie swap

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