Kyle Connor is heading into the final year of his contract, and if the Winnipeg Jets want to keep their top winger around long-term, they’re going to have to open the vault.

Connor, who turns 29 in December, carries a cap hit just over $7.14 million this season. After that, he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. The Jets do have some breathing room—just over $10.5 million in cap space—and with deals like Gustav Nyquist’s ($3.25M) and Luke Schenn’s ($2.75M) coming off the books next summer, there’s a clear path to giving Connor the raise he’s earned.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes Winnipeg will need to go big to keep their guy.

“I would peg that next contract somewhere between $11 and $12 million AAV; obviously a huge priority for the Jets to get done,” Seravalli said.

Honestly, those numbers make a lot of sense. Connor’s earned every penny of what’s coming. The real question is: how much are the Jets willing to pay him? And would Connor even consider taking a bit less to stick around?

Connor’s been a lock for 30+ goals and 30+ assists almost every season since he became a full-time NHLer back in 2017–18. He’s fresh off a career year where he posted 41 goals and 97 points—and had the season gone just a bit longer, he likely would’ve cracked 100.

He also stepped up in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, recording 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in just 13 games. While other top names went quiet, Connor showed up.

With the team’s middle-six still a mess—especially after the addition of Nyquist and the departure of long-time Jet Nikolaj Ehlers—the pressure is on to keep the core together. Locking up Connor needs to be at the top of the to-do list.

Letting him hit free agency would be a massive risk. Guys like Kyle Connor don’t come around often—and if he walks next summer, the Jets could be left scrambling to fill a hole that simply can’t be filled.