The Winnipeg Jets off-season continues to chug along during the middle of the longest break we have without any hockey. Still with around $5.8 million in cap space, it appears, barring an unexpected major trade or signing, that the Jets are content with the moves they have made so far this off-season. Perhaps the additional cap space will be saved for later in the season, maybe for the trade deadline, where the team can assess their needs at that time and decide what changes to make for the back half of the year.

Earlier today, the Jets announced the new numbers for the 6 newest Winnipeg Jets signings from free agency. Each player appears to be rocking their “usual” go-to numbers. Jaret Anderson-Dolan will wear #28, Kaapo Kahkonen will wear #34, Dylan Coghlan will wear #52, Eric Comrie will wear #1, Mason Shaw will wear #23 and finally, Haydn Fleury will wear #24. Seeing their names all together on one graphic got me thinking, which of these 6 newly signed Jets players will have the most impactful season coming up in 2024-25?

This question puzzled me probably more than it should have, but taking a look at those 6 players, you don’t really see anyone that will likely really stand out next season. Some of these guys might not even play in the NHL for most of the season. However, each player still does have something to offer for the Jets, and when they’re at their best they could be somewhat valuable to the team. Here’s a quick breakdown of what each of the 6 players has to offer overall, finishing with the player that could very well have the most impactful season of the bunch in the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Starting with Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who, let’s face it, is just a depth signing like most of these 6 new Jets players. Anderson-Dolan is only 24 years old still, but he hasn’t proven himself yet as a former 2nd round, 41st overall pick by the L.A Kings in the 2017 NHL draft. Most of his season will likely be spent with the Manitoba Moose, but if Anderson-Dolan gets a chance with the Jets, he’ll bring a competitive and hard-working style of play at centre. The biggest limitation with Anderson-Dolan at the moment is that he’s fairly limited in terms of his offensive upside.

Dylan Coghlan is an undrafted defenceman who the Jets didn’t actually sign, but rather traded for, sending future considerations to the Carolina Hurricanes. Coghlan had a great year with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL last season, so he’ll look to carry that momentum with the Manitoba Moose. His big shot is what likely caught the attention of the Jets, which could be useful if he gets playing time in the NHL this season.

A familiar name, Eric Comrie, a goalie who is back once again with the Jets for his 3rd stint with the team, after playing the last 2 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres organization. Comrie’s game has progressed over the last few years, and I expect him to put up a solid fight for the backup position behind Connor Hellebuyck. The likely result will be Comrie spending the season with the Manitoba Moose, but Comrie could play an impact in helping younger goalies develop such as Thomas Milic.

The other 2 players who I don’t think will bring much of an impact to the Jets in 2024-25 are Mason Shaw and Haydn Fleury. Shaw appeared in 20 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, but he doesn’t bring too much other than a solid defensive game as a bottom 6 forward. Fleury, on the other hand, may still have some room for improvement as a former 7th overall pick back in 2014. Fleury appeared in 24 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, and may make appearances if injuries occur or things don’t go right for some of the bottom-pairing Jets defense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fleury stepped in to fill that role temporarily, but as to what level of impact he’ll bring, well that’s highly unknown.

That brings me to Kaapo Kahkonen, who I believe will have the most impactful upcoming season among the newest Winnipeg Jets roster players. Like I said earlier, it was tough to really pick one of the 6 from the rest, but when it comes to it, Kahkonen will have to be impactful as the backup goalie behind Connor Hellebuyck. The 27-year old from Finland has had some mixed results in terms of performance in his NHL career thus far. From 2019-2021 he was the backup for the Minnesota Wild, and put up some solid numbers, averaging just over a .900 save percentage. The last 3 seasons, Kahkonen was in a 1A/1B situation with the San Jose Sharks, one of the worst teams in the league.

Kahkonen’s numbers in San Jose were pretty rough at times, but to what extent are those numbers on Kahkonen? The team in front of him was horrible throughout large stretches of the season, so perhaps Kahkonen only looked bad at times because of them. After playing 6 games with the New Jersey Devils at the end of last season, Kahkonen is ready to prove himself as the everyday backup in Winnipeg. Hellebuyck enters his 9th full NHL season, and each year around the NHL the backup goalie role appears to be growing in importance. Hellebuyck still should be able to manage close to 60 games this season, but the other 20 or so games will be Kahkonen’s net. Games with your backup goalie in net can’t be wasted efforts, so Kahkonen’s impact could be felt as the season progresses.

No pressure on Kaapo Kahkonen, but he’ll be the netminder behind Hellebuyck that will be tasked with making an impact in the 2024-25 season by helping the Jets get some wins on Hellebuyck’s night offs.