The Winnipeg Jets continue their off-season as the Stanley Cup Finals is set to begin in just over a week. Across the globe in Switzerland, the five Jets players at the 2026 IIHF World Championship are preparing for their final round robin games tomorrow. On Wednesday I’ll recap the last few round robin games, which will set you up for the exciting quarter-finals on Thursday. Also in other hockey action, the Memorial Cup is underway in Kelowna, but unfortunately there are no Jets prospects on any of the four teams.

As rumours begin to swirl about potential off-season moves for the Jets, one has surfaced about a potential offer sheet target. It’s sort of an unwritten rule between GMs to not offer sheet for players, but after the Blues scooped up Dylan Holloway and Phillip Broberg from the Oilers last off-season, maybe more GMs will use this method of acquiring and signing a restricted free agent.

The Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from their 3rd Stanley Cup Finals appearance in just their 9th season in the league. Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel and Carter Hart have led the way for the Knights, but just behind this trio is Russian forward Pavel Dorofeyev. After a 37 goal season, Dorofeyev is tied with teammate Brett Howden for the playoff lead in goals with 10 in 15 games.

Dorofeyev, who turns 26 next season, is a rare example of a Golden Knights draft pick who has remained with the team since the draft. Vegas hasn’t been afraid of trading away their prospects, but one of the few they’ve stuck with is Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights might just end up winning the cup this year, but that doesn’t mean they have an easy off-season ahead. With multiple new additions from the deadline, the Golden Knights have just under $5 million in projected cap space. Rasmus Andersson is likely their first priority for a new deal, which could leave Dorofeyev as a prime offer sheet candidate.

Now obviously, from a realistic standpoint, the likelihood of the Jets offer sheeting for Dorofeyev is close to 0, but it’s not entirely impossible. If the Jets offered Dorofeyev a new deal at $6 million, the cost (if Vegas did not match) would be a 1st and 3rd round pick. Dorofeyev’s next contract is going to be much higher than his current $1.8 million, and his new salary could be upwards of $8-9 million if the Golden Knights can create more cap space.

Dorofeyev would be almost the perfect top 6 addition for the Jets, providing goal scoring and a great hockey IQ. Kyle Connor would still be the “option A” for a goal scorer, but Dorofeyev would fit well on the 2nd line with Cole Perfetti. Unfortunately, even if a team offer sheets for the upcoming restricted free agent, you know that the Golden Knights will somehow find a way to create more cap space. Adin Hill will likely be on the move, and there’s several other contracts that the Golden Knights could move in order to lock up Dorofeyev long term.

It’s a very unlikely outcome for the Jets to get Pavel Dorofeyev from an offer sheet, but regardless it’s an interesting idea that should be considered if the Jets want to make a big and bold move this off-season. The Jets need a top six forward to properly replace the loss of Nikolaj Ehlers, and Dorofeyev is one of the many options that will be available this summer.

Mark Scheifele, Dylan DeMelo and Gabriel Vilardi are ready for Team Canada’s final Group B round robin game on Tuesday against Czechia at 1:20 pm CDT. Ville Heinola and Finland are up against the host Swiss and Nino Niederreiter at the same time, and this game will decide who wins Group A, with both teams currently 6-0-0-0. Puck drop for this game will also be at 1:20 pm CDT.

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