Manitoba (AHL) will bring back one of its most physical defenders after the team announced Tuesday that Winnipeg had re-signed Tyrel Bauer to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 23-year-old defenseman is entering his fourth season with the Moose and has yet to make his NHL debut. In 59 games in 2024-25, he had just two assists and 105 PIMs to go along with his -21 plus/minus.

Barron had eight goals and seven assists (15 points) in 74 games with the Jets in 2024-25. Barron found a role on the Jets' fourth line but he will have more competition for minutes in 2025-26 after the signings of Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke.

Nyquist split the 2024-25 season between the Predators and Wild, finishing with 28 points (11G / 17A) in 79 games. With the Jets, Nyquist will likely serve as a middle-6 winger, who will see PP2 time. He's one-year removed from a 75-point season, so there's bounce-back potential in Winnipeg, although he'll be 36-years-old in September.

Walker Duehr will join his third NHL organization in two seasons after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Winnipeg on Wednesday. The 27-year-old undrafted right-winger appeared in 24 games between Calgary and San Jose in 2024-25, picking up two goals and three points alongside 15 SOG. He is expected to compete for a bottom-six role at Winnipeg's training camp to start this season.

Winnipeg added to its goaltending depth on the second day of Free Agency on Wednesday, signing Isaac Poulter to a one-year, two-way contract. The 23-year-old undrafted netminder struggled in his third season in Utica (AHL) in 2024-25, with his .898 SV% and 16-13-7 record. He is expected to report to Manitoba (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Koepke established himself as a full-time NHL player last season, playing a career-high 73 games and scoring 17 points (7G / 10A) with the Boston Bruins. He is averaging 2.34 hits per game over 99 games in his career and add some grit to Winnipeg's bottom-six forward group.

Bjugstad will join his sixth team in six seasons after signing a two-year deal worth $1.75M AAV ($3.5M total) with St. Louis on Tuesday. The 32-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season after a down year in Utah in 2024-25, which saw him put up only eight points, 19 points and 16 PIMs while playing a bottom-six role.

Toews has not appeared in an NHL game since April 13th, 2024, but till make his return with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. Toews, who is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion and had 883 career points (372G / 511A) in 15 seasons with the Blackhawks, could earn up to $5M in bonuses. He's expected to serve as a much-needed middle-6 centre for the Jets in 2025-26.