Jets win some, lose some; Ehlers takes his time in free agency

Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn’t found a headliner to replace Nikolaj Ehlers, at least not yet.

While a section of the Winnipeg Jets fan base was clinging to hope the UFA winger might change his mind and decide to stick around, all signs point to Ehlers joining a new organization as early as Wednesday.

That Ehlers didn’t ink a lucrative, long-term contract was one of the biggest storylines and surprises as the annual spending spree got underway in earnest.

Rather than make a hasty decision, Ehlers decided to take a deliberate approach and potentially expand the field of those vying for his services.

While the front-runners remain the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, some unexpected teams worked themselves into the discussion, including a report from Bob McKenzie suggesting the Colorado Avalanche might be in the mix.

Regardless of where Ehlers eventually lands, his departure will leave a significant hole that will need to be filled — whether that’s in a trade or later in free agency.

Cheveldayoff made a competitive offer to Brock Boeser, both in terms of term and AAV for the scoring right-winger, but he ultimately decided to remain with the Vancouver Canucks on a seven-year deal worth US$50.75 million (US$7.25 million AAV).

With Boeser off the board, there weren’t a lot of obvious alternatives on the market to fill the role, though Andrew Mangiapane is someone who could still be of interest.

Mangiapane is more likely suited for third-line minutes after producing 14 goals and 28 points with the Washington Capitals last season, but his tenacity on the forecheck could make him a fit to skate alongside Jonathan Toews and Cole Perfetti.

As it stands right now, that job likely belongs to Alex Iafallo.

The Jets did sign a pair of forwards to matching one year, US$1 million deals on Tuesday, bringing Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke into the fold.

Those signings fall more into the bottom-six category, as Pearson had 12 goals and 27 points in 78 games with the Vegas Golden Knights and Koepke delivered 10 goals and 17 points to go along with 177 hits in 73 games with the Boston Bruins.

Pearson, 32, has the ability to move up and down the lineup and, while he’s not a speedster, he’s a smart player with some natural finishing ability, as he’s delivered double digits in goals in eight of his 12 NHL seasons — including a career-high of 21 with the Canucks in 2019-20.

“My game hasn’t changed a lot over the years. I don’t expect it to now,” Pearson said during a conference call. “I thought it was kind of the same situation going into Vegas last year. I feel like I’m a guy who can go up and down so maybe start wherever.

“I like the style of play. I’ve obviously played a lot of hockey against them over the years. They’ve always been a good team, a structured team, and I think the structure within their system helps me out too.”

There’s also plenty of familiarity with a number of players on the Jets’ roster, including Barrie Colts teammate Mark Scheifele, fellow Kitchener, Ont. product Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, Iafallo and assistant coach Davis Payne from their time together with the Los Angeles Kings.

Pearson and Payne were together with the Kings when they captured the Stanley Cup in 2014.

Having that championship pedigree is an obvious bonus for a Jets’ franchise that is looking to take the next step after winning the Presidents’ Trophy but getting eliminated in six games by the Dallas Stars in the second round.

Koepke, 27, will make the Jets tougher to play against and will be someone that will be used on the penalty kill, which is an area Winnipeg is looking to improve for a second season in a row.

After being chosen in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Koepke split his first two professional seasons between the NHL and the American Hockey League but became a full-timer with the Bruins last season.

“I just felt that my game really came together as a whole. I put together what I’ve learned and just tried to get better over the course of time. I feel really good about where I’m at and I’m constantly trying to get better,” Koepke said during a conference call. “I definitely can be dependable in the defensive zone, and always try to be physical and a good skater with speed. So I try to use that to my advantage the best I can.

“Scoring goals is always nice, but I do love having a good hit on someone as well. That’s definitely part of the job that I enjoy.”

Koepke played high school hockey in Hermantown, Minn. with Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg and they moved on to play together with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

He’s also close with Jets defenceman Neal Pionk, so that familiarity should help him as he joins a third organization in three seasons.

On Tuesday evening, the Jets agreed to terms with veteran depth forward Phil Di Giuseppe on a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $775,000 in the NHL and $450,000 in the minors.

Di Guiseppe, 31, has 302 NHL games on his resume and recently captured the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks.

The Jets also added depth defenceman Kale Clague to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL and $475,000 in the minors.

Clague, 27, has 94 NHL games on his resume with the Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres after he was chosen in the second round (51st overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Kings.

The former Brandon Wheat Kings blue-liner — who won a Western Hockey League championship in 2015-16 — had 10 goals and 39 points in 69 games with the Rochester Americans in the AHL last season.

The Jets lost forward Brandon Tanev to the Utah Mammoth, centre Dominic Toninato to the Chicago Blackhawks and depth defencemen Dylan Coghlan to the Golden Knights and Simon Lundmark to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As of Tuesday night, right-winger Mason Appleton was still looking for a new home.

Although you can understand the frustration Jets fans have for not immediately replacing Ehlers, this is your annual reminder that the season isn’t always won and lost on the opening day of free agency.

Of course it’s a key area to improve the roster, it’s also a frequent place for buyers’ remorse, even with a rising salary cap.

That’s not to say Cheveldayoff is off the hook, as he’s just starting the process of attacking the off-season to-do list, one that includes new contracts for all of Samberg, Gabe Vilardi and Morgan Barron and extensions for Kyle Connor and captain Adam Lowry.

For now, the Jets are replacing Tanev and Appleton in the bottom-six with Pearson and Koepke.

They’ve also brought in centre Jonathan Toews, who is the highest-profile free-agent signing the organization has ever made, even if it’s happening when he’s 37 and hasn’t played in the NHL for two seasons due to health issues.

The benefits of his addition have already been well documented and Toews will hold an introductory press conference on Friday afternoon.

So, as the dust settles during the coming days, Cheveldayoff fully understands that he’s got a lot of pieces in place while also recognizing plenty of contending teams around him made moves to get better.

Plus, the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers found a way to do the unthinkable and hold onto all of Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad and are the far-too-early team to beat.

All to say that the Jets are not in danger of a dramatic drop in the standings, but they still probably need to add another piece or two if they want to push themselves to the front of the line.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld