Jets ink deal with Burmistrov; Frolik heading to Calgary

Team also in negotiations on extension of Ladd's contract

By: Tim Campbell and Gary Lawless Posted: 11:22 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2015 Last Modified: 6:11 PM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2015 | Updates

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Michael Frolik is gone but Alexander Burmistrov is back in. Those are the major items for the Winnipeg Jets on the first day of the NHL’s annual free agent period.

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Michael Frolik is gone but Alexander Burmistrov is back in. Those are the major items for the Winnipeg Jets on the first day of the NHL’s annual free agent period.

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Michael Frolik is gone but Alexander Burmistrov is back in. Those are the major items for the Winnipeg Jets on the first day of the NHL’s annual free agent period.

Just after noon today, the Jets announced they had come to a two-year agreement with Burmistrov, the 23-year-old forward who quit the team and went back to Russia two years ago.

Burmistrov was the Atlanta Thrashers’ first-round pick in the 2010 draft, eighth overall.

Frolik’s two-year stay with the Jets ends after he was unable to come to a long-term arrangement with the team.

He settled for a one-year deal worth $3.3 million last summer when talks over a long-term contract yielded no agreement.

The sides vowed to talk on about a future deal.

That haggling continued but was fruitless. Today, Frolik agreed to a five-year deal with the Calgary Flames at a reported $4.3 million per season.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff opted not to protect assets and trade Frolik at the March deadline this year, still hoping to get a deal done.

“We were very aggressive with Michael on our approach on a lot of fronts,” Cheveldayoff said today. “Obviously this game ebbs and flows in different respects for a lot of reasons.

“We’re going to continue to approach things as we’ve always approached it. We’ve been aggressive in a lot of different areas. Our approach here was very aggressive. Again, people make their decisions. From the standpoint of the intimate part of the negotiations, those will remain private.”

Burmistrov’s past in the past: GM

The Jets chose today not to announce the value of Burmistrov’s contract, which came out later as $1.5 million for the coming season and $1.6 million for 2016-17.

Burmistrov played three seasons for the team but left after the lockout year of 2012-13 when he couldn’t get along with then-coach Claude Noel.

Burmistrov had 23 goals and 58 points in 194 games with the franchise before he departed for the KHL team in Kazan. There, Burmistrov had a very mediocre 10 goals in each of the seasons he played there.

“I don’t think he really ever wanted to leave the NHL,” Cheveldayoff said today. “I wasn’t around when he was drafted… you know when you do talk to these players that their passion is to play in the NHL. So what happened in the past happened in the past. We’re two more years mature as an organization and he’s two more years mature as a player.

“Obviously Paul Maurice’s experience in coaching at the international level is only going to benefit this process.”

Pardy, Halischuk inked

Cheveldayoff did get two of his own free agents inked today.

Defenceman Adam Pardy has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets for a reported $1 million on a one-way agreement.

And Forward Matt Halischuk has re-upped with the NHL team for one year on a two-way deal, making $750,000 on the top end.

The Jets signed pending UFA Drew Stafford on Tuesday.

Chris Carlson / The Associated Press Files
Jets defenceman Adam Pardy — Chris Carlson / The Associated Press Files Jets defenceman Adam Pardy

The team has three other unrestricted free agents on the open market today: Jim Slater, Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty. Cheveldayoff said he spoke to nobody today from that group.

Other free agents today have been in the organization include Paul Postma, Will O’Neill, John Albert, Julian Melchiori, Patrice Cormier and Eric O’Dell, Keaton Ellerby and Jussi Olkinuora.

O’Dell signed a two-way deal with the Ottawa Senators and Olkinuora signed with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Negotiations with Ladd

Today the window also opens for players who will be free agents on July 1, 2016. The CBA allows contract extensions to most contracts up to one year before the current contract expires.

The Jets, in that mode, are in negotiations with captain Andrew Ladd on an extension. Progress has been made but there is some work to be done. Expect a six or seven-year deal for Ladd.

Cheveldayoff and agent Ben Hankinson say they have have discussed veteran Dustin Byfuglien’s situation, like Ladd entering the last year of his contract, but negotiations have not yet begun.

The Jets are also now free to discuss extensions for Jacob Trouba, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry, whose entry-level deals will expire next summer.

Agent Pat Morris told the Free Press this morning he doesn’t expect Stempniak to return to Winnipeg.

Rick Curran, agent for Tlusty, said he has spoken with the Jets and the two sides will talk again in the coming days if Tlusty is still on the market and the Jets still have a need for him.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Pardy keen to stay in Winnipeg

After wrapping up his one-year, $1-million deal early during today’s free-agent action, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Adam Pardy said he had only one goal in mind today.

“It was very important that I stay there,” Pardy said during a conference call with reporters today. “A player like me, most of the impact I make is a lot off the ice, a lot filling in roles. Look at the injuries we had last year and guys having to fill in and guys having to play different roles.

“Even played a couple of games at forward. This is a place I really wanted to be. I fit in well with the group and we have a great group.”

Pardy joined the Jets for 2013-14 and over two seasons, has played 115 games. The 31-year-old had previously played in Calgary, Dallas and Buffalo.

“It’s not that fun going to a new team every year,” he said. “Just having Paul (Maurice, Jets coach) and the system he’s created here, for what we did last year… we knew where we wanted to go but just didn’t know what to expect. To get into the playoffs, it was tough what happened (in the series) but the strides we made throughout the season is something to be proud of and moving forward, something you want to be a part of.

“When I left this year, the meetings I had with Chevy (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff) and Paul, I made it pretty clear I wanted to be back because I think this team can win.

“We proved that to ourselves last year that we can win and keep winning, not just one year. We weren’t just happy to make the playoffs last year.

“I didn’t want to go to another team.”

Pardy averaged 15 minutes per game during his 55 games played last season.

With Pardy’s signing today, the Jets have nine players under contract, including Grant Clitsome, who missed the back half of last season because of back surgery. The number is 10 if you include top prospect Josh Morrissey.

RFA defenceman Paul Postma remains unsigned but did get a qualifying offer.

— Tim Campbell