Iafallo wants to stay in River City

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/03/2025 (209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alex Iafallo understands what unrestricted free agency could mean for him.

At the same time, what Iafallo learned from his first dalliance with the collectively bargained right is that once you find a place where you’re happy, there’s no need to go elsewhere.

Or in this case, open up the bidding process to the 31 other teams in the NHL.

Now, it’s important to remember Iafallo hasn’t put pen to paper on a contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets, but the versatile winger made it clear he’d like to stick around beyond this summer Tuesday before his team faced the New York Rangers.

Iafallo’s camp was in touch with the Jets during the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the two sides continue to work on a deal that would extend his time with the organization that acquired him in the blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 2023.

“They’re trying to figure something out, which is good,” said Iafallo. “Obviously not thinking about it too much. I’d like to stay, so we’re just going to go from there.”

The Jets already got one of their pending UFAs signed last month, as Vladislav Namestnikov inked a two-year deal with an AAV of US$3 million, which represented a raise of US$1 million per season.

Not only are Iafallo (31) and Namestnikov (32) similar in age, their ability to jump up and down the lineup and play an effective game is another parallel.

While Namestnikov was a first-round pick (27th overall) of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, Iafallo went undrafted and was a UFA when the Kings and other teams came calling for his services after his fourth season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

That experience is something Iafallo has kept on his mind when weighing the options for the future.

Although nothing is final until a deal is signed, Iafallo made it clear that he’d prefer not to have this drag on until July 1 if possible.

“I’m just going to play my game and see what happens. That’s kind of how I’ve always done it,” said Iafallo, who was acquired along with fellow forwards Gabe Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari and a second-round draft pick in 2024 that became defenceman Alfons Freij for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

“I was never really drafted, so you never know. Trust the process is what I’m sticking with. Keep working hard. Live in the present. That’s how I’ve always been.”

The present looks pretty good for Iafallo, who became the 10th member of the Jets (and ninth forward) to hit double digits in goals on Sunday when he scored a six-on-five marker in the 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

It’s the seventh consecutive season Iafallo, whose career high is 17, reached 10 goals. The only time he didn’t hit that total was when he had nine goals and 25 points in 75 games during his rookie campaign in 2017-18.

Iafallo was up to 22 points in 65 games going into Tuesday’s game, but his value to the Jets has stretched far beyond his statistics since his arrival.

He’s mostly been used on the fourth line this season, but when injuries hit, Iafallo has consistently shown an ability to perform well when his ice time is increased and he moves his way up the depth chart.

Last season, Iafallo had an extended look on the top line after the early-season injury to Vilardi.

Earlier this season, Iafallo found himself skating alongside captain Adam Lowry and Nikolaj Ehlers for a game that included the assignment of trying to contain Colorado Avalanche superstar and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon.

It’s not like these challenges are foreign to Iafallo, since he spent a good chunk of time with the Kings on a checking line with Azne Kopitar.

The other part of the equation is he’s an effective penalty killer and is on the Jets’ second power-play unit that has contributed plenty of offence on the road to becoming the most efficient team in the NHL with the man advantage.

That’s why he’s averaging more than 12 1/2 minutes per game this season.

“It’s awesome to see what he’s doing. Proud of him, and definitely knew he had that in him,” said Manitoba Moose captain Dominic Toninato, whose time with Iafallo as a teammate goes back to their time with the Fargo Force of the USHL and continued at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and eventually, the Jets.

“He brings it all. He can move up and down the lineup, he can play on the power play, PK, and be out there for empty nets on both sides. The guy is an incredible player.”

Iafallo brings a lunch-pail attitude to the rink on a daily basis. He’s willing to go to the hard areas and make the unheralded plays that are essential to winning.

“He does all of those little things really well,” said Jets assistant coach Marty Johnston. “He does it each and every day and he doesn’t look for any sort of glory in it. He just goes about his business. He’s a real glue player for us and he’s really important.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld