Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff came out of a busy stretch with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and the opening days of free agency and made one thing clear Friday: the work is far from finished.
Cheveldayoff met with the media for the first time since his end-of-season press conference after Winnipeg’s disappointing 2025-26 campaign, and his comments touched on the team’s biggest additions, a key restricted free agent, the Connor Hellebuyck chatter, and the organization’s next steps.
The two headliners from July 1 were defenseman Mario Ferraro and goaltender Stuart Skinner, and Cheveldayoff said both were at the top of his list.
Ferraro, who played seven seasons on the San Jose Sharks’ blue line, and Skinner, who spent five and a half seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before finishing last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, were described by Cheveldayoff as his “number-one targets.”
“Ferraro didn’t fall into place until fairly late in the day. We hung in there and very thankful that it worked out in our direction,” he said, adding later “for us, obviously getting Ferraro was a big, big thing.”
On Skinner, he added, “We’re really excited to get Stu,” and noted that goaltending coach Wade Flaherty has spoken highly of him.
Cheveldayoff also sounded relieved to come out of July 1 feeling good about what the Jets had done.
“July 1 can be a good day sometimes and July 1 can be something that you wake up the next morning and say ‘what did I just do?'” Cheveldayoff said. “We’re fortunate that we woke up and we’re still pretty excited about the things we did on July 1.”
Another major item on the to-do list is Cole Perfetti. The restricted free agent remains a priority, and Cheveldayoff said the situation now sits in a different stage because Perfetti has arbitration rights.
“It’s a different phase of contracts now where he has arbitration rights,” Cheveldayoff said, adding he expects Perfetti will file for arbitration if he doesn’t sign by July 5. “If he does (file for arbitration), don’t get too excited. It’s just part of the whole thing,” he added.
Perfetti’s season was uneven. He missed the first 14 games after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the final preseason game, then needed time after returning in November before he looked fully comfortable. He finished with 32 points, including 12 goals and 20 assists, well below the 50 points he posted in 2024-25.
The 2020 first-round pick hasn’t exactly strengthened his case for a major raise from the $3.25 million average annual value on his expired two-year bridge deal, but a longer-term agreement still appears possible. At his exit meeting, Perfetti said he would be open to that kind of contract.
There was no fresh update on the Hellebuyck situation. Cheveldayoff kept it simple when asked about trade speculation around the three-time Vezina winner.
“Connor Hellebuyck is a Winnipeg Jet and there’s really no update at this point in time.”
Rumors have swirled since Hellebuyck’s exit interview, even though there has been no credible reporting that he has asked for a trade. Cheveldayoff added more fuel late last month when he said he was listening to proposals, though he said then that offers from the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes were not strong enough to move on.
The Jets’ approach this offseason has already looked different from last year’s. Instead of loading up on older veterans, Winnipeg has stayed away from anyone older than 27, and Cheveldayoff said the goal is to get quicker.
“We’re looking to make changes, we’re looking to get faster,” Cheveldayoff said, explaining that all of his free-agent signings thus far are good skaters. “You’re going to see a different group come September out there and that’s exciting.”
That shift could open the door for younger players to push for NHL jobs.
The other major talking point was Viggo Bjorck, Winnipeg’s first-round pick from last month’s draft. Cheveldayoff was direct about where he wants the eighth-overall selection to play.
“Viggo’s a centre, period,” Cheveldayoff’s said in response to a question about the positional plan for the eighth-overall pick.
The Jets have at times moved drafted centers to the wing in the past, including Perfetti and Gabriel Vilardi, but the plan for Bjorck is different. The Swedish forward was the main attraction at Jet 2026 Development Camp this week, and the organization clearly sees him as a potential long-term answer down the middle.
“When he’s got the puck on his stick, you want to watch and see what happens next,” Cheveldayoff said. “It’s an exciting start to a real good relationship here and again, we’re so fortunate to be able to draft him in the position that we did. It’s going to be a great thing for the Jets moving forward.”
Bjorck, 18, is eligible to play in the NHL this season, in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose, or in the Swedish Hockey League with Djurgardens IF, where he played last season and remains under contract.
And even after the draft and the first wave of free agency, Cheveldayoff still has room to keep working. The Jets have $10.68 million in cap space available, according to PuckPedia, and more moves could still be coming as Winnipeg tries to get back on track.
With the draft and free-agent rush now behind them, the next major date on the calendar is the release of the 2026-27 regular-season schedule, which is expected within the next few weeks.
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