Canada Day brought the first real jolt of the NHL offseason, and the Winnipeg Jets came out of day one of free agency with three new names added to the roster.
The headline move was in goal. The Jets signed Stuart Skinner to a two-year, $7.5 million contract, making the 27-year-old the new backup behind Connor Hellebuyck.
Skinner arrives after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Oilers last season, and his 2024-25 numbers included a 23-17-9 record, a .888 save percentage and a 2.92 goals-against average across his time with both clubs. His playoff work in Pittsburgh was rough, but Winnipeg is banking on him settling in as a dependable second option.
And despite the instant chatter that a Hellebuyck deal might be around the corner, TSN insider Darren Dreger said that was not imminent.
Winnipeg also made a clear upgrade on the back end by landing Mario Ferraro. The left-shot defender agreed to a three-year deal with a $4 million average annual value after putting up 23 points and playing all 82 games for the Sharks last season. At 27, Ferraro gives the Jets another sturdy option on the left side and is projected to slot onto the third pairing behind Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg.
The third addition was Noah Gregor, who signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000. The former Florida Panthers forward is also 27, which makes all three of Winnipeg’s free-agent additions that age, oddly enough.
Gregor had 9 points in 37 NHL games last season with Florida and added 17 points in 26 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL. He also represented Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
Winnipeg had already dipped into the trade market on June 29, sending David Gustafsson to the Penguins and getting Jack St. Ivany back. The 26-year-old defenseman had 7 assists in 20 games with Pittsburgh last season and is expected to provide depth on the right side, likely starting with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.
The roster churn didn’t stop there. Six players from last season’s Jets are on the move for 2026-27, with Jonathan Toews officially announcing his retirement after what the article describes as a hall-of-fame worthy career.
Colin Miller is headed to Europe on a one-year deal with Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Eric Comrie, the fan-favorite backup goalie, signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks at $1.15 million AAV.
Jacob Bryson landed with the Detroit Red Wings on a one-year, $850,000 deal. Gustafsson was dealt to Pittsburgh.
And Ville Heinola signed a one-way, one-year contract worth $850,000 with the Golden Knights.
On balance, Winnipeg got through opening day in solid shape. The departures were mostly depth pieces, while Skinner fills the backup crease for now and Ferraro strengthens the left side of the blue line. Gregor gives the Jets another bottom-six option if more moves don’t follow later in the summer.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Just Made A Day 1 Move Jets Fans Will Hate
The first day of NHL free agency brought a busy makeover in Vegas, and it is the kind of aggressive depth-building that should get the attention of every team in the West. The Golden Knights signed 11 free agents, loading up on seven forwards and four defensemen while also keeping their blue line stable by re-upping Rasmus Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon to long-term extensions.
For a Jets team trying to measure itself against the conference heavyweights, the move matters because Vegas did not just patch holes, it added layers. Victor Olofsson gives the Golden Knights another proven scoring option up front, Tanner Laczynski adds versatility to the organizational forward group, and the rest of the incoming depth only makes the roster picture deeper as the summer unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Ferraro Gives Jets Blue Line A Move Fans Have To Judge
The Jets added a familiar type of bet to their blue line in Mario Ferraro, a durable left-shot defenseman coming over from San Jose after putting together an every-night role with the Sharks. Winnipeg is paying for stability here, giving Ferraro a three-year commitment with a $4 million cap hit per season and slotting him into a group already headlined by Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk.
Ferraros appeal is obvious enough for a team trying to keep its defense mobile and reliable, especially after he logged the full schedule last season and has carved out a sizable NHL resume without much noise attached to it. The larger question for the Jets is how this move changes the look and feel of a back end that already had established pieces, because a new regular in that mix can either sharpen the whole group or force a few uncomfortable choices about roles and usage. [Read more 🡒]
Ville Heinola Just Became Another Painful What If For Jets Fans
For years, Ville Heinola represented one of the Jets more frustrating development stories, the kind that lingers every time a former first-round pick finds a fresh start elsewhere. Winnipeg drafted the defenseman in 2019 with the hope that his skating and puck skill would eventually translate into a steady NHL role, but injuries, minor-league time and repeated stops and starts kept him from ever fully taking hold in the lineup.
Heinolas time in Winnipeg is now over after a stretch that produced only brief flashes of the player the Jets thought they were getting. The latest setback came in training camp last season, when a fractured ankle required surgery and derailed what had been viewed as a chance to finally build momentum, leaving the Golden Knights to see whether they can turn a long-running promise into an actual NHL contributor. [Read more 🡒]