Positive contract update for young Jets winger Cole Perfetti

Over the past few years, the Winnipeg Jets have been hesitant to give out roles to their young, up and coming stars, and it's led to plenty of backlash from their fans. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Rutger McGroarty is opting to stay in college this upcoming season, but for Cole Perfetti, the time is now to officially give him a top-six role and let him loose in the NHL.

In 2023/24, Cole Perfetti played his first full NHL season, appearing in 71 games while tallying a solid 19 goals and 38 points, and as an RFA, he has got options moving forward. Reportedly, the team have recently extended him a qualifying option, and after not opting to take his salary situation to arbitration, it's a good sign that he is willing to listen on a long-term deal.

The team have also recently shopped him, reportedly being involved in the offer for Carolina's Martin Necas alongside McGroarty and draft picks, so this makes it unclear what the Jets plans are.

However, with the recent signings of Necas, Brock Faber and Kirill Marchenko, signs are pointing towards a deal for Perfetti coming soon, and with the Jets potentially opening up space in their top six for him by listening to offers on Nikolaj Ehlers, it could be coming soon. With just $5.8 million in cap space remaining, the team need to be smart for future deals, but at 22-years of age, Perfetti could be a huge part of this future, so don't be shocked if a two or three year deal comes down soon.

Source: The Hockey News
Contract Update for Jets RFA Cole Perfetti