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The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents' Trophy as the top team in the NHL this year, but the Jets fell in six games to the Stars in the second round of the playoffs. Now the Jets have multiple decisions to make regarding the offseason, including the restricted free agency of Gabriel Vilardi. We look at the three best destinations for Vilardi as a restricted free agent.
Vilardi spent much of the season as the third man on the top line for the Jets, paired with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Connor and Scheifele would finish the season first and second on the team in points. Vilardi would score 27 goals and add 34 assists in his 71 games this year, placing him fifth on the team in points. Further, Vilardi was a major contributor on the power play this year, scoring 12 goals and also having 13 assists.
Vilardi is a restricted free agent, which means if another team attempts to sign him, the Jets will have an option to match. If a team chooses to sign Vilardi away from the Jets and the Jets do not match, the new team will provide draft pick compensation based on the annual average value of the contract. Vilardi is expected to earn $6.8 million AAV in his next contract, which would require the new team to provide a 2026 first and third-round pick to take Vilardi away.
Vilardi stays in Winnipeg
The most likely scenario is that Vilardi stays in Winnipeg. The Jets finished tied for third in the NHL in goals per game in the regular season. Further, they were first in the NHL on the power play. Vilardi was a major part of that. He was third on the team in goals this past season and led the team in power-play goals. Still, the Jets have some decisions to make. They have Brandon Tanev, Mason Appleton, and Nikolaj Ehlers all as unrestricted free agents. Still, they are projected to have $25.6 million in cap space this year.
With Ehlers projected to require over $8 million to sign, and Vilardi nearing $7 million, this would tie up over half of their remaining cap. This could lead to the Jets allowing one to walk. The Jets are missing their second and fourth-round draft picks this year, so adding some draft capital in return for Vilardi could be an attractive option.
Utah makes a Mammoth move
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The Utah Mammoth made a step closer to the playoffs this past season. The franchise has not made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season, when they were still in Arizona. Still, since then, they have improved each year, finishing just seven points outside of a playoff spot this year. Utah struggled to score this past year, sitting 21st in the NHL in goals per game, scoring just 2.93 goals per game. Further, Utah was tenth in the NHL on the power play and 15th on the penalty kill.
First, Vilardi would join the top power-play unit with Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther, allowing Utah to not only improve their top unit but move a player down to the second unit and improve there as well. Further, he could join the penalty kill, which would improve that unit as well. Second, Utah has a young core all under contract. The top line of Keller, Guenther, and Logan Cooley were all productive for Utah this past year. Adding Vilardi would allow them to either place Vilardi on the second line with Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton or move one of their top-line guys down. The Mammoth have both the draft capital and cap space to make this move as well.
The Canucks keep Vilardi in Canada
The Vancouver Canucks could use another top end forward. First, Pius Suter and Brock Boeser are both heading towards free agency. That is two of their top five point-producing options, and two of their top four point-producing forwards, both heading to free agency. The Canucks also struggled at times on the power play this past season. They would finish 15th on the power play, but Quinn Hughes, Jake DeBrusk, and Boeser provided much of that production. The Canucks would need to replace Boeser if he moves on in free agency, but could also use another goal scoring option next to DeBrusk.
Vancouver would have the cap space if they decided to let Suter and Boeser walk. The Canucks are projected to have $15.8 million in cap space this year. Still, if Vilardi has an offer sheet greater than $4,680,076, the Canucks do not have the draft pick compensation available to make the move and would need to work out a sign and trade with the Jets to make this happen.
