The Winnipeg Jets have locked up a key piece of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, signing forward Gabriel Vilardi to a two-year, $6.875 million contract, the team announced on Wednesday.

The two sides avoided arbitration with the deal; the hearing was set for July 28. Vilardi was set to be a restricted free agent, but will now be part of the Jets' plans for at least the next two seasons.

The 23-year-old scored a career-high 23 goals and 41 points over 63 contests in a breakout season for the Los Angeles Kings, tying then-teammate Adrian Kempe for the most game-winning goals on the team with six.

He added two goals and two assists over five games as Los Angeles lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row. The Oilers would go on to lose to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference semifinals in six games.

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Vilardi had played his entire career in California after being selected with the No. 11 overall pick by the Kings in the 2017 NHL Draft. Over four seasons with the team, he amassed 41 goals and 37 apples in 152 contests. He will be a restricted free agent again after the 2024-25 season.

The Jets traded Dubois to the Kings in late June, receiving Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick in return. It was a decent return for a player who made it clear he had no more interest to play in Manitoba.

Winnipeg now has just under $3.8 million in cap space to work with after the signing, with Gabriel Vilardi figuring to immediately slot in on the team's top-six.

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