Winnipeg Jets Top Five: Best Value Contracts

This is a weekly series where Trin Potratz (@PotratzHockey) produces a top five list of any subject relating to the Winnipeg Jets. Feel free to write a comment and suggest next week’s top five.

GROUND RULES

Entry level contracts do not count.

Contracts signed by another NHL team and traded to Winnipeg were not considered.

NHL comparables were used to determine the significance of the dollar value versus performance.

TOP FIVE WINNIPEG JETS CONTRACTS

5. C Adam Lowry, 2 years, $2.250m, July 14, 2016

The Jets found a diamond in the rough when they selected Adam Lowry in the third round of the 2011 Draft. Lowry may not become a prolific scorer in the NHL, but he is one of the best 3rd liners in the NHL. Lowry scored 23 and 17 points in his first two NHL seasons, and the Jets then signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $1.125m per season. He scored a career-high 15 goals and 29 points in the following season and solidified himself as a worthy 3rd line winger. He was a positive Corsi player with a 54.20 CF/60 last season and he is being paid like a fourth line player.

4. D Jacob Trouba, 2 years, $6.000m, November 7, 2016

The Jets were in a tough negotiation with Jacob Trouba at the team this deal was signed. Trouba was coming off his entry-level contract when he publicly requested a trade out of Winnipeg, sighting ice time issues as the reason for the request. Trouba played in the World Cup for Team North America and did not report to training camp. Cheveldayoff was able to convince Trouba to rescind his trade request and signed him to a very affordable $3.0m cap hit. Trouba had a career year offensively scoring 33 points in 60 games and he is being paid like an average second-pairing defender.

3. RW Blake Wheeler, 6 years, $33.600m, July 26, 2013

Blake Wheeler was about to head into his 3rd season with the Winnipeg Jets when his contract came up. At the time, Wheeler was just starting to realize his potential to be an elite scorer. He had a 64-point season in 2011-12 and 41 points in the 48-game 2012-13 lockout season. Wheeler put pen to paper on a deal that would see him get paid $5.6m per season until the end of the 2018-19 season. At the time, it was considered a fair deal, but Wheeler has outproduced his contract by a large margin. He is now the Jets’ captain and has solidified himself as a top ten scorer in the NHL. All for the price of a second-line winger.

2. RW Nikolaj Ehlers, 7 years, $42.000m, October 4, 2017

The most recent deal signed on this list sees the Jets’ next superstar Nikolaj Ehlers on an absolute bargain. Nikolaj Ehlers had a modest 38-point rookie season and followed it up with a huge 64-point sophomore season. It’s not out of the question that Nikolaj Ehlers has the ability to score 80 points this season. Had the Jets waited to talk contract after this season, Ehlers would be getting Leon Draisaitl money. Instead, he’ll be making Logan Couture money. It’s fair to say Ehlers is a closer comparable to Draisaitl than he is to Couture. This could be the best bargain in the NHL as early as next season.

1. C Mark Scheifele, 8 years, $49.000m, July 8, 2016

If a player with 80-potential at $6.0m is considered a great deal, then $6.1m is huge for a player that has already proven to be an 80-point player. The Jets’ first line centre scored 82 points last season after signing an eight-year extension to stay with the Winnipeg Jets. Mark Scheifele is an elite centreman and his 82 points were good for seventh in the entire NHL last year. Once again, Cheveldayoff’s ability to foresee what his players could become won him the deal. Scheifele could have made upwards of $9 million per season had he waited to the end of the 2016-17 season to sign his deal.

Do you agree with this list? Feel free to leave your comments below and recreate your own top five list on this subject.