Winnipeg Jets: 3 Forwards the Jets Should Look to Sign this Offseason
The Winnipeg Jets will be in the market for a forward this offseason. Here are three forwards the Jets should look to sign during free agency.
The Winnipeg Jets may have four pending free agent forwards that are set to hit free agency this offseason and there is a good chance we could see some of those players suiting up for opposing teams during the 2021-2022 season.
But when one door closes another door opens. According to Cap Friendly, the Winnipeg Jets have a projected cap space of $20,560,477 as they look to build a Stanley Cup contending roster for next season.
There are many interesting pending unrestricted free agent (“UFA”) forwards, around the NHL, that are set to hit the free agent market on July 28 and can be a great addition to the Jets.
Below are three pending UFA forwards that the Jets should target during this offseason:
3. Jaden Schwartz
Many Winnipeg supporters are already familiar with Jaden Schwartz as prior to last season’s divisional realignment, he was a central division rival of the Jets and was a key player of the Blues team that knocked the Jets out of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Schwartz played absolutely outstanding during that first-round series two years ago as he scored a hattrick in game six which was the series clinching game and the game winning goal with fifteen seconds remaining in game five. Ultimately, the Melfort, Canada native finished that series with four goals, one assist, and a plus-4 plus/minus en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
He had another solid campaign in 2019-2020 with 22 goals and 35 assists in 71 games, but the former 2010 fourteenth overall selection did not have the best of luck during the most recent season.
The left-winger missed a considerable amount of time in the middle of last season with a lower-body injury and only appeared in 40 games. He did score eight goals and had eight helpers, but was held pointless in the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche and was a minus-five throughout that series.
Jaden Schwartz has a proven track record as someone who can score a lot of points and could be the perfect fit on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers. A player like Schwartz may be able to bring out the best of Dubois and create a dangerous line that could be the x-factor for the Jets for next season.