Going into yesterday, the Winnipeg Jets had only resigned one out of their ten pending unrestricted free agents (“UFA”) with that player being Dominic Toninato who signed a two-year contract.
One key pending UFA was forward Paul Stastny and there was a major concern about if the Jets could afford to bring him back due to his expiring contract that had an average annual value (“AAV”) of $6,500,000.
Earlier this offseason, I wrote an article stating that the thirty-five-year-old Stastny still can be a valuable asset to the Jets but in order for the Jets to bring him back to the organization they must lower his AAV.
The Winnipeg Jets did exactly that as they resigned Paul Stastny to a new one-year deal with a substantially lower AAV
The new deal that Stastny just penned will keep him with the Jets through the upcoming 2021-2022 season and has an AAV of $3,750,000.
#NHLJets have signed forward Paul Stastny to a one-year, $3,750,000 contract.
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 27, 2021
DETAILS: https://t.co/1z09Zali1B pic.twitter.com/8Ux6g5Vebt
This is a good deal as the Jets bring back one of their mainstays from last season as they begin to assemble their roster and depth chart for next season.
Stastny played primarily on the Jets’ second line during the 2021 season and played every single regular season contest. During those games, the former 2005 second-round draft pick had 13 goals and 16 assists. He was also outstanding in the faceoff circle as he finished the season with a 54.7% faceoff win percentage.
Stastny is also a great veteran presence for the Jets as this season will be his sixteenth in the NHL and he is a player that does all the little things right. He was extremely clutch this past season, scoring four game-winning goals including one in overtime in game two of the first round of the playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers.
Resigning Stastny was not the only thing the Jets front office accomplished yesterday. The Jets also acquired defenseman, Brenden Dillon in a trade with the Washington Capitals. You can read all about the trade by clicking the “NEXT” link below!
Winnipeg Jets Fans: What are your initial reactions to Paul Stastny signing a new contract and coming back to the Jets for this upcoming season? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*