As July 1 grows closer and the free agents are preparing to hit the open market, Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers remains one of the most highly-pursued players of the offseason.
The 29-year-old is coming off of one of the best campaigns of his career. Ehlers finished with 24 goals and 63 total points in 69 games, just one point shy of his personal best -- in 13 fewer games played. He will likely draw a new contract earning arouond $8 million annually.
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is still hoping to re-sign the Danish winger, and plans to push hard in order to get him to return to Winnipeg, saying "when we get a chance to talk to him, we'll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life-type player."
If Ehlers chooses to explore his options, a number of teams around the league could really use his speed and playmaking ability going into the 2025-26 season.
New York Rangers
GM Chris Drury has shown that he's not afraid to make a splashy trade, and pursuing Ehlers could be next on his to-do list -- as long as he can free up some cap space.
There has already been talk of longtime Blueshirt Chris Kreider hitting the trade block, and Ehlers would be an immediate upgrade in a purely offensive way. Kreider took a major step back in terms of production this season while battling several injuries.
Kreider was once a power play specialist, but the entire team struggled in that regard this season. The Rangers finished in the bottom five of the NHL with 17.6% on the PP. Ehlers tallied six goals and 16 assists on Winnipeg's league-best power play, and could immediately elevate the Rangers in that situation.
"Ehlers solves a lot of problems... New York could use him as a Kreider replacement if they do trade their longtime veteran, or play him on the right side if they’d prefer to keep Zibanejad at center.NHL reporter Murat Ates (The Athletic)
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Ehlers brings with him a tremendous hockey IQ and impressive vision on the ice. He is highly capable of finding open lanes and setting up his linemates -- just as much as he can light the lamp himself. Put him alongside Mika Zibanejad, and that could be a highly productive top line for New York.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are on the verge of Stanley Cup contention, and after yet another Eastern Conference Final elimination, Carolina is looking for the X-factor that could take the team one step further. NHL insider Chris Johnston thinks that Ehlers could be a big target this offseason.
The Canes have also been linked to Mitch Marner, which is to say GM Eric Tulsky is willing to spend big this summer. The club has plenty of wiggle room with $28.4 million in cap space. But Ehlers might be a better choice over Marner, as he comes at a lower price for very similar styles of play and capabilities.
One of Carolina's biggest issues during the Conference Final was the lack of production from its star players. Adding an anchor like Ehlers to the lineup would undoubtedly result in more chances and goals from guys like Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
Andrei Svechnikov faced a major slump this past season, scoring just 48 poitns in 72 games while averaging 17:07 per game. Giving Ehlers his spot on the top line and moving Svechnikov into more of a second-line role might be just what the doctor ordered.
With the way Ehlers is able to read the ice and predict where his teammates are, his skills as a playmaker could be invaluable to Carolina. Plus, his price tag is several million dollars cheaper than Marner's, so he would ultimately be the better choice between those two options.
All-time play from Nikolaj Ehlerspic.twitter.com/G5nQ1rcQN3
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) May 5, 2025
Vancouver Canucks
Going to a rival team would be a dagger for Jets faithful, but from a business standpoint, the Canucks would be a great fit for Ehlers.
He would immediately be able to step into a first-line role in Vancouver that he's slowly getting pushed out of in Winnipeg thanks to guys like Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi who have performed extremely well.
The Canucks were on the cusp of making the playoffs this season, remaining in the hunt up until the very last week of play. With JT Miller and his 100-point offense gone, plus Brock Boeser likely on his way out, Ehlers would be a viable replacement for a winger that can elevate potential linemates like Elias Pettersson.
Ehlers could be just the guy that Vancouver needs to right the ship instead of going full rebuild this summer. There are whispers of Quinn Hughes and even Pettersson being shopped around the league, but those guys could be convinced to stay if GM Patrick Allvin can show he's serious about remaining competitive.
It's worth noting that some people such as NHL insider Jannik Hansen have doubts that Vancouver could attract Ehlers with the roster they currently have. But with $12.1 million in cap space, they can afford to offer a mid-length contract at his asking price, so it could work out for both parties.