Jets extend pair of stars to massive contract extensions

Scheifele, 30, was getting into the ultimate season of an eight-year deal carrying a $6.125M cap hit. Hellebuyck, additionally 30, was nearing the tip of an identical deal incomes him $6.167M per season. It’s a elevate of round $2.4M per season for each as they continue to be Jets all through (and previous) their primes. Each gamers will likely be 38 when their offers expire, that means these are doubtlessly the final contracts they’ll signal within the NHL. 

Per CapFriendly, Winnipeg now has round $18M in cap area for the 2024-25 marketing campaign assuming an Higher Restrict of $87.5M with 5 to eight roster spots to fill. With no different large negotiations to fret about (apart from younger ahead Cole Perfetti), it’s an inexpensive monetary image for normal supervisor Kevin Cheveldayoff as he enters his twelfth 12 months on the job.

Scheifele is as core as core will get for a franchise. He was the group’s first draft choose after relocating from Atlanta, chosen seventh total within the 2011 NHL Draft, and he’s the group’s chief in objectives since their relocation. 

The 6-foot-3, 207-pound pivot has notched 272 objectives, 373 assists and 645 factors in 723 profession video games as a Jet throughout 12 seasons — a quantity that may improve to a spectacular 21 ought to he end out this contract in Manitoba. 

His worth has by no means been increased, both — he simply eclipsed the 40-goal mark for the primary time in his profession and logged over 20 minutes per sport for the seventh straight season in 2022-23.

He’s fairly the alternative of a defensive specialist, nonetheless, and his liabilities with out the puck will doubtless result in debate over whether or not he’s definitely worth the cash on this extension. Nonetheless, he’s notched not less than a degree per sport in six out of the final seven seasons and greater than deserves a shot to assist lead the Jets to their first championship in franchise historical past. 

By sinking vital assets into their core till their late 30s, Cheveldayoff is sending a transparent message that Cup rivalry stays the aim getting into 2023-24.

There’ll certainly be considerations concerning the worth of those large contracts as they age. Nevertheless, if the cap continues to extend in 5% intervals as initially laid out by the league, the Higher Restrict could possibly be as excessive as $117.25M in 2030-31. 

In that case, Scheifele’s and Hellebuyck’s contracts would quantity to roughly 14.5% of the cap, softening the blow of their potential declines in worth.