After three days of nothing but rumours, the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade became official. The deal was a “sign-and-trade” that saw Dubois sign an eight-year, $8.5 million per season contract, before being traded to the Kings, with Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick heading back to the Winnipeg Jets.
Given the fact that Dubois wanted to be traded, and the entire NHL world knew it, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff pulled off an incredible deal. It has been reported by Elliotte Friedman that the Jets are not looking to rebuild, and this trade satisfies that.
Gabriel Vilardi Headlines Jets’ Return in Blockbuster Deal
The main piece coming back to the Jets in this deal is Gabriel Vilardi; a 6-foot-3, 215-pound winger that has succeeded mostly on the wing but has shown flashes as a centre. He has an incredible release, and it results in him filling the back of the net. He was on pace for 30 goals last season but only ended up playing 63 games due to injury.
Related: Grading Kings’ Blockbuster Trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois
Vilardi has also posted incredible defensive metrics in his time with the Kings. That is something that all three forwards heading to Winnipeg have in common, and the stats back it up. Defensive forwards have been an anomaly in Winnipeg for some time now, and it will be refreshing to see once the season begins.
If there was a player to hand-pick from the Kings when predicting a breakout season in the near future, Vilardi would be near the top of the list. The former 11th overall selection of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft has slowly gotten better every season in the NHL, and 2023-24 could be the year he showcases that in a larger role.
One thing is for certain, with this deal, the Jets are going to have a deeper forward group. Dubois was a legit first or second-line centre, but the Jets are going to have three, maybe four, effective forward lines this upcoming season. That was something that was greatly lacking in 2022-23, as the fourth line was largely a non-factor on most nights. Teams like to replicate how the newest Stanley Cup champions are built, and building a more physical, deeper forward group emulates what the Vegas Golden Knights did this past season.
Then you get to Iafallo, who has two years remaining on a $4 million per season contract and has been an effective middle-six forward his entire career. He put up 36 points in 59 games last year and will be a welcome addition to the Jets’ forward group. Kupari is a former first-round pick from the 2018 NHL Draft and is a big strong centre that has yet to hit his stride at the NHL level. Regardless, he could be a strong addition to a thin bottom six.
Blake Wheeler & Connor Hellebuyck Dominoes Still to Fall
Business still needs to be taken care of, however, as Vilardi is a restricted free agent (RFA) and needs a new contract ahead of next season. Whether the Jets will go long-term or elect for a short-term bridge deal is yet to be seen, but a potential buyout of Blake Wheeler in the coming days should free up the flexibility to do either.
That then brings us to the curious case of Connor Hellebuyck, where things have been relatively quiet regarding a trade. It was reported that he will not re-sign with the Jets organization, which should push them to maximize their asset and trade him before next season begins (from “NHL offseason trade board 2.0: The latest on the Jets, Leafs, Flyers and more — and how it impacts the market,” The Athletic, 6/10/23). If the Vezina Trophy finalist is to be moved, it would add another layer of talent into the Jets system in a potential return. It would also open up the $6.166 million that his contract is carrying for the Jets to make a multitude of moves.
Along with Vilardi and Kupari, the Jets have to re-sign RFAs Morgan Barron and defensive defenceman Dylan Samberg. They will also want to re-sign Vladislav Namestnikov after acquiring him at the 2023 Trade Deadline, as he filled in as a second-line centre for the majority of his time in Winnipeg.
Lots of parts are still moving within the organization, and with the NHL Draft set to go on Wednesday, June 28, the Jets will be picking 18th and will hope to select the next key piece of the franchise. Between the draft, the trades that have happened, and the trades that may happen, this is shaping up to be one of the craziest weeks in franchise history, and the Dubois trade was only the first domino to fall.