We are well into the middle of July, but there are still plenty of names available for the Winnipeg Jets to target. Cap space is an issue, as the organization announced an extension for Morgan Barron, which carried an annual average value of $1.35 million throughout two seasons.
With that signing, the Jets have roughly $7.2 million in remaining cap space. With remaining restricted free agents (RFA) such as Gabriel Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Declan Chisholm, and Logan Stanley, it’s safe to say that the Jets won’t have much cap space to play with.
That is why the names on this list consist of depth forwards – an area that the Jets have been active in past years, signing forwards such as Riley Nash and Trevor Lewis. With the defence core the same as last season, there would be no reason for the Jets to target yet another depth defender unless they moved one, of course. With all those caveats in mind, here are some names that could provide value to the Jets lineup in 2023-24, if they can find the cap space.
Pius Suter – Detroit Red Wings
Pius Suter of the Detroit Red Wings is an unrestricted free agent (UFA) currently on the market that fits a very specific niche. If the Jets sign him, he’d add his penalty-killing abilities to an already elite penalty-killing team. He is a natural centre and could improve the Jets’ already phenomenal forward depth.
He can ease the matchup load off of third-line centre Adam Lowry, as he can play the role of “shutdown centre” in the bottom six while chipping in on the scoresheet. Last year he posted 14 goals and 24 points in 79 games, which would be a solid grab for their bottom six. 14 goals are more than Lowry, Barron, and many of the Jets’ bottom-of-the-lineup had last season.
Another bonus here is the fact that he is a centre. With the Jets having already moved off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and question marks surrounding the abilities of Cole Perfetti and Vilardi down the middle, adding another centre would be a welcome sight for an organization that could potentially be weak down the middle. The 27-year-old has played three seasons in the NHL, one with the Chicago Blackhawks and two with the Detroit Red Wings.
Maxime Comtois – Anaheim Ducks
This is also a very niche signing, similar to Suter, but very different at the same time. Maxime Comtois of the Anaheim Ducks is a 24-year-old winger that went unqualified and could be a solid addition at the right price to the Jets’ bottom six. The former second-round, 50th overall selection of the 2017 NHL draft had one great season with the Ducks back in 2020-21, when he put up 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games.
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Comtois plays a physical style and would fit right in with a bottom six consisting of physical players such as Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, and Barron. If the Jets organization and coaching staff attempt to build a big and tough-forward group, adding someone like Comtois would be in their best interests.
Similar to most players without a deal in the middle of July, Comtois doesn’t seem to have many suitors. In a better situation than the lottery-team Ducks, he may be able to find another level of his game. Playing alongside Lowry, or on a physical fourth line with Barron, may give him the ability to play into his strengths more often and post better numbers in a lighter role. With the depth the Jets have at the wing, taking a shot on a former second-round pick with size and skill is far from the worst idea and could pay off next season at the bottom of the lineup.
Josh Leivo – St. Louis Blues
Josh Leivo is another bottom-six winger that despite having played over 250 games in the NHL, doesn’t seem to have many suitors. This once again fits the description if the Jets are attempting to become tougher to play against, as Leivo draws in at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds.
He is a 30-year-old winger who plays an extremely physical style leading to some decent on-ice analytics, which is usually not the case for bottom-of-the-lineup players. On a cheap contract, he could provide some fourth-line value to the Jets organization and maybe even rotate in and out on occasion.
Leivo would be a cost-affordable fourth-liner, which may be the only area the organization can address given its cap situation. Suter and Comtois may command a larger price tag, but Leivo would likely come in on a cheaper deal to fill out the bottom of the lineup.
These potential signings are not flashy but may be necessary given their cap situation. Injuries are always an unpredictable yet potential reality, and it’s one that every organization needs to be prepared for. With these depth signings, the organization would be better set up if they suffered two or more injuries to the forward core. With options thinning out as we near the beginning of training camp, the Jets may want to be active in the next two or three weeks with some of these players.