In this edition of the Jets News & Rumors, we look at Paul Maurice hoisting the Stanley Cup and giving a nod to the Winnipeg Jets, the latest rumors on Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty, defenseman Dylan DeMelo re-signing, and the latest information on the pending free agents the club has to handle.
Maurice Gives Nod to Jets
Seeing Maurice raise the Stanley Cup was a bittersweet moment for Jets fans. After coaching the Jets for nine seasons, Maurice knew it was time to move on in December, 2021 and decided to take some time to himself. The following season, he was named the head coach of the Florida Panthers. There were a lot of very bright spots in the Panthers lineup, and as Maurice said in his post-game interview after winning the Stanley Cup, he was very lucky to land in Florida with that team.
It wasn’t all luck, however. Jets fans, and many others, know that Maurice is a great coach. After nine seasons with the same organization, the message can get stale and that is what happened in Winnipeg. Not only should Jets fans be happy to see Maurice win the Cup after 29 years, but happy to hear the message he had to give too.
In an on-ice interview with Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas, Maurice spent time thanking all of the people who got him this far, the front office of the Panthers, the players, and finally, he capped off his statement by saying “if I could have one thing more it would be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the next Stanley Cup.”
Giving credit to a former team in that kind of moment isn’t common, but Maurice is a class act and saying those words meant a lot to both him, the Jets, and their fanbase.
Latest on Rutger McGroarty
A few days ago, news came out that McGroarty and the Jets were likely at the end of their relationship before it even started. The former first-round pick from 2022 announced he is returning to the University of Michigan in the NCAA for a third season, which is uncommon for a player as good as he is.
Related: Top 5 Winnipeg Jets Games of 2023-24
According to multiple reports, including Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, McGroarty was unhappy with not being offered a contract at the end of his NCAA season. The Jets were fighting for success in the playoffs, didn’t see McGroarty as part of their immediate plans, and likely would have offered him a contract following the playoffs to be ready for next season.
Seeing teammates Frank Nazar and Gavin Brindley sign their contracts and him being left behind may have hurt McGroarty and made a lasting impact on the relationship between the player and team. Friedman expects McGroarty to be traded ahead of the draft.
Players like Jimmy Vesey, Adam Fox, Cutter Gauthier, and others have used a right that is written into the collective bargaining agreement that gives them the choice not to sign their entry-level contract. Using this right to help dictate where they want to play, famously in the case of Fox, is something totally within their rights and is being done more often.
Nate Schmidt Buyout Incoming?
Murat Ates of The Athletic wrote that with the buyout window opening on Wednesday, 48 hours after Game 7, the Jets buying out Nate Schmidt is certainly a possibility. (from The Athletic, Rutger McGroarty, Nikolaj Ehlers and what I’m hearing about the Winnipeg Jets as NHL Draft week begins, June 23, 2024). With one year left at $5.95 million, Schmidt is overpaid and has a fair buyout, costing the Jets just over $2.7 million in 2024-25 and $1.6 million in 2025-26.
Related: Jets Should Buy Out Neal Pionk & Nate Schmidt
The Jets have a lot of defensive contracts to look at, including free agent Brenden Dillon, the future of Schmidt and Neal Pionk, and who they will target. With all of these questions, nothing is certain, but a Schmidt buyout seems to be one of the more likely things the Jets do relating to their blue line.
Dylan DeMelo Re-Signs With Jets
The Jets announced that DeMelo has re-signed with the club on a four-year deal worth $4.9 million per season. This was a crucial move for the Jets as DeMelo has found stability and a perfect place in the lineup. He is a strong shut-down right-handed defenseman and players like him come at a premium.
DeMelo and Josh Morrissey make a great pair and the club was always going to try and bring him back. Earning a $1.4 million dollar raise is more than fair, and DeMelo is a quiet player (although he did have a career high 31 points last season), but enjoys the stability and has a lot of value to his team.
