Report: Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers expected to test free agency

Nikolaj Ehlers’ time with the Winnipeg Jets appears to be coming to a close.

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Ehlers has informed the Jets that he will become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1.

Through 69 appearances with the Jets in 2024-25, the 29-year-old Danish-born forward tallied 24 goals and 39 assists to finish third in team scoring with 63 points, combined with 17 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating. Ehlers then added seven points counting five goals and two assists in eight postseason outings.

Originally chosen ninth overall by the Jets in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ehlers has since spent 10 seasons in Winnipeg where through 674 career contests he has collected 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points, putting him sixth all-time in franchise scoring. On four occasions, Ehlers has cracked the 60-point plateau, while his 63-point finish this season was a lone point shy of his career-high 64-point effort from the 2016-17 campaign. Ehlers’ offensive touch has also carried through to the postseason where through 45 outings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs he has notched nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points.

Per PuckPedia, Ehlers is in the final year of a seven-year contract that carries a $6-million average annual value.

Beyond Ehlers, the Jets have several other pending unrestricted free agents including fellow forwards Mason Appleton, Dominic Toninato, and Brandon Tanev, as well as defenseman Haydn Fleury and goaltender Chris Driedger. The Jets also have four pending restricted free agents, namely forwards Morgan Barron, Rasmus Kupari, and Gabe Vilardi, plus defenseman Dylan Samberg, according to PuckPedia.

The Jets closed out the 2024-25 campaign with a league-best 56-22-4 showing for 116 points, helping the club to capture the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history. The Jets were later eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.