Latest news with #ColeKoepke
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Projecting Jets' opening-night roster with Gustav Nyquist, without Nikolaj Ehlers
The Winnipeg Jets signed Gustav Nyquist to a one-year, $3.25 million contract on Wednesday, while Nikolaj Ehlers continued to evaluate offers from the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. Nyquist, who turns 36 this September, joins the Jets with a lot to prove. He's only two seasons removed from a 23-goal, 52-assist performance in Nashville, but his production fell off a cliff last season, particularly at five-on-five. Nyquist is a smart, crafty player and a well-respected veteran, but he scored just 28 points in 79 games last year, with an on-ice shooting percentage that cratered for himself and his teammates. Advertisement It's worth noting that the ice was not tilted against Winnipeg's newest signing when he played in Nashville. His underlying numbers are entirely decent, despite the dramatic decline in offensive production. Still, Nyquist appears to be a player on the downswing of his career — someone who may clear 40 points in a middle-six role while contributing to the second-unit power play. He's not an Ehlers replacement or close; he's one more veteran option who is more likely to chip in than drive results. The Jets project to be older and slower than they were one year ago. Nyquist is joined by Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke as Winnipeg's NHL signings, while the Jets also announced two-way contracts for AHL stalwarts Phil Di Giuseppe, Walker Duehr, Samuel Fagemo, Kale Clague and Isaac Poulter on Wednesday. Now Winnipeg has approximately $19 million in cap space to sign restricted free agents Dylan Samberg, Gabriel Vilardi and Morgan Barron. But how do Nyquist and company affect Winnipeg's established stars? What does this mean for top prospects such as Elias Salomonsson, Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager and Nikita Chibrikov? And how will Winnipeg adapt its style of play to its new, more veteran roster? I'm glad you asked. Here is our early look at Winnipeg's locks, battles for spots and our first projection of the 2025-26 opening-night lineup. Roster locks: Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi (RFA), Adam Lowry, Jonathan Toews, Cole Perfetti, Nino Niederreiter, Gustav Nyquist, Alex Iafallo, Vladislav Namestnikov, Morgan Barron (RFA) Vying for spots: David Gustafsson, Cole Koepke, Tanner Pearson, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Parker Ford (RFA), Phillip Di Giuseppe, Walker Duehr, Samuel Fagemo, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, Fabian Wagner, Danny Zhilkin, Jacob Julien, Kevin He, Kieron Walton Advertisement Biggest camp battles: The middle-six pecking order, a fourth-line job, and a wall of veterans ahead of the youth The lines may not sort themselves out as listed, but you might be safe printing this chart as an indication of which 13 forwards will make the Jets this season. Everyone we've listed in the top nine is a lock to make the team, as is Morgan Barron. David Gustafsson and Cole Koepke probably make the team on merit, although their starting jobs aren't guaranteed, while veteran Tanner Pearson played 78 games for Vegas last season and should also be in the mix. When Lowry returns from offseason hip surgery, his health would necessitate a demotion, perhaps bumping Gustafsson from the lineup. Looking for people who could prove me wrong? Parker Ford and Jaret Anderson-Dolan are hardworking, tenacious and each got into NHL games last season. Twenty-one-year-old speedster Brad Lambert could dazzle us all over again at training camp, stealing a middle-six job from Nyquist or Iafallo if he's dynamic and defensively conscious enough. Nikita Chibrikov is a better bet to play a 200-foot game with some pugnacity involved, but may not have the footspeed to shine so brightly it necessitates the stealing of a job. Both prospects are likely Moose-bound to start the year, where Brayden Yager, who I've come to appreciate more with each viewing, will make his pro debut. Where are the real battles? Cole Perfetti should be front of mind for Nikolaj Ehlers' vacant job on the Jets' top power play. If he wins that job, the 23-year-old with great hands and hockey IQ is a good bet to eclipse the 50 points he amassed last season. There's also a chance the Jets find a way to make their top unit work around Jonathan Toews, whose faceoff acumen could help them start more shifts in the offensive zone. Nyquist will compete for power-play time, although he's been a second-unit option in recent years. Advertisement One of the biggest battles will be between Winnipeg's footspeed and its ability to play the style of hockey that won the Presidents' Trophy. Toews' footspeed will be a question mark, for reasons of age (he's 37) and his long road to recovery, while Nyquist (35) and Pearson (32) are slower than the players they will replace. Lowry will be returning from hip surgery and could take some time to get going. None of Perfetti, Gabriel Vilardi or Nino Niederreiter are elite skaters, though they're all capable players. The Jets might do well generating goals from sustained zone time — this is Mark Scheifele's area of expertise — but they appear to have lost a ton of offence on the fly. Roster locks: Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg (RFA), Dylan DeMelo Vying for spots: Luke Schenn, Colin Miller, Logan Stanley, Haydn Fleury, Ville Heinola, Elias Salomonsson, Cale Klague, Alfons Freij, Tyrel Bauer (RFA), Isaak Phillips (RFA) Biggest camp battles: Both bottom-pair jobs, the NHL/AHL cutoff, and no room for youth Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg represent great strength on the left, Neal Pionk and Dylan DeMelo are good complements for them on the right, and then the Jets have a series of question marks. They have have nine defencemen who will require waivers to be assigned to the minors — there simply isn't room for everyone. But let's say Lowry is Winnipeg's only injury. If we've nailed the Jets' 13 forwards in that section of this piece, Winnipeg can fit eight defencemen under the 23-player limit until Lowry returns to the lineup. That should give the Jets time to make up their minds about Haydn Fleury, Colin Miller, Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. Meanwhile, training-camp injuries to Ville Heinola, Nate Schmidt and others in recent seasons have proven that nothing is promised, even to a veteran. There is no catastrophe in having too many defencemen today. Advertisement I've listed Fleury and Schenn ahead of Stanley and Miller, deferring to their games played totals from Winnipeg's playoffs. I've waived Ville Heinola, deferring to his games played total from the regular season. We can talk all we like about Heinola being on the cusp of winning a job prior to his ankle injury two years ago; the Jets got him healthy in the back half of the season and didn't play him. The 24-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent next summer unless he plays 27 or more NHL games this season. That kind of workload is unlikely on a healthy Jets team. This leaves no room for top prospect Elias Salomonsson, who will turn 21 in August. He is waivers exempt for two more seasons; I think it would take a spectacular training camp for him to make the Jets roster. As the Jets' top prospect, he may be capable of it. If the Jets do run it back, they can point to two straight William Jennings trophies built by team defence and backed by Connor Hellebuyck. Roster locks: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie Vying for spots: Isaac Poulter, Dom DiVincentiis, Thomas Milic Biggest camp battles: Three-way battle for both AHL jobs and the ECHL job in Norfolk Connor Hellebuyck won his third Vezina Trophy this season. When Hellebuyck was presented with that trophy in a surprise ceremony at his house, Eric Comrie made a cameo to present him with the Hart Trophy, too. This is a No. 1, No. 2 arrangement that the Jets will be thrilled to return to, knowing its overall body of work is stellar. Every year Hellebuyck starts for Winnipeg is a year it should make the playoffs and could go on a run, regardless of his recent playoff misery. The real battles for jobs will come at the minor-league level, where top prospects Dom DiVincentiis (21) and Thomas Milic (22) are joined by Winnipeg product Isaac Poulter (23). On the chart, they're sorted by their AHL starts last season, with Poulter playing a bigger role for Utica than either DiVincentiis or Milic did for Manitoba. All three goaltenders are young and capable at the AHL level, with grand long-term ambitions. Advertisement DiVincentiis was asked on Wednesday about balancing goaltending partnership with the desire for the starter's job. 'Everybody talks about the Jets draft great teammates and I think that is the main thing: being there for one another and even when times are tough to not get negative and stay positive with each other,' DiVincentiis said. 'We're both pushing because, at the end of the day, we're pushing to win a championship together.' (Photo of Gustav Nyquist: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Jets sign Cole Koepke, Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts
WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets signed forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts worth US$1 million each to start NHL free agency, while defenceman Nikolaj Ehlers took his time testing the open market after a decade with the team. The 29-year-old Ehlers, one of the biggest fish in this year's unrestricted free-agent pond, didn't immediately put pen to paper Tuesday as others such as Brock Boeser (Vancouver), Brad Marchand (Florida), Vadislav Gavrikov (New York Rangers) or Ivan Provorov (Columbus) did. Ehlers has 225 goals and 295 assists in 674 games with the Jets. He didn't rule out returning to Winnipeg, but other clubs were vying for the Dane. His last contract was a six-year deal worth $42 million. Pearson, 32, had 12 goals and 15 assists in 78 games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past season. The winger from Kitchener, Ont., has totalled 150 goals and 162 assists in 722 career NHL games for Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Montreal and Vegas. Koepke, 27, compiled 10 goals and seven assists in 73 games for the Boston Bruins. The six-foot-one, 207-pound winger has appeared in 99 NHL games with 11 goals and nine assists. The Jets also made official Tuesday the one-year contract of 37-year-old forward Jonathan Toews attempting a comeback in his hometown. The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks missed the past two NHL seasons after stepping away from hockey, citing the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long COVID. Health complications also forced Toews, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign. His contract with the Jets is worth a reported $2 million. Forward Brandon Tanev, acquired at the March trade deadline by the Jets, signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Utah Mammoth. Tanev had 10 goals and 12 assists in 79 regular-season games split between the Jets and Seattle Kraken in 2024-25. The 33-year-old from Toronto also skated in 13 playoff games for Winnipeg. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets sign Cole Koepke, Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets have signed forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts worth US$1 million apiece. Pearson, 32, had 12 goals and 15 assists in 78 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season. The winger from Kitchener, Ont., has totalled 150 goals and 162 assists in 722 career NHL games for Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Montreal and Vegas. Koepke, 27, compiled 10 goals and seven assists in 73 games for the Boston Bruins last season. The six-foot-one, 207-pound winger has appeared in 99 NHL games with 11 goals and nine assists. Forward Brandon Tanev, acquired at the March trade deadline by the Jets, signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Utah Mammoth. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Tanev had 10 goals and 12 assists in 79 regular-season games split between the Jets and Seattle Kraken in 2024-25. The 33-year-old from Toronto also skated in 13 playoff games for Winnipeg. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
Fox Sports
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Lightning take 3-game losing streak into matchup with the Bruins
Associated Press Tampa Bay Lightning (37-23-5, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Boston Bruins (30-29-8, in the Atlantic Division) Boston; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning aim to stop their three-game skid with a win over the Boston Bruins. Boston is 30-29-8 overall and 11-7-3 against the Atlantic Division. The Bruins have allowed 211 goals while scoring 182 for a -29 scoring differential. Tampa Bay has an 8-11-0 record in Atlantic Division games and a 37-23-5 record overall. The Lightning have gone 37-6-2 when scoring three or more goals. Saturday's game is the fourth time these teams square off this season. The Bruins won the last meeting 4-0. Cole Koepke scored two goals in the win. TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Zacha has scored 13 goals with 27 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has six goals and eight assists over the last 10 games. Nikita Kucherov has 28 goals and 63 assists for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel has scored five goals and added four assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.5 goals, four assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. Lightning: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game. INJURIES: Bruins: None listed. Lightning: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Associated Press
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Lightning take 3-game losing streak into matchup with the Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning (37-23-5, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Boston Bruins (30-29-8, in the Atlantic Division) Boston; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning aim to stop their three-game skid with a win over the Boston Bruins. Boston is 30-29-8 overall and 11-7-3 against the Atlantic Division. The Bruins have allowed 211 goals while scoring 182 for a -29 scoring differential. Tampa Bay has an 8-11-0 record in Atlantic Division games and a 37-23-5 record overall. The Lightning have gone 37-6-2 when scoring three or more goals. Saturday's game is the fourth time these teams square off this season. The Bruins won the last meeting 4-0. Cole Koepke scored two goals in the win. TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Zacha has scored 13 goals with 27 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has six goals and eight assists over the last 10 games. Nikita Kucherov has 28 goals and 63 assists for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel has scored five goals and added four assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.5 goals, four assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. Lightning: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
