Cole Perfetti Signed a 5 year $30M ($6M AAV) Contract to stay in Winnipeg
Perfetti Fit in Winnipeg
The 24-year-old left winger is coming off a 32-point season in 68 games, missing 14 games after spraining his ankle in the Jets’ final preseason game last year. His career high is 50 points, which he set during the 2024–25 season.
This is great news for a city dealing with rumours that its star goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, wants out. The Jets are coming off a seventh-place finish in the Central Division, finishing just four points behind the Nashville Predators. A season ago, they had won the stacked Central Division and ultimately captured the Presidents’ Trophy.
Perfetti’s AAV puts him fourth among the team’s forwards behind Kyle Connor ($12M), Mark Scheifele ($8.5M), and Gabriel Vilardi ($7.5M). He’s currently slotted to play second-line left wing alongside recently drafted Viggio Bjorck and rookie Brad Lambert. In all but one season, he has recorded more assists than goals, and I expect him to continue in that playmaking role, setting up the young players he skates with while returning to form or even breaking out offensively.
This deal now locks the core of the team in through 2031, giving the Jets a consistent year-after-year foundation while allowing them to tinker around the edges of the roster. While there were only minor upgrades on the back end, I definitely expect a resurgence to a level above what they were last season. This cap hit is going to look like a steal by Year 3, especially if Perfetti can produce the way he has shown he’s capable of.
