It is a good week for individuals named Connor. First, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers signed a two-year extension value $25 million, which additionally leaves open the potential for a large long-term deal in a number of seasons. And now, Kyle Connor has agreed to a brand new take care of the Winnipeg Jets—and it is the most important contract in franchise historical past.
Connor’s new deal is value $96 million over eight years, a median annual worth of $12 million. That is simply $500,000 lower than what McDavid signed for. In complete worth, it simply surpasses the equivalent seven-year, $59.5 million offers that the Jets gave to goalie Connor Hellebuyck and middle Mark Scheifele.
The Jets had been the highest workforce within the NHL throughout the common season. That success did not carry over into the playoffs, nevertheless, because the workforce fell to the Dallas Stars throughout the Western Convention second spherical.
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Connor has been a giant motive for the Jets’ robust play. Winnipeg chosen him seventeenth general within the 2015 draft, and he is amassed at the least 30 objectives in all however considered one of his eight NHL seasons. Final 12 months, he put up career-highs in factors (97) and assists (56). It was the second season in 4 years he had at the least 40 objectives. The star wing additionally had a career-high 17 factors in 13 playoff video games.
Moreover, he is among the many league leaders in factors and scoring over the previous half-decade. The NHL has taken be aware—Connor made his first All-Star Sport look in 2022 and added one other one in 2024. Final season, he was named to the NHL All-Star First Group, an honor given to the most effective gamers within the league.
Whereas Connor has racked up particular person accolades, the Jets have tended to flame out early within the playoffs. The workforce has solely reached one convention finals since Connor joined the workforce, shedding to the Las Vegas Knights in 5 video games again in 2017-18.
The Jets have locked up their core for the remainder of the last decade (and past, in Connor’s case). Now, the subsequent step is to achieve the Stanley Cup Finals and earn the franchise’s first championship.
