Jets Defenseman Files for Arbitration

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The NHL offseason has reached the arbitration case stage of the offseason with Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg being the first to file. The 26-year-old Jets’ blue liner has 216 NHL games under his belt and can only sign a one-year deal through arbitration thanks to being eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Jets are coming in with an offer at $2.5 million while Samberg’s number sits at $6 million. While the two parties are distant in their stances, a new deal can be signed before an official arbitration hearing begins.
We have an arbitration filing for Dylan Samberg
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 28, 2025
He can only be given a one-year deal as he is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer
Jets: $2.5M
Player: $6M
Remember these filings are strategic and can be settled until the hearing begins
Over the course of his four-year NHL career, Samberg has picked up nine goals and 42 assists for 51 total points from the blue line. He is yet to score a goal in the playoffs but has three assists in 23 postseason games.
Standing at six-foot-four, 216 pounds, the sizable defenseman is currently slotting in as the Jets’ second line defenseman alongside Neal Pionk.
Samberg is coming off of a two-year deal with the Jets that earned him $1.4 million annually. The Jets have plenty of salary cap space to utilize with over $10.5 million remaining.
Samberg is one of two remaining restricted free agents on the Jets’ NHL roster with forward Rasmus Kupari still in need of a deal. Kupari also has arbitration rights.

Nick Horwat is a contributor with Breakaway On SI. He was previously a credentialed reporter for The Hockey News covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A Pittsburgh native, Nick graduated from Point Park University and started reporting on news and sports with KDKA Radio and 93.7 The Fan. After hosting a Penguins talk radio show in college, he morphed the show into a podcast. The Tip of the Ice-Burgh Podcast has been a leading Penguins podcast since 2019. Follow him on Twitter @NickHorwat41.