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Jets Sign RFA Forward to Massive Extension

The Winnipeg Jets avoid arbitration with one of their top forwards.

Jon Alfano

May 9, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) warms up before a game against the Dallas Stars in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
May 9, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) warms up before a game against the Dallas Stars in game two of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images / James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
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The Winnipeg Jets have signed restricted free agent forward Gabriel Vilardi to a six-year contract with an annual cap hit of $7.5 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

As a result, the two sides will avoid arbitration after Vilardi filed for it earlier this month. The Jets were also able to avoid arbitration with forward Morgan Barron, though defenseman Dylan Samberg still needs to be signed.

Vilardi, 25, is coming off easily the best season of his young career, scoring 27 goals and 61 points for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets. He finished third on the team in goals behind Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, and his 12 power-play goals led the team.

Vilardi also had one goal and four points in nine playoff games.

Just ahead of his 26th birthday next month, Vilardi now looks like he'll be part of the Jets' future for years to come.

The Kingston, Ontario, native came to Winnipeg as part of the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. He has 90 goals and 175 points in 270 NHL games with the Jets and Kings.

After winning the Presidents' Trophy as the top team in the regular season, the Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues in a hard-fought series, but were ousted by the Dallas Stars in the second round. Many of the issues that plagued them in past postseasons, such as their struggles on the road and Connor Hellebuyck's performance in net, doomed them this time around too.

As they turn the page to next season, Vilardi and the Jets have much work to do.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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