Jets buy goalie battle, depth defenceman as free agency opens

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Monday’s opening to NHL free agency was merely another in a long line of days that won’t require much ink in the annals of Winnipeg Jets lore.

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Winnipeg’s contributions to a burgeoning pot that ballooned to more than $1.15 billion in total spending was a paltry $6 million rounded up.

That kind of money doesn’t buy you much these days, but the Jets wrung two goalies and a defenceman out of it.

One of the goalies Winnipeg signed was a familiar face in Eric Comrie. Winnipeg’s 2013 third-round pick signed a two-year, $1.65 million after two seasons in Buffalo.

They then signed 27-year-old Finnish netminder Kaapo Kahkonen on a one-year, $1 million deal. He split time with New Jersey and San Jose last season.

“We thought that having a competition for the backup is a healthy thing for the organization,” general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said.

The team also re-signed defenceman Colin Miller, a trade deadline pickup they barely played down the stretch or in the playoffs.

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He’s a right shot who could get a better opportunity without Nate Schmidt after the latter was bought out on Monday.

The rest of the work this offseason will come at a later date.

Winnipeg spent just 0.52 per cent of what was shelled out on Monday, accurate to the early evening as deals kept trickling in, including Miller’s, who signed after Cheveldayoff spoke.

Compare that to Central Division rivals Nashville, who blitzed the market early, handing out $108.5 million to three impact players—Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei.

Or Chicago, who attacked it early, dishing out $52.7 million for seven players as their rebuild continues around Connor Bedard.

“Free agency is an interesting time, that’s for sure,” Cheveldayoff said. “I can guarantee you, because I’ve been on the other side, as exhilarating as it can be to make some of those deals, sometimes you wake up the next morning and kind of wonder what did I just do.”

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July 1 has rarely been a day where the Jets have made hay on their roster. Monday didn’t buck that trend.

They lost a bidding war with Columbus on Sean Monahan, who signed a five-year, $27.5 million pact with the Blue Jackets. This left the Jets with a sizeable hole at their second-line centre position that Monahan had plugged since February when a first-round pick was spent acquiring him.

Monahan chose to take his family east, closer to his native Ontario, he said in a Zoom call with reporters.

Defenceman Brenden Dillon also walked, taking his size and grit further east to New Jersey and a four-year, $16 million deal with the Devils.

Cheveldayoff said they were in the mix on Dillon, but sources close to the situation said Dillon never received an offer from the Jets, even after the team bought out fellow blue-liner Schmidt on Monday.

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The GM, meanwhile, saluted Schmidt for his service.

“He had the opportunity to have a no-trade in his contract, and he waived it to come here and help us push some things forward,” Cheveldayoff said. “It was a tough decision, but we wanted to open up some opportunities within the organization for some of the players that have been here more.”

The Jets saved $3.2 million with the buyout and still have $8.66 million to work with. Five restricted free agents, including Cole Perfetti, need contracts after receiving their qualifying offers on Sunday.

“We felt it was just as important to have that cap space available whether it’s for now, whether it’s for later, whatever that situation might be,” Cheveldayoff said.

One lever the Jets could pull is targeting teams that have bought themselves into cap troubles, needing to shed some space to become cap-compliant over time.

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Cheveldayoff said prospects like Brad Lambert and Ville Heinola will have opportunities to win jobs in camp.

The team has also been linked to veteran centre Adam Henrique, with the 34-year-old yet to decide on his options.

Comrie, meanwhile, was happy to be back.

“I love everything about Winnipeg,” he said. “I love the guys, and it always feels special back there because I’ve had such great fond memories of being there for a long time.”

And he welcomed the competition for the backup job.

“You’ve got to go to camp and earn a job, and that’s my main thing,” Comrie said. “To go there and earn a job, just work as hard as I can and try to secure that position,” Comrie said.

Injuries hampered him in both seasons with the Sabres, including a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an MCL sprain in his first year and a groin injury that threw him off-kilter last year.

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“My body feels as good as it ever has,” he said Monday. “My training has gone unbelievable to start off the summer so far.”

Comrie’s first stint as an NHL backup was solid, going 10-5-1 in 19 appearances during the 2021-22 season. He had a 2.58 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Kahkonen, meanwhile, was a fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2014.

He’s played 139 NHL games, with a 49-67-15 record, a 3.33 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.

Last season, Kahkonen faced the Jets once, stopping 38 shots in a 1-0 loss to the Jets on Valentine’s Day. His only other start against Winnipeg came on Feb. 8, 2002, when he stopped 27 shots in a 2-0 loss.

Other former Jets on the move

Laurent Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks after earning himself a solid raise with his stellar play behind Hellebuyck this past season.

Forward Tyler Toffoli, meanwhile, signed a four-year, $24 million deal with the San Jose Sharks.

Toffoli arrived at the trade deadline for a 2024 third-round and a 2025 second-round pick.

Jets open 2024-25 season in Edmonton

The 2024-25 season begins on the road this fall.

The Jets open the year against the Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 9.

Winnipeg’s home opener comes on Oct. 11 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks at Canada Life Centre.

sbilleck@postmedia.com

X: @scottbilleck

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