The Winnipeg Jets signed Gabriel Vilardi to a six-year, $7.5 million contract extension on Friday, avoiding arbitration with the 25-year-old forward.

It’s solid work by Winnipeg: Vilardi scored 61 points in 71 games last season and plays an integral role on Winnipeg’s top power-play unit. He’s also the Jets’ first-choice option on their top line, alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele.

Jets get a fantastic deal on Gabriel Vilardi, who has blossomed into a quality first line talent in Winnipeg. pic.twitter.com/ZsB2nx7KeU

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 18, 2025

It’s the second time in Vilardi’s Jets career that he’s filed for arbitration but avoided a hearing — he also filed in 2023 before signing a two-year, $3.4375 million AAV contract. Injuries have limited him to 118 games over the course of two Jets seasons, but Vilardi has been highly productive, scoring 97 points in that time while building chemistry with Connor and Scheifele. He’s not quite a play-driver at even strength, but Vilardi’s quick stick knocks pucks down, helping extend offensive zone shifts. His biggest strength is his quick thinking and fast hands in tight spaces, most notably beside the net on the power play. Twenty-one of his 49 goals and 18 of his 48 assists have come with the man advantage.

Vilardi’s signing leaves the Jets with approximately $10.5 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, with shutdown defenceman Dylan Samberg left to sign.

What Vilardi’s signing means for the Jets

The Jets’ work acquiring and retaining prime-aged players is never done, but Vilardi’s long-term extension makes good on a series of trades that started with Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic heading to Columbus for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick. Laine and Roslovic’s trade requests were followed by one from Dubois, which ultimately landed Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari from Los Angeles.

Vilardi’s six-year contract extension gives Winnipeg the stability that Dubois, Laine and Roslovic never did, while adding to the narrative that players can and do sign long-term contracts in Winnipeg. Vilardi was two years away from unrestricted free agency, with Evolving-Hockey projecting a $7.5 million AAV on a four-year term, not six. The Jets did well to keep Vilardi, extending their window and ensuring talent on the roster beyond 30-plus core players such as Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Connor Hellebuyck and Adam Lowry.

THE VILARDI PARTY CONTINUES FOR SIX MORE YEARS 🎉 pic.twitter.com/YrELFRf2uk

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 18, 2025

What comes next?

Samberg is Winnipeg’s top priority now. The 26-year-old shutdown defenceman’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 30 in Toronto, but the club and player are both interested in a long-term deal. Contract talks will likely heat up next week in an effort to avoid arbitration — as the Jets were able to do with Vilardi today.

(Photo: Cameron Bartlett / Getty Images)