Get to Know the Winnipeg Jets’ 2025 Free Agent Signings

The Toronto-born product, originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes 38th overall in 2012, has 28 goals and 53 assists for 81 points in 302-career NHL games between the Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and Canucks. He played a career-high 51 NHL games in 2023-24, recording five goals and 10 assists.

He has put up 83 goals and 121 assists for 204 points in 328-career AHL games between the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals, Hartford Wolf Pack, and AHL Canucks and had 11 points in 24 games in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup championship season.

Walker Duehr

Duehr, a 27-year-old right winger, split time between the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks organizations last season. He played 24 NHL games between the two and tallied three points while also skating in 36 AHL games and tallying 28 points.

In 92-career NHL games between the Flames and Sharks, the undrafted South Dakota product has 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. He has 42 goals and 36 assists for 78 points in 143 AHL games between the Stockton Heat, Calgary Wranglers, and San Jose Barracuda.

He is signed to a one-year, two-way contract.

Samuel Fagemo

The Swedish left winger spent most of his career to this point in the Kings organization and also had a pit stop in Nashville. The 25 year old, originally selected 50th overall by the Kings in 2019, has been a strong scorer in the AHL; he potted 29 goals and added 17 assists for the Reign last season and had and eye-popping 43 goals in just 50 games for them in 2023-24.

Fagemo has three goals and one assist in 21-career NHL games and 132 goals and 70 assists for 202 points in 268-career AHL games. He is signed to a one-year, two-way contract.

Cole Koepke

Koepke, who just finished his first full NHL season, will be a fourth-line and penalty kill option after Brandon Tanev’s departure to the Utah Mammoth.

The 27 year old left winger, who signed a one-year deal worth $1 million, spent last season with the Boston Bruins and recorded 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 73 games.

Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Minnesotan spent three years at the University of Minnesota – Duluth before turning pro. There, he played with Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg. He is close friends with both Samberg and Neal Pionk; the trio play golf and workout together during the offseason, he said Tuesday.

A two-way forward who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 207 pounds, Koepke is not afraid to get physical and finished first among Bruins’ forwards in hits last season with 177. He has 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 99-career NHL games between the Lightning and Bruins.

“I just felt that my game really came together as a whole,” Koepke said yesterday on a conference call. “I put together what I’ve learned and just tried to get better over the course of time. I feel really good about where I’m at and I’m constantly trying to get better. “I definitely can be dependable in the defensive zone, and always try to be physical and a good skater with speed. So I try to use that to my advantage the best I can.”

“Scoring goals is always nice, but I do love having a good hit on someone as well. That’s definitely part of the job that I enjoy,” he continued. (From ‘Jets win some, lose some; Ehlers takes his time in free agency,’ Winnipeg Free Press, July 1, 2025.)

Tanner Pearson

Pearson, a veteran of 722-career NHL games, is someone who should be able to provide some offensive punch from the bottom six and versatility.

The 32-year-old left winger, who signed a one-year deal worth $1 million, spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year deal and recorded 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points.

Originally selected 30th overall by the Kings in 2012, he has recorded 150 goals and 162 assists for 312 points in his 12-year NHL career between the Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Canucks, Canadiens, and Golden Knights. He won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014, while his best statistical season came in 2019-20 with the Canucks when he put up 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 69 games.

Pearson has connections to a number of people within the Jets organization: in addition to playing with Mark Scheifele on the Barrie Colts and Alex Iafallo on the Kings, Jets assistant coach Davis Payne was a Kings assistant during Pearson’s entire 325-game tenure there tenure there.

“My game hasn’t changed a lot over the years. I don’t expect it to now,” Pearson said yesterday. “I thought it was kind of the same situation going into Vegas last year. I feel like I’m a guy who can go up and down so maybe start wherever.”

“I like the style of play,” he said of the Jets. “I’ve obviously played a lot of hockey against them over the years. They’ve always been a good team, a structured team, and I think the structure within their system helps me out too.” (From ‘Jets win some, lose some; Ehlers takes his time in free agency,’ Winnipeg Free Press, July 1, 2025.)

Issac Poulter

Poulter, a Winnipeg-born goaltender, spent the past three seasons with the AHL’s Utica Comets and and ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder in the New Jersey Devils’ organization.

Last season, the undrafted 23 year old appeared in 36 games for the Comets, posting a 16-13-6 record, 2.86 goals against average, .898 save percentage, and one shutout. He is signed to a one-year, two-way contract.

Cheveldayoff Has More Work To Do

NHL free agency continues and Cheveldayoff has more work to do with the $22.3 million in cap space still available. At minimum, he needs to find a top-six calibre forward among the league’s remaining unrestricted free agents and sign his high-profile restricted free agents. Be sure to keep following The Hockey Writers for extensive coverage this offseason.