Gabriel Vilardi of the Winnipeg Jets celebrates after scoring a first period goal against the Dallas Stars in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jets Re-Sign Vilardi To 6-Year Deal with $7.5 Million AAV

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Declan Schroeder | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 4:35 PM ET

The Winnipeg Jets’ “Vilardi Party” will continue for the next half-dozen seasons as the team has signed the budding star forward to a six-year contract with a $7.5 million average annual value (AAV.)

The 25 year old set new career highs in goals (27) assists, (34) and points (61) in 71 games last season season and added one goal and three assists in nine playoff games. A “freak” upper-body injury he suffered in late March prevented him from having his first-ever completely-healthy campaign and caused him to miss the first four games of the postseason.

Vilardi played first-line right wing alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele for most of his second season with the Jets and they were one of the league’s most productive lines in combining for 245 points. Vilardi also featured on the first power-play unit in the net-front position and his unique and skillset was on display prominently there once again — his wizardry around the net and his puck-handling ability in tight make him unlike any other player the Jets have had in the 2.0 era.

Vilardi was a restricted free agent (RFA) coming off a two-year bridge deal with a $3.43 million AAV he signed upon being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in June 2023. The new deal allowed he and the Jets to avoid arbitration.

The Jets have just one RFA remaining: defenseman Dylan Samberg. They signed RFA Parker Ford earlier Friday and RFAs Tyrel Bauer and Morgan Barron earlier in the week.