Nikolaj Ehlers' Potential Replacement Emerges After Stunning Playoff Breakout

The Jets would have a massive hole in their lineup if Ehlers were to depart on the open market. Who could they potentially replace him with?

How does current Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, who is playing in the Stanley Cup Final and scored the 2OT GWG in Game 2, coming to Winnipeg sound?

Winnipeg Jets Connected To Brad Marchand On The Free Agent Market

TSN's Jesse Pollock posed a question to Jets fans on whether they'd be more comfortable with Winnipeg shelling out big money to keep Ehlers for the next 8 years, or sign Marchand for the same amount but for only 3 years.

Jets fans would you rather have Nikolaj Ehlers at $8.5 million for the next eight years, or Brad Marchand at $8.5 for the next three?

Ehler's current contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $6 million ends on July 1, and he'll be looking for a considerable raise on that amount.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff remains hopeful that they'll be able to to work something out with Ehlers to keep him in Winnipeg for the long term.

Nikolaj has been a player that has grown up in our organization. Drafted, developed him, someone that we think the world of. We obviously went into this year eyes wide open that he was a potential unrestricted free agent. Players earn that opportunity.

When we get a chance to talk to him, we'll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life-type player and we'll see where it all goes there.

Ehlers, whom the Jets took with the 9th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, has 520 points (225G, 295A) in 674 games.