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Winnipeg Jets Sign Star Forward to Expensive Six-Year Contract

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 4:49 PM ET

The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms with star forward Gabriel Vilardi on a six-year deal that will pay him an average of $7.5 million per year.

The Winnipeg Jets got one of their top pieces signed to a new deal as Gabriel Vilardi has agreed to a new contract with the team. It's a six-year deal with a 7.5 million AAV.

Getting it done now was important as it allows the two sides to avoid arbitration, and takes a bit of pressure off the shoulders of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

He had filed for arbitration earlier this summer, after entering restricted-free agency with a $3.6M qualifying offer that the Jets provided him at the start of the off-season. He was obviously not going to sign for that amount.

Gabriel Vilardi just had the best season of his entire NHL career

Gabriel Vilardi is coming off his most productive season as a professional hockey player, which coincided with the opportunity to play on the top line in Winnipeg.

He received plenty of time on the top power play unit, which helped him score 27 goals and add 34 assists for a total of 61 points in 71 games.

Each one of those numbers was the highest he'd ever achieved in the NHL, which led to this pricey contract, although it was well deserved.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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