Free agent goaltender, Steve Mason has signed a two-year, $8.2 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets also reached an agreement with defenseman Dmitry Kulikov that will pay him $12.99 million over three years.
And the Jets signed forward Michael Sgarbossa to a one-year, $650,000 contract that will probably see Sgarbossa start the 2017-18 season with the Jets' AHL affiliate, Manitoba Moose.
The Jets got their goalie, a former Calder Trophy winner, in Mason. will he help the Jets achieve a playoff spot? Hopefully, with Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers and possibly Adam Lowry making strides, with Mark Scheifele continuing his upward projection, they should be in decent shape. Unfortunately for Michael Hutchinson, it looks like he'll be spending more time with the Moose in a tandem with Eric Comrie.
And surprise, surprise, Ondrej Pavelec has been signed to the New York Rangers as a back-up to Henrik Lundqvist. I'm glad Pavy's career will be extended in the NHL. I've always liked Pavelec and hoped he would improve while with the Jets, but unfortunately, the writing had been on the wall for a while with his numbers just not what the Jets (or any other club expecting NHL numbers for a starter) expected since the move from Atlanta.
The Jets also lost Anthony Peluso to the Washington Capitals on a one-year $650,000 deal, as well as Paul Postma, going to the Boston Bruins for one year at $750,000.
Although he wasn't a Jet any longer, Alexander Burmistrov has found a home with the Vancouver Canucks, signing a one-year $900,000 contract. And forward, Chris Thorburn (selected by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights) was not signed by Vegas only to be picked up by the St. Louis Blues for two years at $1.8 million.
And, just as I was writing this, the Jets have just signed winger, Buddy Robinson from the Ottawa Senators at a term of one year at a hit of $650,000. Like Sgarbossa, Robinson is most likely headed to the Moose.
So, the Jets got a veteran goalie to mentor Connor Hellebuyck. Not quite the guy the Jets were looking to commit to, however, with Brian Elliott, Anti Niemi, Ryan Miller and Antti Raanta off the market, Mason was the only real viable choice. I guess reports of Elliott "making preperations to live in Winnipeg" were a little north of bogus.
