The Winnipeg Jets shook up their roster last June by trading Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings and buying out the final year of Blake Wheeler's contract. More changes could be coming after another early playoff exit this year.
Nikolaj Ehlers has spent his entire nine-season NHL career with the Jets, but there's speculation out of Winnipeg that they could trade him this summer if the two sides fail to agree to a contract extension. He has a year remaining on his deal with an annual average value of $6 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.
On May 15, the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck speculated that Ehlers could be used as trade bait to bring in a top-four defenseman. He suggested targeting blueliners with a year left on their contracts such as Jakob Chychrun of the Ottawa Senators, Vladislav Gavrikov of the Kings, and Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes, but he acknowledged they might not be available.
Jets management could look at peddling Ehlers to a team desperate to bolster its scoring punch and willing to perhaps part with a top-four defenseman. The New York Islanders could fit the bill, finishing with a 2.99 goals-per-game average that was 22nd in the league this season.
On May 20, NYI Hockey Now's Russell Macias proposed offering Ryan Pulock to the Jets in a one-for-one deal for Ehlers. While the 29-year-old Pulock has a full no-trade clause, Macias thought the chance to pair with the Jets' Josh Morrissey might be tempting. His $6.15 million cap hit is nearly identical to Ehlers', though he's under contract to 2029-30.
Pulock could slot in on the right side with Morrissey, replacing Dylan DeMelo who could depart this summer via free agency. A Manitoba native, he might agree to waive his no-trade clause to play for Winnipeg.
It's a long shot that Pulock will agree to waive his NTC. Meanwhile, the Islanders could be on Ehlers' no-trade list. Still, a straight-up swap of these two would create plenty of buzz among Jets and Isles fans.
