Winnipeg Jets sign Gabriel Vilardi to $45M deal—blockbuster trade pays off after breakout NHL season

The Winnipeg Jets are locked in their future—and Gabriel Vilardi is now a central part of it. On Friday, the team signed the 25-year-old forward to a six-year, $45 million contract extension following a breakout 2024–25 campaign.

The deal comes just a year after Vilardi was acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings.Vilardi’s rise in Winnipeg has been fast and impressive. Despite missing time late in the season due to injury, the Kingston, Ontario native still posted career highs across the board—27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points in 71 games. With the Jets aiming to build a core capable of lasting postseason success, this contract signals a clear intention: Vilardi is no longer just part of the Dubois return—he’s now a cornerstone of the franchise’s identity.

Gabriel Vilardi emerges as breakout star and key piece of the Winnipeg Jets’ future

The turning point came on June 27, 2023, when Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff pulled the trigger on a high-profile trade with Los Angeles. In exchange for Dubois, Winnipeg received Vilardi along with Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a draft pick. It was a calculated move—Vilardi had flashed talent with the Kings, but durability and consistency had always been concerns.Fast forward to Friday in Winnipeg, and the picture is very different.

Gabriel Vilardi didn’t just prove he could stay healthy—he became a driver of the Jets’ offense. In addition to his 61-point regular season, he added a goal and three assists in nine playoff games, returning from an upper-body injury that kept him sidelined for the final stretch of the regular season and opening round.

He also led by example on special teams, setting career highs in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25), and ice time per game (18:08), while matching a personal best in game-winning goals (6).“Gabriel has earned this,” Cheveldayoff told reporters at Canada Life Centre. “His work ethic, his consistency, and his ability to perform in key moments have made a big impact on this team.”Vilardi’s journey to this moment wasn’t easy. A former 11th overall pick by the Kings in 2017, he battled a chronic back issue early in his career that delayed his pro debut until late 2018 with the Ontario Reign in the AHL. But when he finally stepped onto NHL ice on February 20, 2020, he made history—scoring a goal on his first shot just six seconds into his first shift, setting an NHL record.Since then, he’s added multiple milestones, including his first career NHL hat trick on April 4, 2024, in a 5–2 win over the Calgary Flames—one of the loudest nights of the season at Canada Life Centre.“When I came to Winnipeg, I just wanted to prove I belonged,” Vilardi said Friday. “To have the organization put this kind of belief in me—yeah, it means a lot.”

The Winnipeg Jets are all-in on Gabriel Vilardi—and the future starts now

With 175 points in 270 career NHL games, Gabriel Vilardi has evolved from a risky trade chip into a long-term building block. The Jets’ six-year, $45 million commitment isn’t just a reward for one standout season—it’s a belief in what’s to come. For a team striving to turn regular-season promise into postseason runs, Vilardi could be the key to unlocking that next level. And if his trajectory continues, this deal may be remembered as the moment Winnipeg secured its future.Also Read: Chicago Blackhawks sign Anton Frondell to $2.9 million deal as Swedish ‘tank’ eyes NHL future