Cole Perfetti will be playing the next five seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, and the forward hopes goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will do so as well.
The 24-year-old avoided a salary arbitration hearing by signing a five-year, $30 million contract on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $6 million.
Hellebuyck, meanwhile, has five seasons remaining on a seven-year $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) he signed on Oct. 9, 2023.
“We know as much as everyone else in the city of Winnipeg,” Perfetti said on Monday. “We’re very anxious to know too, I think everyone is. We obviously know how special he is as a player and as a person, and we want to be fighting with him day in and day out.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed in June that Winnipeg has listened to trade offers for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the best goalie in the NHL.
Has Connor Hellebuyck played his final game with Winnipeg?
Winnipeg also signed free agent goalie Stuart Skinner to a two-year, $7.5 million contract ($3.75 million AAV) on July 1.
“Whatever happens, it is obviously out of our control, there’s nothing that we can do about it, so I’m trying not to get caught in it," Perfetti said. "Trying to enjoy summer and get better personally and get better as an individual, and whatever the roster is come Oct. 2, then that’s what it is, and we have to all make sure we’re ready to go for that.
“We don’t know much, so I don’t have much to give you, but we’ll see what happens. But it’s pretty obvious everyone wants to continue to be his teammate and continue to play with him.”
Whatever happens with Hellebuyck, Perfetti is looking forward to having a solid season with Winnipeg.
The Jets (35-35-12) finished seventh in the Central Division this past season and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the regular season before being eliminated in six games by the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Second Round.
The Jets open the 2026-27 season against the Boston Bruins at Canada Life Centre on Oct. 2.
“This year wasn’t exactly how we planned on the ice, but you rewind two years ago, and we were the best team in the League throughout the regular season and everyone’s playing really well,” Perfetti said. “That’s the kind of group that I know we have and what we all believe in and what we can accomplish.
“One down year I don’t think defines who we are as a group. I think we’re all really excited and looking forward to being a part of this. A lot of guys are still locked up for a while, and we're going to come back together as a close team and try to replicate what we did two years ago.”
Perfetti had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 68 games for the Jets last season, missing the first 14 games after sustaining an ankle injury in the final game of the preseason.
He was selected by Winnipeg in the first round (No. 10) of the 2020 NHL Draft, and has 157 points (59 goals, 98 assists) in 290 regular-season games and six points (three goals, three assists) in 14 playoff games.
Perfetti was a restricted free agent who filed for salary arbitration on July 5. With a new contract in place and an arbitration hearing avoided, he can focus on the upcoming season.
“It’s a completely different mindset, different approach this year,” Perfetti said. “Obviously now with being here for five more years, it’s different mentally. I think last year coming into it, obviously being a younger guy in a contract year, you want to play really well.
And then to have to deal with the injury and never really get your feet up under you and not feel super great for a while throughout the season, it was frustrating.”
A lengthy offseason has him in a good place both physically and mentally heading into his sixth NHL season.
“This is the longest offseason that we’ve had, and I’ve been trying to make the most of it,” Perfetti said. “This is the most (time) I’ve spent on the ice; this is the best I’ve felt in the gym. Overall, the body and the mind are in a great spot.
Obviously now with being here for five years and kind of knowing what the future looks like, it’s really settling and at ease a lot more. I’m feeling really good about it and just trying to make the most of the summer so far.”
Winnipeg is looking to have a bounce-back season of its own and return to contending for the Stanley Cup.
Along with Perfetti signing a new contract, Winnipeg also signed defenseman Mario Ferraro to a three-year, $12 million contract ($4 million AAV), and forward Noah Gregor to a one-year, $850,000 contract on July 1.
Winnipeg signed defenseman Henry Thrun to a one-year, $850,000 deal on July 2, and forward Viggo Bjorck, the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract on July 13.
“We have such a great group of guys, that is a really big part for me,” Perfetti said. “Coming to the rink every day with some of your best friends and guys that you genuinely enjoy spending time with, it makes it a lot easier coming to the rink.”