Jets lock up Cole Perfetti on five-year, $30 million deal, ESPN says
Winnipeg and Cole Perfetti avoided salary arbitration with a five-year contract carrying a $6 million annual cap charge, according to ESPN.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Cole Perfetti’s arbitration date is off the calendar, and the Winnipeg Jets have their 24-year-old center tied down through 2031.
The Jets and Perfetti agreed to a five-year contract worth $30 million, ESPN reported Wednesday, citing an NHL source. The deal carries a $6 million salary-cap hit, according to the report.
Perfetti had filed for salary arbitration, with his hearing scheduled for Monday, July 20, ESPN reported. The new agreement settles that business before it could reach the room.
A big bump from the bridge deal
The contract marks a sizable raise from Perfetti’s previous arrangement. ESPN reported he was coming off a two-year bridge contract with an average annual value of $3.25 million.
Under the new deal, Perfetti will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent when the contract expires in 2031, according to ESPN.
Winnipeg selected Perfetti with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. ESPN reported that he has spent his entire five-year NHL career with the Jets.
His most recent season was a quieter one on the scoresheet. Perfetti had 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 68 games, while posting a minus-9 rating, according to ESPN.
Across his NHL career, Perfetti has 59 goals and 98 assists for 157 points in 290 games, ESPN reported.
Jets’ summer still has noise
The Perfetti deal gives Winnipeg one key piece of certainty after a season that ended without playoff hockey. ESPN reported the Jets missed the postseason last season for the first time since 2022.
Winnipeg’s offseason has also been marked by trade speculation involving goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, according to ESPN. Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and ESPN also described him as a U.S. Olympic hero.
The Buffalo Sabres are among the clubs that have asked about the 33-year-old goalie, ESPN reported.
ESPN’s report did not include public comments from Hellebuyck, the Jets or the Sabres about those inquiries.
For now, Winnipeg has at least handled Perfetti’s contract before arbitration could take over the story. The center gets term, the Jets get cost certainty, and a player drafted near the top of the 2020 class stays in place for five more years.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.