from Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press,
I hate to be the proverbial dark cloud, but we're well into the dog days of summer, with the August long weekend in the rear-view mirror, and two of the Winnipeg Jets' biggest offensive weapons are still without contracts.
Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor combined to score 64 regular-season goals last year, which amounts to just under 24 per cent of the 272 times the team lit the lamp. And they did it on the cheap, in the final year of entry-level deals that carried cap hits of just $925,000 each, not including performance bonuses.
There will be no such bargain going forward as the restricted free agents are set to deservedly cash in on their success so far. But when, and at what price, remain burning questions. And with the start of NHL training camps about a month away, you'd think the urgency would be picking up, right?
After all, if the Jets are to make any noise this coming season, they're likely going to need more contributions from the likes of Laine, 21, and Connor, 22, given that internal development and growth appears to be the primary game plan. Having one or both of them unavailable due to a prolonged contract impasse would be very bad for the on-ice business.
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