With free-agency looming, Nikolaj Ehlers focused on playoffs for high-flying Winnipeg Jets

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 6:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Nikolaj Ehlers knows he's connected the verge of a career-high play for points, but a large solemnisation isn't astir the corner.

The speedy Winnipeg Jets guardant views it arsenic portion of his improvement since joining the NHL nine successful 2015-16 aft being drafted ninth wide successful 2014.

"It would mean a lot, of course, but I besides deliberation the crushed that I'm astatine this constituent is due to the fact that I don't deliberation excessively overmuch astir that stuff," Ehlers said aft Thursday's practice.

"When you absorption connected what you tin control, erstwhile you enactment connected your things, erstwhile you fto the crippled thatch you and conscionable support doing your best, those things volition travel eventually."

Ehlers has 61 points heading into Friday's location crippled against the New Jersey Devils, 3 shy of the 64 points helium recorded successful 82 games successful 2016-17.

This season's feat is notable for its pace.

Ehlers has suited up for 63 games aft missing 9 successful December with a lower-body injury. His 61 points besides matches past season's output done 82 games.

His advancement and accumulation could pb to a large payday, but he's besides not reasoning astir that.

Ehlers, who turned 29 past month, is simply a pending unrestricted escaped agent. He's playing successful the past twelvemonth of a seven-year, US$42-million declaration with an yearly salary-cap deed of $6 million.

The six-foot, 172-pound near winger's sanction has been included among the league's apical pending UFA forwards specified arsenic Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers and Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks. All 3 are nether property 30.

"Obviously, it means that I'm doing thing right," Ehlers said of being mentioned successful that group.

"Right now, I've got different things to interest about, different things to absorption connected alternatively than each of that stuff. I'm present trying to get to the nonstop aforesaid happening each the different teams are successful this league, and we've got a truly bully changeable astatine it this year, truthful I don't deliberation astir that for adjacent a second."

Playoff spot clinched

The Jets person already clinched a spot successful the Stanley Cup playoffs and sat atop the Western Conference and Central Division with 102 points (49-19-4), six up of the Dallas Stars, who played the Calgary Flames connected Thursday.

Winnipeg was besides 1 constituent backmost of Washington for archetypal wide successful the league. The Capitals faced the Minnesota Wild connected Thursday.

Ehlers scored the victor successful Tuesday's 3-2 overtime triumph against Washington.

Jets caput manager Scott Arniel said Ehlers is playing amended without the puck similar the team's different top-skilled players, but he's besides coachable successful different areas.

"I perpetually speech to him astir putting his velocity connected show each accidental helium gets and helium does that," Arniel said. "He puts fearfulness successful the different team's defencemen due to the fact that helium builds up that velocity and gets coming.

"The different nighttime [against Washington] determination was 3 guys chasing him and cipher was going to drawback him connected that goal. When helium does that, helium tin beryllium highly dangerous."

Arniel elevated Ehlers to the apical power-play portion this season, and helium has showed his willingness for the caller role.

"His 1 remark was, 'As agelong arsenic you thatch maine and amusement maine what I request to bash and what I'm expected to do.' And he's grasped it and it's truly helped us," Arniel said.

"His quickness to get crossed and enactment pucks erstwhile different teams get aggressive, his skill-making, his quality to find radical and past that changeable from benignant of the bumper spot has been everything we had hoped."

Ehlers has six power-play goals this season.

"Personally, the portion that I've been the astir arrogant of has been the even-strength crippled that I've been capable to play, and that's breathtaking for me," Ehlers said.

Jets seasoned centre Vladislav Namestnikov has been connected the 2nd enactment with Ehlers and Cole Perfetti astir of the season, though an wounded to top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi past Sunday has caused immoderate juggling.

Namestnikov said Ehlers has shown a operation of skills this season.

"In a mode he's stepped up his two-way game," Namestnikov said. "He's precise liable defensively and past helium takes that to the offence with his speed. He's conscionable electric."

Ehlers, the league's highest-scoring subordinate from Denmark, has 225 goals and 293 assists for 518 vocation points successful 668 regular-season games.

"He's ever been 1 of the apical players successful the league truthful it's nary astonishment to spot him up with those guys," Namestnikov said of the coveted pending UFAs.

"All that worldly agents and GMs instrumentality attraction of, but hopefully helium stays present with the Jets."