Gabriel Vilardi staying with Winnipeg Jets after signing 6-year, $45M contract extension

The Winnipeg Jets locked up forward Gabriel Vilardi on Friday, signing the forward to a six-year contract extension worth $45 million US.

The extension comes after Vilardi, who became a restricted free agent on July 1 after completing a two-year, $6.88-million contract, posted career highs in 2024-25 with 27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points and 71 games played.

The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., added a goal and three assists in nine playoff games after missing the last 11 games of the regular season and first four of the post-season with an upper-body injury.

Vilardi also set new single-season bests in power-play goals (12), power-play points (25) and ice time per game (18:08) and matched his six game-winning goals from 2022-23.

Vilardi, originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round (11th overall) at the 2017 NHL draft, has 175 points (90 goals 85 assists) in 270 career regular-season games and 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 21 playoff contests for the Kings and Jets.

The Jets acquired Vilardi on June 27, 2023, in a trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings.

Internationally, Vilardi won gold with Canada at the 2021 world championships after recording one assist and six penalty minutes in 10 games.