There was nothing the Winnipeg Jets could say or do to ensure Nikolaj Ehlers remained in Navy blue for life.   “(My leaving Winnipeg) was inevitable,” Ehlers said on a Saturday morning Zoom call.

Nikolaj Ehlers just wanted a fresh start. After spending his entire career with the Winnipeg Jets, the star forward signed a six-year, $51-million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Ehlers and the Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a six-year, $51 million contract in free agency on Friday, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. The 29-year-old hit free agency after his previous seven-year, $42 million contract with the Jets expired following the 2024-25 season.