Heavy push for Nikolaj Ehlers trade this week

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers has landed on the trade block due to his contract status as he is heading into the final season of his current deal. He remains one of Winnipeg’s best generators of offense with 25 goals and 61 points in 82 games this past season and has drawn a lot of interest on the market, with one team reportedly pushing heavily for the winger, according to Stefen Rosner of the Hockey News. The reporter believes it makes a lot of sense for the Carolina Hurricanes to get Ehlers parting with pending free agent Jake Guentzel in a trade to Tampa Bay last week.

In Winnipeg however, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff still has good words for Ehlers, even though he is rumored to be unwilling to sign an extension with the Jets. The general manager mentioned after the NHL Draft how the winger was an important piece of their lineup, which means he probably won’t pull off a trade just for the sake of it.

Rosner also points to the New York Islanders as being an interested party for the services of Ehlers, though the recent signing of Anthony Duclair could have changed the plan when it comes to a transaction with the Jets.

There is a sense that the Jets could be hoping for teams to get into a bidding war for Ehlers and therefore push the Hurricanes to offer up Martin Necas in the deal. I however feel like the Jets would have to include more than just Ehlers in the trade to get this done.

Necas filed for contract arbitration on Friday and there is a belief that the Hurricanes could look to hang on to him after losing Guentzel. Unless they choose to go after Ehlers instead…