Huge Decision Coming for UFA Nikolaj Ehlers & Winnipeg Jets

His name has been in trade rumors for some time (seemingly years), but this season, with the best record in hockey at this point of the season, could the Winnipeg Jets really afford to trade Nikolaj Ehlers within the next two weeks before the deadline?

The pending unrestricted free agent is having his best season on a points-per-game basis, but according to Murat Ates in The Athletic, if the Jets aren't confident they can re-sign him to an extension, they could possibly pull the trigger on a deadline deal and capitalize when his value is at its highest. After Colorado's stunning Mikko Rantanen trade, it seems that anything is possible on the trade market these days, notes Ates:

As it stands, Ehlers’ future is still up in the air. (Jets GM Kevin) Cheveldayoff isn’t talking about him in the rarefied “they’re big parts of our franchise” tones he used the summer before Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele signed their seven-year extensions...
It seems clear Ehlers is too big a part of Winnipeg’s current success to be traded, but we thought the same thing about Mikko Rantanen not too long ago, too.

Ehlers is following up a sensational 25-goal, 61-point season last year with his first ever point-per-game season thus far, with 48 in 47 games, with a plus/minus rating of +12. With 17 goals, he's on pace for his eighth 20-goal season in the last nine years.

One of the factors that Chevaldayoff might be weighing, is that Ehlers' career playoff production hasn't matched his regular-season prowess. He has just 14 points in 37 games in the postseason.

It seems like an $8M AAV on a long-term deal is the range he could be looking at on a new contract, and if the Jets feel they either can't, or won't, go there, then a deadline trade is a possibility.

Ates' biggest case for keeping Ehlers, extension or not: "If the Jets led the league like they do and there was a player like Ehlers available on the market right now, there would be a tremendous case to go out and get him."

But the Jets also need to consider the future—they're not a big free agent destination. Therefore, writes Ates, "If you thought Ehlers was a UFA risk — and if you could get a quality top-nine forward with term in a package for Ehlers now — it would be awfully tempting to think of ways to help next year’s team, no matter what role he fills right now."

Two weeks and counting. A huge decision looms for the Jets and for Ehlers.