Jets hopeful Ehlers returns: 'He's a huge piece for us'

Nikolaj Ehlers is the Winnipeg Jets' most prominent unrestricted free agent this summer, and his teammates are hopeful he'll stick around.

"He's huge," forward Kyle Connor said, according to Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun. "One of our best players, and he carries the play so much when he's on the ice. He's a big part of our power play this year too. He's a huge piece for us and big in our locker room. He's got a big voice."

Blue-liner Josh Morrissey added: "I've played with Nikky for nine years now. He's a fantastic player, fantastic teammate, fantastic guy. I try not to think about those things too much, but certainly love playing with him and hope he can be back."

Ehlers just finished the seventh year of a $42-million contract and would be one of the most sought-after free-agent forwards if he hit the open market. The 29-year-old recorded 63 points in 68 games this season despite averaging only 15:48 per contest.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Wednesday the team will put its "best foot forward" to try to re-sign Ehlers, according to TSN's John Lu. Cheveldayoff added that negotiations are on hold while Ehlers represents Denmark at the World Championship.

The Jets drafted Ehlers ninth overall in 2014, and he debuted with the club in 2015-16. He's notched 520 points in 674 career games.

Winnipeg won the Presidents' Trophy this season as the league's top regular-season team but bowed out of the playoffs in the second round at the hands of the Dallas Stars. The Jets have a projected $25.6 million in cap space this summer to try to retain Ehlers. Forward Gabe Vilardi, a restricted free agent, is also eligible for a potentially lucrative deal this summer.