Jets avoid arbitration with Samberg on 3-year, $17.25M deal
The Winnipeg Jets avoided arbitration with defenseman Dylan Samberg on Wednesday, agreeing to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $5.75 million, the team announced.
Samberg, a 26-year-old restricted free agent who was one year away from unrestricted free agency, was scheduled to have his arbitration hearing Wednesday.
The Jets filed for $2.5 million in arbitration, while Samberg filed for $6 million. He only would've been eligible for a one-year contract in arbitration since he's a year away from being a UFA.
Samberg became a fixture as a top-four defenseman for the Jets last season, logging a career-high 21:08 per game in 60 appearances. He only produced 20 points but was a key reason why Winnipeg allowed the fewest goals in the league. The 26-year-old racked up a team-leading 120 blocks and ranked second among all NHL defensemen in Evolving-Hockey's goals above replacement metric (18.9).
Dylan Samberg, signed 3x$5.8M by WPG, is a two-way puck-moving defenceman who combines strong defensive play with great passing ability, making clean transition plays while avoiding turnovers. #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/kFl5Fc1zCI
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 30, 2025
The 6-foot-4 blue-liner also averaged 24:04 in 13 playoff games in 2025, the second-most on the Jets.
The Jets now have their top four on defense signed for at least the next three seasons. Samberg, Josh Morrissey, and Dylan DeMelo are all under contract through 2027-28, while Samberg's primary partner - Neal Pionk - is set to enter the first season of a six-year deal.
Winnipeg is left with $4.79 million in cap space after the re-signing.
The Jets selected Samberg in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He's tallied 51 points in 216 career games across four seasons.