After what has been quite an impressive yet short-lived run by the Winnipeg Jets last season, one of the priorities for the team has been to keep its most reliable stars in the fray and make sure they can boost the squad's chances of winning in the league. One of these talented players is Gabriel Vilardi, who is now slated to stay for six more years.

The Jets were definitely pegged to be a Stanley Cup contender after last season's exploits. Vilardi was one of the standout performers for the team, cruising for career-highs and being one of the team's most consistent players in the rotation for most of the season. Now he's getting paid with impressive bearing for the team's chances of winning.

At the age of 25, Vilardi would have become a free agent if not for this deal. With a possible arbitration hearing averted, the focus now shifts for the forward to put a focus on his works towards the season, which arguably has been really fun to watch as he improves his level of play now more than ever.

A Shining Performer for the Jets

Vilardi has been quite the star for Winnipeg, and it cannot be denied that he's been a phenomenal star on the rise. The forward posted 61 points last season with 27 goals and 34 assists – all career-highs in just 71 games. His massive performances say a lot about the drastic improvement that was expected from him in his time with the Los Angeles Kings.

For what it's worth, Vilardi knows how to play at a high level, and his consistent performances have often outshined many elite players from the Jets roster. The forward has played in many clutch moments, and he has certainly proved that he can be a competent performer in the rotation, which says a lot about why the signing made perfect sense.

Selected by the Kings back in the 2017 NHL Draft, Vilardi spent years with the Los Angeles squad and played 270 regular season games and 21 playoff games. So far, Vilardi has a tally of 175 points off 90 goals and 85 assists in 270 regular-season games for both the Kings and Jets combined.

Staying with the Jets

Perhaps one of the biggest factors that has made Vilardi a key player for the Jets aside from his impressive upsides is the fact that he's an Ontario native. Sure, he did miss out on the final 11 games of the regular season and the first four playoff games for Winnipeg last season, but he remains an elite performer in his own right.

Acquired back in June 2023 in a trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings, Vilardi has turned out for the best for the Jets so far, and his level of play has certainly turned out for the best as he continues to thrive in the Winnipeg system. Still, the expectations are high for Vilardi to make the most of his new contract. He is indeed one of the most explosive performers on the big stage, and one can say that he will be grinding his way to the top of the pecking order in Winnipeg in the coming season.

The mere fact that he posted a lot of career-highs last season says a lot about how he is able to make an impact in the game and show that he deserves the new extension. So far, Vilardi is even pegged to become an All-Star next season, but that’s only feasible if he continues the offensive tear he was on last season.