NHL insider Darren Dreger revealed some unexpected information, stating that Jets' Kyle Connor's next contract could easily mirror that of Mitch Marner's. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner to the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/news/mitch-marner-traded-from-toronto-to-vegas-after-signing-8-year-96m-deal' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Vegas Golden Knights at the end of June in a sign-and-trade</a>. The right winger, who is 28 years old and was going to be an unrestricted free agent, signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Toronto and was traded. His new deal has an average annual value of $12 million. That signing has already become a model throughout the league. Insider Darren Dreger reports that Kyle Connor's existing contract negotiations with the Winnipeg Jets will similarly be expected to follow that model. Both sides desire to agree to something, but negotiations are more in terms of how the deal will be structured, not if or when. Kyle Connor is an interesting one, sure there's a mutual appetite to stay, but he's pushing hard on what the structure of that contract looks like, it'll be a Marner type of deal. - Darren Dreger <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHLRumourReport/status/1971600399061704935'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> <h3>Jets Owner Mark Chipman Believes a Deal With Kyle Connor Will Happen Shortly</h3> <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/winnipeg-jets/jets-owner-drops-major-update-on-kyle-connor-future-amid-looming-free-agency' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Jets owner Mark Chipman poured water on the fire in the form of optimism</a> in a recent interview with RG Media in which he said he is looking forward to signing a deal with Connor sooner rather than later. Winnipeg fans needed to hear that. The 28-year-old Connor is riding his best year ever, with 97 points and 41 goals, helping the Jets win a Presidents' Trophy. Once a 2015 first-round draft pick, he has evolved into one of the NHL's most reliable scoring threats and one of the Winnipeg offense workhorses. For a franchise that needs to keep the momentum going after a record-breaking season, contractually locking Connor up long-term would be taking a huge step toward keeping their championship window open wide. While Marner's contract raised the bar high, Connor's fresh contract can make him the face of the Jets for decades to come. Winnipeggers now anxiously await whether or not management will have their star signed ahead of the season.