New Mock Trade Sees The Winnipeg Jets Ship Star Winger Out East In Potential Blockbuster Deal

The Winnipeg Jets have been a dominant regular season franchise in recent years, but with their lack of success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they have already lost Nikolaj Ehlers to free agency.

While the signs are much more promising for veteran winger Kyle Connor, he remains a pending free agent for the summer of 2026, and if the team can't go deep in 2026, there's a good chance that he too could follow Ehlers to a much more promising spot.

Unsurprisingly, that's increased rumours about Connor's future.

This has prompted plenty of trade speculation, with Heavy Sports mocking up a blockbuster trade that would see the Michigan native land with the Detroit Red Wings.

On paper, this move would be great for the Jets, as they'd land a first-round pick in 2026 as well as a second rounder a few years later, and in Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper, they'd land several key pieces that the organization could build around for years to come.

Sure, it's a lot to give up for Detroit, but with the team pushing to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, landing a Michigan native like Connor would be a massive pickup, with many believing he could be available this season.

It's unclear if Detroit would be willing to give up this much to land Connor unless an extension would be agreed upon beforehand, but if the Jets don't believe they can keep the veteran winger long-term with his pending free agency, don't be surprised to see them targeting a haul like this in return.