Winnipeg Jets sign league's best shorthanded player just one day after NHL season ends

The conversation around this signing will center on the contract numbers and Duehr's modest NHL track record.

That framing undersells why the Winnipeg Jets chose a two-year commitment rather than another one-year audition.

Duehr, 28, spent the majority of 2025-26 with AHL Manitoba after appearing in just three NHL games in March.

He finished the regular season with 34 points in 62 games for the Moose and added three points in seven Calder Cup Playoff games.

The number that explains the Jets' thinking is five. Duehr tied for first in the entire American Hockey League in shorthanded goals this season, a detail that gets buried under the standard depth-forward narrative surrounding a signing like this.

A two-year structure at $875,000 annually - $850,000 in year one and $900,000 in year two at the NHL level - signals roster planning rather than a placeholder move.

Winnipeg is locking in a player who produces specifically on the penalty kill, a commodity with genuine value in a conference where special teams margins decide series.

Duehr's guaranteed money in year two also reflects organizational confidence in his durability and role.

This is not a contract you hand out to someone simply filling a spot.

Duehr's path here is worth understanding. He left Minnesota State Mankato as an undrafted free agent and became the first player from South Dakota to sign an NHL contract and the first to play in the league.

After splitting time with the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks over four seasons, he landed with the Winnipeg Jets in July 2025 and delivered exactly what they needed at the AHL level.

Two years and a specific role is the reward.