Winnipeg Jets extend Josh Morrissey on an eight-year deal

Jets fans were waiting for news of a signing and while it wasn’t one they may have expected it will come as welcome news as the team announced on Thursday that they have extended home grown defenceman Josh Morrissey to an eight-year extension which will kick in for the 2020-21 season with an AAV of $6.25 million.

According to Jets PR here is the breakdown:

2020-21: $8 million
2021-22: $8 million
2022-23: $5.2 million
2023-24: $8 million
2024-25: $6.4 million
2025-26: $4.8 million
2026-27: $4.8 million
2027-28: $4.8 million

Eight days ago Morrissey was chatting about how he wanted to be in Winnipeg long-term and now it’s a reality.  This is a great signing which will keep the Jets 2013 1st round pick in Winnipeg for the next nine seasons.

Audio:

Josh Morrissey

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff:  Importance of getting the deal done before training camp.  What he sees in Morrissey that makes him comfortable with the term.  Does he see a similar type of contract to the one he signed with Mark Scheifele in that it gets the player as he is just starting to “scratch the surface” of his talent.  Any risk in finalizing this before getting Laine/Connor done?  Comfort in getting this deal done.  Term involved in the deal.  What changed from last year to this year that allowed them to get this deal done?  On Josh Morrissey outside of hockey.  How rare is it for a player to understand a team’s cap situation?  Uncertainty with the roster heading into training camp.  How important is Morrissey to younger players?  What is Josh Morrissey’s ceiling?  On Josh Morrissey becoming part of the leadership group in the future.

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.