The Winnipeg Jets made another offseason splash on Friday, signing defenseman Tobias Enstrom to a five-year contract extension that will take him through the 2017-18 season.
Enstrom, 28, has spent his entire five-year career with the Jets/Thrashers organization, emerging as one of the league’s better offensive defensemen.
In 2007-08, he parlayed a 5G-33A-38PTS season into a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie team and in 2010-11, earned his first All-Star team nod by posting 10 goals and 41 assists (he finished t-5th among all defensemen with 51 points.)
Enstrom is the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise leader amongst defensemen in games played, points and assists.
Enstrom signed the extension with one year left on his four-year, $15 million deal that paid $3.75 million annually. He was set to become a UFA next summer, but it’s clear the Jets wanted no part of him flirting with free agency.
The signing is the latest in what’s been a busy summer in the ‘Peg:
Ondrej Pavelec (five years, $19.5 million)
Olli Jokinen (two years, $9 million)
Alexei Ponikarovsky (one year, $1.8 million)
Kyle Wellwood (one year, $1.6 million)
The Jets have also reportedly offered RFA forward Evander Kane a six year deal worth around $29 million.