The Winnipeg Jets and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff started off what will be a busy summer by signing one of their prospects.
The Jets inked defenceman Leon Gawanke to a three-year entry level contract. It will pay him an average of $810,000 US per season.
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Gawanke, 19, played the last three seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The German-born product was third in league scoring among defenceman last season. He registered 57 points in 62 games, including 17 goals and 40 assists.
Gawanke would have been eligible to re-enter the draft had he not been signed by the start of June. He is likely destined to return to Cape Breton for his final year of junior eligibility next season.
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The Jets selected him in the fifth round, 136th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The Jets currently have 26 players on expiring contracts throughout the organization.