After making a big splash on the opening day of free agency, the Winnipeg Jets remained active over the long weekend as they added a pair of new forwards, as well as a new face on the blueline.
The Jets signed forwards Nate Thompson and Dominic Toninato and defenceman Derek Forbort to one-year contracts over the past three days.
As a hard-nosed forward, Thompson has had some well-documented battles on and off the ice. The 13-year NHL veteran signed with the Jets on the four-year anniversary of his sobriety.
“Certainly I would not be talking to all of you right now if I wasn’t sober,” Thompson said. “I wouldn’t be in this situation. I look at it as kinda having a second chance.”
The now-36-year-old is a journeyman of almost 800 career games with eight different NHL teams. He’s a versatile centreman but is willing to play wherever head coach Paul Maurice puts him.
“If I have to play wing, left side or right side, I don’t mind,” he said.
The Jets also improved their depth on the blueline with the signing of Forbort. The 28-year-old has almost 300 NHL games under his belt over five seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames. The Jets are now his third team in the span of less than a calendar year.
“I’ve definitely had to add a couple suitcases to my belongings,” Forbort said. “But no, it’s been good. I was happy about the trade to Calgary and I was fortunate to play with them in the playoffs and now I’m excited to be joining the Jets.
“I’m excited to not be chasing around (Kyle) Connor, (Mark) Scheifele, and (Blake) Wheeler.”
Forbort originally hails from Minnesota, where he’s already been skating with a couple of his new Jets teammates.
“I should almost get a coaching fee for the drills I’ve been running (Dylan) Samberg and (Neal) Pionk through here in Duluth,” Forbort said.
“I’ve got to know Neal pretty good the last couple years. Growing up, I was an umpire, and I umped him a few times. So the strike zone got pretty big when he was up to bat.”
Growing up just south of the border and attending the University of North Dakota, Forbort has made the trip up the I-29 to Winnipeg before.
“We went up there a couple times to take advantage of the drinking age,” he said.