Ehlers expects offseason changes after Jets' disappointing campaign

Nikolaj Ehlers expects a busy offseason for the Winnipeg Jets after a rocky finish to the 2022-23 campaign.

"I can't tell you what's going to happen or what needs to happen, but I'm guessing that something is going to happen, yes," Ehlers told NHL.com's Aaron Vickers.

The Jets tumbled out of the Central Division race late in the campaign, finishing in the Western Conference's second wild-card spot after leading the conference earlier in the season. The Vegas Golden Knights eliminated Winnipeg in five games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

A disappointing finish to the year grew messier after Jets head coach Rick Bowness said he was "disappointed and disgusted" with his team's effort in the playoffs. The comments sparked a public response from veteran Blake Wheeler, who said he disagreed with Bowness' handling of the situation.

Ehlers didn't have any insight to offer regarding the team's early exit.

"I can't tell you what went wrong," he said. "It's just part of the playoffs. We would still like to be playing right now, but we just weren't good enough. Vegas beat us, and they should've."

The Jets have made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons but face a critical offseason: Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, and Connor Hellebuyck are among the players set to enter the final year of their respective contracts.

Ehlers, 27, registered 12 goals and 26 assists this season, playing in just 45 games due to injury. He's under contract through 2024-25 at a $5-million annual cap hit.