Stempniak hoped to stay with Jets, told team wanted to open spots for 'young guys'

Lee Stempniak felt more than comfortable in the True North.

Unfortunately for him, the powers that be in Winnipeg appear to have decided against re-signing the unrestricted free agent, preferring to open up spots on the Jets' roster for young talent.

"I was hoping to go back (to Winnipeg), but from what my agent told me, they were looking to give some spots to young guys. They have some very good prospects there that they were looking to give some ice time to," Stempniak told Luke Fox of Sportsnet. "I don't think we ever fully closed the door on it, but at this point, if I had to guess, it doesn't look too promising."

"I thought it was a good fit, personally. Very good team, great place to play. You can't beat that atmosphere there," the forward added.

Stempniak, 32, remains unsigned despite discussions with numerous teams, and it's possible his situation could be chalked up to a measure of pickiness.

"For me, at my age, winning is important. I've been on some good teams and some teams that have finished near the bottom in my career," he said. "You want to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup and get in the playoffs. I'm looking for the right opportunity with a team that's capable of winning.

"It's been slow for a lot of guys (in free agency). There's still a lot of good players that are out there. I continue to talk to teams. It's just about finding the right fit."

Stempniak signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the New York Rangers last summer, and was dealt to the Jets prior to the NHL's trade deadline. He recorded six goals and four assists in 18 regular-season games for the club, and scored the first playoff goal in Winnipeg since 1996.