A new contract for Jacob Trouba remains the top priority for Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.

During a summer that has already seen Cheveldayoff check off many items on his to-do list, the lack of a new deal for the young defenceman has some fans feeling restless.

Should they be?

That's the multi-million dollar question.

Since both sides are keeping the state of negotiations under wraps, some have assumed things aren't going well.

That could be the case, but not necessarily.

It's important to remember that the NHL is mostly a deadline-driven league and there's no real deadline when it comes to dealing with a restricted free agent that doesn't have arbitration rights.

The same holds true for Hampus Lindholm of the Anaheim Ducks, Rasmus Ristolainen of the Buffalo Sabres, Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild and Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators, all of whom are coming out of their entry-level contracts and in a holding pattern, working on new deals.

When a player has arbitration rights, there is more urgency to find common ground.

Monday produced the latest example as former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Brayden Schenn agreed to terms on a deal that will carries an average annual value of $5.125 million.

Since Trouba doesn't have those same arbitration rights under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, it's natural for things to be moving at a slower pace.

To a certain degree, there's an element of patience required as each side waits to see who might blink first.

But what about Mark Scheifele and why was it so much easier to get a long-term deal done for the third-year centre?

That's an easy one to answer.

For Scheifele, his long-range value was far easier to determine, partly because he is coming off a season that saw him produce career highs in goals (29) and points (61) while taking on a larger role during the stretch run after the injury to Bryan Little.

Scheifele's career trajectory is on the rise and the belief is that he's just scratching the surface.

That's not a knock on Trouba, who was chosen ninth overall in 2012 and has shown plenty of potential but seemed to plateau a bit over the past two seasons.

Trouba's best hockey is likely ahead of him as well, but is he going to blossom into a top-pairing blue-liner or be an excellent No. 3?

The answer to that question varies depending on who you talk to and is the most likely stumbling block in ironing out this next contract.

The difference in dollars between a No. 1 and No. 3 is substantial over the length of a six-to-eight year contract.

There have been plenty of comparables mentioned over the course of the past few months who have signed long-term deals (think Seth Jones and Morgan Rielly).

Both of those players have outperformed Trouba in assists and points so far, but this contract negotiation is also about projecting where he's going to be at the end of the deal.

That's why a bridge of a season or two still seems to make the most sense right now.

If Trouba can continue to log big minutes and increase his offensive production, the Jets will be happy to pay him big bucks over a longer term.

One of the potential problems is that as long as Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers and to a certain degree Toby Enstrom remain in the fold and healthy, there haven't been many power-play minutes available for Trouba, which has an obvious impact on his point totals.

But the Jets appear to hold much of the leverage when it comes to this round of negotiations, so Trouba's options seem pretty straightforward.

Sign a bridge deal and bet on himself to progress and cash in next time or lower his salary demands on a longer-term contract, assuming that's what he wants.

If neither of those possibilities appeal to Trouba, that's where things could get dicey.

Holding out could become a possibility down the road and and if things ultimately reach the point of no return, then a trade demand could eventually come – but there's no indication either of those things are anywhere close to the front burner right now.

What's behind doors No. 3 and 4 are what have Jets fans feeling some angst and rightfully so.

But a quick look at the calendar brings a friendly reminder that it's still only July and there are roughly seven weeks before the start of the World Cup of Hockey, which Trouba is planning to participate in as a member of Team North America.

It's tough to imagine he'll do so without a contract in place, so perhaps there's an indication of the first unofficial deadline in what figures to continue to be a monumental decision when it comes to the future direction of the Jets franchise.

Jacob Trouba: by the numbers

chosen ninth overall in 2012 NHL Draft by Winnipeg Jets

2013-14 stats:65 GP, 10 G, 19 A, 29 P, 43 PIM, 22:26 average time on ice

2014-15 stats:65 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 P, 46 PIM, 23:19 average time on ice

2015-16 stats:81 GP, 6 G, 15 A, 21 P, 62 PIM, 22:04 average time on ice