Hellebuyck trade chatter getting louder — The Fourth Period
The Winnipeg Jets are looking to add a second-line centre and a second-line left wing to their lineup, a tall task for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff this off-season. Or is it?
Since TFP’s David Pagnotta first reported that teams were reaching out to the Jets about star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in May, the noise around the 2025 Vezina and Hart winner has gotten louder.
Earlier this month, the Games Notes podcast with Matt Murley and Colby Armstrong suggested Hellebuyck requested a trade. While it’s unconfirmed if a formal request has indeed been made, the Jets are listening and the belief around Hellebuyck is that if the Jets are not in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup, then he wants to have an opportunity to win it elsewhere.
With to major holes up front, Cheveldayoff may be considering a move, and according to Pagnotta, who was a guest on DFO Live earlier today, the Jets may not necessarily need a goalie back in a deal as they can try to acquire one in a separate move.
In late April, after their season came to an end, Hellebuyck sparked the attention of the league following his comments to the media about the club’s poor season.
“Complacency is not going to get us moving forward, so something has got to happen,” he said. “I’m not going to just sit here and throw every guy under the bus because honestly, I’m a goalie and I know goaltending really well. I can’t say, ‘This forward did this and that defense did that.’ That’s not my spot. I believe in every guy in giving their A-plus effort every single night.
“A lot of times, that’s all you can ask – give your all every single night. As a teammate, l can really rally behind that and really cherish those moments with those guys. But to just put that same product on the ice, I don’t think it worked for a reason.”
The Florida Panthers had poked around on Hellebuyck prior to acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and barring a significant change they are not considered an option, right now, for his services.
It is possible a team like the New Jersey Devils comes calling, as they are also shopping goalie Jacob Markstrom and could move him to another club instead of in a deal for Hellebuyck.
Trade chatter surrounding the three-time Vezina winner is expected to pick up this week leading up to the NHL Draft, which begins on Friday.
Hellebuyck posted a 23-23-11 record in 57 games with the Jets this past season, along with a 2.86 goals-against-average and a .895 save percentage. It was the first time in his NHL career that he did not post a shutout in a season.
