If there was any doubt about Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s intentions heading into next season, the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner made it clear late last week when he confirmed through his agent that he has requested a trade. The 33-year-old had knee surgery, and a career-worst .895 save % with the Jets last season, but still played 57 games (23-23-11) and was the key to Team USA’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Buffalo Sabres were connected to Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in late June, but Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff could not find common ground on a deal. The conventional wisdom is that now that Hellebuyck has made his trade request public, that Cheveldayoff is not in as strong a negotiating position to get the best deal for the netminder, but he reportedly is open to going to a wide swath of teams.
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Unless Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out, Winnipeg could wait into the season for the right return for such a valuable commodity.
The Sabres could be in the mix for Hellebuyck, but deals that had previously been offered that included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be off the table, since he has a five-team no-trade clause that could block a trade to Winnipeg. It is expected that any deal involving Buffalo would include one of their young centers (Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius), one of their top prospect defenseman (Daxon Rudolph or Radim Mrtka) and/or an established NHL forward (Jack Quinn or Ryan McLeod).
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Other teams could be in the mix for the veteran netminder, either to get them into the playoff mix, or to elevate them from a consistent postseason entrant to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
New Jersey Devils
Team Status: The Devils let go of Lindy Ruff in 2024 in favor of Sheldon Keefe, and the former Leafs coach succeeded in making the postseason in 2025, but last season missed the playoffs again with a 42-37-3 record (87 points), due in part to center Jack Hughes missing over 20 games with a hand injury and getting subpar goaltending from veteran Jacob Markstrom.
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Current Goalie Situation: Markstrom was traded to Florida in June, leaving the Devils with a three-headed monster between the pipes (similar to the Sabres) of veterans Jake Allen, David Rittich, and youngster Nico Daws, who had subpar numbers with AHL Utica the last three seasons.
Assets To Trade: Reportedly, Cheveldayoff is looking for a young goaltender as part of any trade, but the main focus would be getting help up the middle. GM Sunny Mehta could put Daws as part of a Hellebuyck trade, and 24-year-old pivot Dawson Mercer would be an attractive get, but there is some indicators that Mehta is keeping his powder dry in case Quinn Hughes does not agree to an extension with Minnesota.
If the Hughes contract situation is resolved with a deal with the Wild, the possibility of the Devils engaging on Hellebuyck increases exponentially.
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