Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request has turned the Jets into the center of the mock-trade universe, and PuckPedia users have been firing off ideas from every angle. Buffalo has emerged as the runaway favorite landing spot, drawing more than twice as many proposals as any other team. Carolina, New Jersey, Detroit and Vegas have also been popular targets in the simulations.
The return packages shift depending on the team, but the broad outline is clear: teams are trying to build around a high-end goalie and a pile of premium picks or young talent. Buffalo’s most common construction features Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a 2027 first-round pick and Jack Quinn.
Carolina’s versions lean on Pyotr Kochetkov, unsigned RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and multiple first-rounders. New Jersey’s ideas center on Nico Daws, Dawson Mercer and a trio of first-round picks.
Vegas usually sends back Adin Hill, multiple first-rounders, Trevor Connelly and Juho Piiparinen.
Detroit is where the chatter gets even louder. The Red Wings’ mock packages are built mostly around their prospect depth, with names like Nate Danielson, Carter Bear and goaltending prospect Trey Augustine coming up, while John Gibson is the goalie going the other way.
But Detroit is also the only destination where users began attaching a second Jets cornerstone: Kyle Connor. In several mock trade scenarios, Connor shows up alongside Hellebuyck, a sign that some fans are taking the idea far beyond a simple one-for-one goalie swap.
That connection has been floating around for a while. Back in September of 2025, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston wrote in a mailbag column that the Red Wings could be a free-agent option for Connor. He said:
“Some fans in Connor’s home state of Michigan may be dreaming of a free-agent homecoming with the Detroit Red Wings next summer,…bound to be a monster contract that pushes Jets management to the far end of its comfort zone.”
Frank Seravalli also weighed in around that time, saying, “A lot of people have been wondering if Kyle Connor does decide to go to market next summer, would the Detroit Red Wings be a fit for Kyle Connor?” He added, “You can see the Michigan product going back. I can certainly see that, he would seem to make a ton of sense for a Detroit Red Wings team that could use additional scoring punch.”
There is no sign that Connor is pushing to leave Winnipeg right now, and his long-term deal would likely make a move difficult anyway, especially with salaries rising across the league. Still, the fact that fans are even imagining a Jets-Red Wings blockbuster built around more than Hellebuyck tells you how far these mock trades have gone.
In Other News...
Red Wings Still Have One Roster Concern Hanging Over This Season
Training camp has shifted to the BELFOR Energy Center, giving the Red Wings a new setting as they sort through the final layers of their offseason. The move comes with a front office search still underway, and the organization is working toward having a new general manager in place by Labor Day. On the ice, there is a lot to like about the shape of the roster, especially on the blue line and along the wings, where the group looks deeper and more stable than it has in recent seasons.
Even with that progress, one area still stands out as the concern hanging over the season. Detroits center spine does not look nearly as strong once Dylan Larkin is taken out of the picture, and the next options are being asked to carry more than ideal. Goaltending also remains part of the conversation after last seasons performance, which means the Red Wings may enter camp with more clarity on some parts of the roster than others, but not all of them. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Head Toward Camp With Dylan Larkin Uncertainty Growing
Training camp is getting closer in Detroit, and the uncertainty around Dylan Larkin is becoming harder to ignore. The Red Wings are still without a general manager, leaving the club in a temporary leadership posture at a moment when the captain's status could shape the direction of the roster. Media analysts Jeff Marek and Jason Gregor have suggested the organization is not in position to make a major call on Larkin until a new GM is installed, which only adds another layer to an already delicate situation.
For now, Larkin is still expected to show up when camp opens, and that may be where the next part of this story gets sorted out. If the trade conversation tightens around a limited set of destinations, the Red Wings could end up watching their captain try to handle the situation from inside the room and on the ice, with his play becoming part of the equation. For a team already navigating leadership questions, it is the sort of unresolved issue that can linger well beyond the first day of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Prospect Dylan James Now Faces One Big NHL Question
Dylan James is finally out of the college game and into the professional track the Red Wings have been waiting to see. Detroit took him 40th overall in 2022, and after four seasons at North Dakota, he brought a steadier offensive presence to his senior year with 21 goals before making the jump to the AHL with Grand Rapids.
What comes next is the part that will determine how far he can rise in the organization. James has built a reputation on his defensive detail and penalty killing, but the real question is whether he can generate enough NHL-level offense to fit into a lineup long term. The opening signs have been encouraging enough to keep the conversation going, yet his path will still hinge on whether that scoring touch translates against stronger pro competition. [Read more 🡒]