Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request is still hanging out there, but if the Winnipeg Jets are waiting for a deal to come together quickly, that doesn’t sound like the reality right now.
Chris Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show that there’s been real interest in the Jets goalie, including a push from Buffalo around the draft and continued checking in since then. But Johnston made it clear the market hasn’t moved into serious territory.
“Now that being said, I have no reason at this point to believe anything’s close with anybody.”
That’s the crux of it. The Jets are dealing with a long-standing request from one of the league’s top goalies, but the offers don’t sound close to what they’d need to seriously consider moving him. Johnston said the price is still too high for the teams poking around, and he doesn’t see urgency from those clubs to force the issue.
The teams mentioned in the discussion were Buffalo, Carolina and the Utah Mammoth, with Utah also described as a team that has at least been “kicking tires” on Hellebuyck. Even so, Johnston said most teams already feel solid enough in goal that they aren’t rushing to pay a premium.
He pointed out that Winnipeg is in a tough position because of what Hellebuyck means to the roster and to the team’s bigger picture. With Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey already signed, the Jets can’t make a move that sends the message they’re giving up on winning.
“It just feels as though, you know, Winnipeg really can’t lose this trade.”
Johnston also stressed that the Jets would need something meaningful back if they moved Hellebuyck, not just another goaltender. He said Winnipeg has a real hole down the middle and would ideally want a centerman as part of the return, preferably someone still on the rise rather than a player nearing the end of his prime.
The goaltending side of the equation is also part of the conversation. Johnston said teams can piece it together in goal and still win, pointing to Carolina’s Stanley Cup run with multiple goalies involved. He also noted that the Jets signed Stuart Skinner in free agency, though he was careful to say Skinner is not Hellebuyck.
Even with all that, Johnston’s read was that this is still a waiting game. The Jets do not sound pressured to move Hellebuyck, and the teams interested so far do not appear ready to pay the kind of price Winnipeg would want. For now, the situation looks stuck.
“You know, I think this one is is pretty stalemated at this point in time.”
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