There’s still plenty of uncertainty hanging over the Winnipeg Jets, and Connor Hellebuyck remains right in the middle of it.
Murat Ates of The Athletic reported that the situation around Hellebuyck and the Jets is still very much unsettled, even if a move this offseason does not look especially likely right now. It remains possible, but the sense is that another team may have to wait until its own goaltending situation goes sideways before making a serious push for him.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff also made it clear that this summer is not about standing pat. He said, “There’s going to be a lot of changes to this team when you come to training camp.”
One of the biggest issues still sitting in Winnipeg is the second line. The Jets need help there, and Anthony Mantha is the top free-agent forward still on the board. Winnipeg has about $12 million in cap space, but it also still has to get restricted free agent Cole Perfetti signed.
Around the league, Luke Fox of Sportsnet ran through the top remaining unrestricted free agents, and a few names stand out.
Anthony Manta is still drawing interest from the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Jets, all of whom are looking for wingers.
Patrick Kane could be working on a deal with the Sabres. Logan Stanley has been the subject of some very different contract chatter, with Frank Seravalli reporting he could be seeking a four- or five-year deal worth around $25 million, while one report has him talking to the Jets on a six-year deal at $7 million per season.
Eeli Tolvanen is looking for term, while Vladimir Tarasenko has recently hired Dan Milstein as his agent and should land a short-term contract. Claude Giroux is expected to be in what may be his final season, and the note there is that he will be re-signing with the Ottawa Senators.
John Klingberg could be on the radar for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers as a right-handed defenseman. Patrik Laine is another name still out there, with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild mentioned as possible teams willing to take him on as a project. Michael Bunting could end up taking a one-year deal and a pay cut, and Cam Talbot, who played 34 games last season with a .883 save percentage, is also among the names still available.
In Other News...
New Sabres Defenseman Shares Wild Trade Night Moment
Louis Crevier is already giving the Sabres a little more to think about on the back end after arriving in the Bowen Byram-Jordan Greenway deal with Chicago. The 7th-round pick from the Blackhawks has seen his ice time climb there, and Buffalo is bringing him in with a real opportunity to stick on the blue line next season, which is exactly the kind of low-cost swing a team trying to deepen its defense can use.
The fit matters because the Sabres are not just adding another body, they are looking for someone who can actually push for a role. Crevier is expected to compete for a spot on the roster and could end up filling an opening left by Logan Stanley if the veteran does not return, giving Buffalo a bigger, more established option than a pure depth add. For a player whose path has already included a meaningful jump in responsibility, this could be the moment where he turns a change of scenery into a real NHL foothold. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Linked To Proven Scoring Help As Pressure Builds In Buffalo
The Sabres are still sorting through how to replace the offense they lost when Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram moved on, and the search has pushed the front office toward a familiar kind of summer dilemma: trust the kids, or add a proven scorer who can help right away. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly weighing outside options while also keeping an eye on internal development, but the need for more production is hard to ignore for a team that wants to take a step forward.
Seattle winger Jared McCann has surfaced in the broader conversation as the kind of player Buffalo would have interest in if the Kraken decide to listen, and his situation makes him one to watch as the season moves along. He is in the final year of his contract, has been part of trade chatter before, and his track record as a reliable goal source only adds to the appeal. The complication, as always, is whether a deal like that can actually get traction once the details start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have A Colten Ellis Dilemma They Cannot Mismanage
Colten Ellis arrived in Buffalo as a waiver claim before last season, and he made the kind of early impression that forces a front office to pay attention. He got into 16 games and helped stabilize the Sabres at a time when every usable option in net mattered, which is part of why his situation has quickly become more than a depth-chart footnote.
Now Ellis is entering the final year of his contract, and Buffalo has to decide how aggressively it wants to manage his role while sorting through a crowded goalie picture. With a three-goalie rotation already in play and the possibility of adding Connor Hellebuyck hanging over the position, the Sabres have to keep Ellis on a path that protects their leverage for next summer without letting the season get away from them in the process. [Read more 🡒]