Connor Hellebuyck’s trade picture still has a handful of real possibilities, and Elliotte Friedman says four teams remain in the middle of it.
On Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, the Sportsnet insider pointed to Buffalo, the Rangers, Utah and Carolina as the clubs most seriously in the mix for the 33-year-old Winnipeg goaltender.
"I think it really comes down to Buffalo, Rangers, possibly Utah, possibly Carolina," Friedman said.
He also acknowledged the chatter around the Los Angeles Kings, but said he has a hard time seeing a deal with Winnipeg coming together there.
"And I always assume there's other teams out there I'm not seeing," Friedman said.
The Sabres have been tied to Hellebuyck since early summer, when talks were heavily discussed ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. The two sides never got to an agreement, and the buzz cooled after that.
Buffalo has stayed in the conversation for a simple reason: the team still hasn’t found dependable goaltending this season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have both struggled to settle things down, while Alex Lyon recently hit another setback in his recovery from an upper-body injury.
That instability has only sharpened the appeal of a proven name like Hellebuyck, even after what was the worst statistical season of his career, a .895 save percentage in 57 games. Friedman said the interest from Buffalo remains real because the fit goes both ways.
"Buffalo because they've wanted Hellebuyck and he is willing to go to them," Friedman said while discussing the interested clubs.
The Sabres are 4-3-2 to start the 2026-27 season, but that record has come despite shaky work in net and poor special teams. Their current trio would be a risky bet to carry the season again after last year’s rotation helped Buffalo finish fourth in team save percentage.
There is still roster flexibility in play, too. If Buffalo wanted to move Luukkonen elsewhere, Friedman noted that a separate deal could open the door, including a potential destination like the Rangers. He also said Luukkonen has been reported to have the Jets on his no-trade list.
New York’s situation is different, but just as messy. After superstar goalie Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending injury, the Rangers are figuring out how to respond, and Friedman said that could send ripples through the rest of the league.
"The Rangers, not because Hellebuyck, I don't think that's likely, but whatever [general manager] Chris Drury is gonna do here with the injury to Shesterkin, it could set a chain reaction around the league," Friedman said.
Utah and Carolina remain in the mix, too, though neither has ever sounded like an imminent landing spot since the earlier Buffalo talks fell apart. Friedman also mentioned the Kings rumor mill, while making clear he finds the fit between L.A. and Winnipeg difficult to see.
For Winnipeg, the timing is part of the pressure. The Jets have suspended Hellebuyck after he failed to report to training camp following his public trade request, and Friday is the deadline that looms over all of it. While the Jets could technically keep him and continue paying his contract while telling him to stay away from the team, the cleanest outcome still appears to be finding him a new home.
The market may not be settled yet, but the uncertainty is exactly what has kept this saga alive. And with Winnipeg sitting at 4-2-2 without Hellebuyck, the organization has reason to want clarity before the clock runs out.
In Other News...
Sabres Start Is Putting Real Pressure On Jarmo To Make A Move
Buffalos rough start has already turned the conversation from patience to pressure, and it is putting the front office in a spot where a meaningful move feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity. With general manager Jarmo Kekalainen holding salary-cap flexibility and a stockpile of draft picks, the Sabres have the kind of assets that can at least open the door to a blockbuster if he decides the roster needs a major jolt.
The areas drawing the most attention are obvious ones: goaltending and the top six, where the group still needs more impact if it is going to climb back into the race. The challenge now is timing, because the longer the skid lingers, the harder it becomes to ignore the idea that Buffalo may need to swing big rather than settle for a smaller fix. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Face One Problem That Could Undercut Their Fast Start
Owen Power and Jack Quinn have been two of the early bright spots in Buffalos fast start, giving the Sabres encouraging production and steady two-way play as the season gets rolling. For a team trying to build momentum early, that kind of emergence matters, especially with Jason Zucker nearing a return and the blue line still sorting through injuries to Matt Grzelcyk and Rasmus Dahlin.
The concern is what has happened when Buffalo has had to kill penalties. The Sabres have given up power-play goals in most games so far, and those lapses have repeatedly undercut otherwise solid stretches of play. Alex Lyon is also dealing with uncertainty after an injury setback, leaving Buffalo with a few moving parts to manage just as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Keep Letting Winnable Games Turn Into Another Overtime Problem
The Sabres keep finding themselves in the same uncomfortable spot, turning games that should be within reach into a coin flip after regulation. Montreals overtime win pushed the Canadiens to 4-3-1 and added another entry to Buffalos growing stack of extra-session games, a list that already has the Sabres among the league leaders in overtime appearances. For a team trying to build momentum early, those are the kinds of nights that leave points on the table and make every small mistake feel bigger.
Montreals heavy reliance on Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki has been a factor in how the Canadiens have managed those tight games, with both carrying high average ice times that can wear on a lineup over the course of a night. Buffalo, meanwhile, has been on the receiving end of too many games that drift past the 60-minute mark, and the pattern matters because it keeps reinforcing the same question: when the game is there to be taken, can the Sabres finish it before overtime becomes the problem again? [Read more 🡒]