Trade talk around Connor Hellebuyck has never fully gone away, and that’s why the Buffalo Sabres could still find themselves back in the mix as training camp gets closer.
Recently, Murat Ates and Jesse Granger of The Athletic reported that “it's believed Hellebuyck is still keen to be moved.” Hellebuyck never publicly declared that he wanted out the way Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin did this summer, but the reporting has consistently pointed toward a player who would be open to a move. One sign that has circulated is that Hellebuyck would waive his no-movement clause for a trade to Buffalo.
The loudest stretch of rumors came around the NHL Draft, then everything cooled off. August tends to be a quieter month around the league, so that slowdown made sense. But with training camp looming, there’s at least a chance the conversation starts heating up again.
The problem for Buffalo is that the framework from June may not be easy to recreate now. The Jets wanted the Sabres’ fourth overall pick, but if Buffalo included it, Winnipeg wanted the eighth pick coming back as part of the deal. The Jets weren’t willing to do that, and now the Sabres no longer have that asset after making the selection.
There’s also the Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wrinkle. He would almost certainly be part of any Hellebuyck package, but his five-team no-trade clause began on July 1st. If Winnipeg is on that list, Luukkonen would have to agree to the move, and that’s far from automatic.
Another name that has come up is defenseman Adam Kleber. According to Chad DeDominicis, he doesn’t know that for sure, but Kleber was a player discussed. The Sabres took Kleber in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and he looks like the kind of piece Buffalo could be willing to move in a bigger deal.
Of course, any pursuit of Hellebuyck comes with real risk. The Athletic reporting also underscores a concern Buffalo has to weigh: Hellebuyck is coming off the worst season of his career, and he’s 33 years old. That leaves the Sabres asking whether last season was a one-off or the start of a decline.
The regular season numbers from Buffalo’s goaltending group weren’t the issue. Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis were excellent in the regular season, even if the playoff concern was obvious. Hellebuyck, meanwhile, missed time with a knee injury and finished with a save percentage below .900 for the first time in his 11-year career.
That said, the Jets were really bad last season, and Hellebuyck’s struggles can’t be viewed in a vacuum. It’s part of the reason he appears to have wanted a trade without saying it outright.
None of this is brand new, and the Sabres have clearly already considered the downside. If they didn’t believe Hellebuyck could still get back to Vezina Trophy form, they probably wouldn’t have entertained the conversation in June in the first place. That’s why it wouldn’t be a shock if both sides took one more run at it before camp opens.
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