If the Buffalo Sabres are serious about prying Connor Hellebuyck away from the Winnipeg Jets, they may have to swallow what looks like an overpay.
That’s the price of doing business for a goalie with Hellebuyck’s résumé. He’s a gold medal winner, a multiple-time Vezina winner, and he isn’t going to be moved for anything close to a bargain.
Murat Ates of The Athletic laid out the Jets’ side of the equation in a new piece on Monday, and the message is pretty plain: Winnipeg would need an exceptional return to even consider it. Ates wrote, “Hellebuyck’s .895 save percentage in 2025-26 is uninspiring, but his elite track record features heavily in Winnipeg’s playoff projections,” and added that The Athletic’s numbers still project the Jets as a playoff team in 2026-27 if they keep him.
“With Hellebuyck leading the way and (Stuart) Skinner a luxury as a backup, the Jets will fight for a playoff spot and have cap space to make additions. Without Hellebuyck, the Jets’ fortunes depend on Cheveldayoff’s ability to squeeze Buffalo or another suitor for an impact player to solidify Winnipeg’s forward group.”
That’s the leverage Buffalo would be up against.
Even if Winnipeg is open to moving Hellebuyck, the deal isn’t just about kicking off a reset. It also means giving up the best player on a team that still has real talent, which is why the Jets can’t justify taking anything less than a king’s ransom.
That’s also why the reported talks didn’t stop at Buffalo’s No. 4 overall pick in the NHL Draft. Winnipeg wanted to keep its own No. 8 pick and not send it to the Sabres.
So if Buffalo wants Hellebuyck, the Sabres are likely going to have to pay full freight - and then some.
In Other News...
Sabres May Have Found A Free Agent Gamble Worth Debating
Buffalos search for help in the middle of its forward group has made the free-agent market worth a closer look, and one name stands out as a possible low-risk swing. The appeal is easy to see: a winger with a history of steady scoring, enough versatility to slide into a top-nine role and a style that could add some needed bite to a lineup that can use more than just skill.
The question is whether the Sabres are buying the player he was or the player he was most recently. His production dipped last season after several years of reliable goal and point totals, which is exactly why a short-term contract makes sense here if Buffalo wants to bet on a bounce-back without tying itself down for long. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have A High Stakes Decision On Sam Carrick
Sam Carricks place in Buffalo has quietly become one of those roster questions that can matter more than it first appears. Acquired in a trade last season, he got into 13 games before a left arm injury shut him down for the rest of the year, and the Sabres never really got the full read they wanted on a player they hoped could help stabilize the middle of the ice. With the organization still sorting through its center depth, Carricks blend of size and edge remains relevant if he can get back on the ice and stay there.
The next stretch now carries real weight for him. Buffalo is expected to watch closely through offseason work, training camp and preseason as it tries to determine whether Carrick can be part of the long-term answer before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2027. For a team looking for dependable depth and more physical presence down the middle, his availability and how he looks in those settings may end up shaping whether this becomes a short stay or something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Pat LaFontaine Remains One Of The Most Painful Sabres What Ifs
Pat LaFontaine arrived in Buffalo before the 1991-92 season and immediately looked like the kind of offensive centerpiece the Sabres had spent years trying to find. Even while injuries kept interrupting his run, he still gave the franchise a level of skill and finish that made him one of the defining players of that era, the sort of talent fans still measure against every center who has worn the sweater since.
The painful part is how much more there might have been. LaFontaines career was cut short by concussions, and the Sabres were left to wonder what a healthy stretch in his prime could have meant for the late-1990s teams that were trying to break through. It is one of those franchise what-ifs that never really goes away, because the gap between what Buffalo got and what it might have had was so hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]