Connor Hellebuyck’s name is still out there, but Buffalo no longer looks like the only place this could land.
The Winnipeg goalie remains a major trade possibility after his name bubbled up around the NHL Draft in late June, yet nothing got done then and the situation has settled into a kind of holding pattern. Hellebuyck, a Vezina and Hart Trophy winner, is entering the fourth season of an eight-year, $68 million contract with an $8.5 million AAV. He also carries a full no-movement clause until next July, when that protection shifts to a 10-team trade list.
Buffalo was heavily connected to the conversation when the draft was underway. The package being discussed reportedly included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, forward Jack Quinn and the fourth overall pick, which was eventually used to select Daxon Rudolph. But that route looks less certain now.
Luukkonen’s own trade control has changed the equation, since he now has a limited no-trade list. And Buffalo may not be bidding against itself anyway. Other teams appear to be in the mix, with the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes standing out as possibilities.
New Jersey could make sense because of its situation in goal. The Devils are projecting a three-goalie setup with Jake Allen, David Rittich, and Nico Daws, and they may have the kind of pieces Kevin Cheveldayoff would want back in a Hellebuyck deal.
Carolina is another club to watch. The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, lost Frederik Andersen in free agency, and are currently looking at Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov in net. They have the cap space to absorb Hellebuyck’s salary, though their return package might not be strong enough to satisfy Winnipeg.
For Buffalo, the bigger picture still matters. The Sabres have not been able to land the kind of summer upgrade they wanted after winning the Atlantic Division, making the playoffs for the first time since 2011, and getting to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. GM Jarmo Kekalainen did bring in a solid future return for Bowen Byram, but the club has yet to replace the offense and leadership of Alex Tuch after sending him to Washington.
That leaves the possibility that Kekalainen is trying to wait Winnipeg down, hoping the price drops as training camp gets closer. But that kind of standoff can cut both ways, and it could just as easily send Hellebuyck to another Eastern Conference team instead.
In Other News...
Sabres Organization Faces Another Amerks Coaching Shakeup
Another ripple in the Sabres player-development pipeline is forcing Rochester to adjust again. A former Buffalo player and assistant with the Americans, someone who spent 17 seasons in the organization, has moved on to become head coach of the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, opening yet another spot on the Amerks bench for Buffalo to fill.
It is the second coaching vacancy the Sabres have had to address with Rochester this offseason, a reminder of how much turnover can hit the AHL side of an NHL organization at once. Youngstowns move was tied to a broader shuffle of its own, with Ryan Ward leaving for an assistant role with the Providence Bruins, and Buffalo now has another decision to make as it tries to keep the Amerks staff stable. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Could Face One Painful Core Decision If Expansion Returns
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On paper, the Sabres would still have a fairly clear sense of who sits near the top of the priority list, especially up front where the protection math gets tricky in a hurry. Defense would pose its own important choices as well, and if expansion ever moves from speculation to reality, Buffalo could be staring at a list that says as much about its future direction as it does about the players it keeps. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan McLeod Gave The Sabres A Huge Boost They Still Need
Ryan McLeods first season in Buffalo gave the Sabres exactly the kind of two-way stability they have been chasing down the middle. The center finished with career highs in assists and points, and his work away from the puck made him more than just a solid depth piece. He was one of the more dependable forwards on the penalty kill, and his defensive impact fit neatly with a team that has spent too much time looking for consistency from its middle six.
The part that keeps his season interesting is how much more there could still be. McLeods faceoff game remains an area to clean up, and that matters for a player expected to shoulder more responsibility as Buffalo sorts out its forward group and contract picture for the seasons ahead. If he can build on what he already provided, the Sabres may have found a player whose value goes well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]