Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request is no longer just rumor, and that instantly puts a spotlight on any team with the assets to chase a goalie of that caliber. The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the first clubs that jumps to mind.
Per his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck privately asked for a move months ago before choosing to make it public on Aug. 27 with training camp closing in. In his statement, Hellebuyck said, “I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.
With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed.
I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”
That puts the Winnipeg Jets in a tricky spot with camp 15 days away. Training camp opens on Sept. 16, the preseason begins on Sept. 19, and the Jets open the regular season at home against the Boston Bruins on Oct.
- Hellebuyck still has five years left on his contract, so Winnipeg does not have to move him.
But once a request like this is public, the rest of the league starts circling.
Carolina is one of the more obvious possibilities if Winnipeg decides to listen. The Hurricanes have Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov lined up as their tandem heading into 2026-27, and those two are set to make $3.9 million combined. Hellebuyck, by comparison, is set to make $8.5 million.
At his end-of-season media availability at the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Eric Tulsky said the team is “comfortable” with Bussi and Kochetkov as their tandem. Bussi posted a 31-6-2 record with a 2.47 goals-against average (GAA), a .895 save percentage (SV%), and two shutouts. Kochetkov went 6-2-0 in eight starts and nine games played, finishing with a 2.33 GAA, a .899 SV%, and one shutout.
There’s also the contract side of it. Bussi is entering the first year of his three-year deal, which he signed in February.
Kochetkov is heading into the final season of a four-year contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Hellebuyck would be a UFA after the 2030-31 season.
If Carolina and Winnipeg ever got serious, Kochetkov would be the most likely goalie going back the other way.
The price would not be small. A deal would likely cost the Hurricanes two first-round picks unless they included a top-five prospect, which could bring the cost down to one first-rounder. Still, nobody knows what Winnipeg would ask for, and that depends on whether the Jets are truly open for business.
There’s no question Carolina has the kind of trade capital and the $9.88 million in cap space to make a real run at an elite goalie. The bigger questions are the ones that matter most: does Winnipeg want to move Hellebuyck, and would Carolina be willing to pay the price for a 33-year-old goalie with five years left on his deal?
Adding Hellebuyck to a team that just won the Stanley Cup would make the Hurricanes even scarier. But it would also mean doubling down on an expensive crease, and that’s not a small decision when Bussi and Kochetkov are already in place.
With opening night 28 days away, the window for this to sort itself out is shrinking fast. If the Hurricanes are really in the mix, we should know soon.