Connor Hellebuyck is set for an immediate spotlight in New Jersey.
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said the newly acquired goalie will make his first start with his new team on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars. That gives Hellebuyck a fast-track debut after the Devils landed him in a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
The deal did not come cheap. New Jersey sent forwards Nick Bjugstad, Dawson Mercer and Alexander Command, along with goaltender Nico Daws, to Winnipeg in a move that arrived after months of speculation about Hellebuyck’s future. He had asked out of the Jets over the summer, and the wait for his next landing spot finally ended.
There’s plenty of buzz around what the Devils are getting. Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one of the most decorated netminders of his era, but he arrives with some unusual circumstances attached. He has not played a game this year, and Monday marked his first on-ice session with New Jersey since joining the club.
That was also his first practice with any team this year. Winnipeg had suspended him after he failed to report to training camp last month.
Even with the layoff, the excitement in New Jersey is obvious. Many around the team believe Hellebuyck’s arrival changes the conversation in the Metropolitan Division, especially with Nico Hischier and Jack and Luke Hughes playing in front of him. The hope is simple: he brings the kind of stability in goal that can turn the Devils into a real postseason threat.
Hellebuyck’s most recent season was a difficult one by his standards. In 57 games in 2025-26, the Commerce, Mich. native went 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. Still, he added another major achievement in February, helping guide the United States to gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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