The Devils’ goalie rumors are getting louder, but the logic behind a Connor Hellebuyck deal still hasn’t changed.
New Jersey is one of the teams being tied to the Jets star, and on paper it’s easy to see why. Hellebuyck is still one of the best goaltenders in the history of the league, and he just helped the United States win gold medal in Italy. He’s also a former league MVP and a multiple-time Vezina Trophy winner.
But the fit gets shaky fast once the conversation turns from reputation to price.
The Devils are staring at a goalie room that includes Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich next season. Allen hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2018, Daws struggled in the AHL last season, and Rittich had one of the worst second halves of the season last year of any player in the league. That kind of depth makes it obvious why New Jersey is at least checking around.
Still, the same obstacle that existed in 2023 is back now: the ask is enormous, and the contract is even scarier.
Three years ago, the Devils could have landed a 30-year-old Hellebuyck who needed a new deal. Reports at the time said New Jersey knew what Winnipeg wanted, but Tom Fitzgerald wasn’t willing to meet the price. Nobody was, and the Jets ended up keeping Hellebuyck on a massive extension.
That history matters because the Devils are in a similar spot again. Hellebuyck wants this situation resolved as quickly as possible, and New Jersey is once more doing its due diligence. But the front office has already lived through this exact type of decision before, and it ended with Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek as the answers in net.
The Jets are right to ask for a superstar return. Even after signing Stuart Skinner, losing Hellebuyck would push them near the bottom of the standings. They still have Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, but not enough to stay in the mix in the Central Division.
For New Jersey, though, the cost goes beyond the trade package. Hellebuyck is set to make $8.5 million per season through 2030-31, and he’ll be 38 when that deal ends. That’s a huge swing for Sunny Mehta, and it’s the kind of swing the Devils do not want to take.
If the gamble goes wrong and an injury turns Hellebuyck into Cory Schneider, it could be the final blow to this era of Devils hockey and force a reset. And that’s exactly the kind of outcome Sunny Mehta did not come to New Jersey to chase.
In Other News...
Jack Hughes' Next Devils Deal Could Get Uncomfortable Fast
Jack Hughes has already reset the market once for the Devils, and his next contract figures to come at a time when the ceiling around him is moving almost as quickly as his game. Around the league, top-end player pay is climbing in a way that would have sounded aggressive only a few years ago, with recent NHL deals for the likes of Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini reflecting a broader trend toward bigger cap percentages for franchise players. For New Jersey, that matters because Hughes is no longer just a star in a vacuum, he is the kind of centerpiece whose deal will be judged against where the salary cap is heading, not where it sits today.
The uncomfortable part for the Devils is the timing. Leaguewide projections point to a sharply higher cap by 2030, and the maximum salary itself is expected to keep rising as collective bargaining changes and expansion reshape the economics around the sport. That gives New Jersey room to breathe in the long view, but it also means every year Hughes waits could make the eventual negotiation more complicated, with the numbers and the leverage both changing underneath the team. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Have A Contract Advantage Fans Should Be Watching Closely
The Devils roster has a lot going for it beyond the names on the back of the jerseys, and a big part of that is how manageable the cap sheet looks when stacked against the production coming from key players. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt remain the clearest examples, both established as top-end drivers whose contracts still look friendly compared with what they bring on the ice. Add in Arseny Gritsyuk, whose underlying numbers point to real promise after a recent extension, and New Jersey suddenly has a core that is giving a lot back without forcing the club into a financial corner.
For a team trying to stay competitive without painting itself into a cap-strapped future, that matters. The Devils do not have many deals that stick out as obvious burdens, and most of the lineup is built on contracts that feel fair or better than fair for the level of play attached to them. That kind of balance does not guarantee wins, but it does give New Jersey room to keep building, and it is the sort of advantage fans should keep an eye on as the roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Devils May Be Ready To Revisit One Frustrating Jack Hughes Pairing
Jack Hughes and Timo Meier have had stretches together that have not always looked smooth to the eye, which is part of why the pairing has picked up a frustrating reputation around New Jersey. But the deeper numbers tell a more encouraging story. Their expected goal share and scoring-chance results have been positive, even if the actual goal differential has stayed slightly on the wrong side, a sign that the combination may have been dragged down more by luck than by a true chemistry issue.
For a Devils team still looking to maximize its most dangerous talent, that makes the idea worth revisiting in training camp. Meier remains one of the more natural fits to play off Hughes, with enough skill and shot volume to keep pressure on defenses, and the underlying data suggests the duo has at least earned another look. It is not a finished answer, but it is the kind of option New Jersey should be open to exploring again when camp opens. [Read more 🡒]