The Devils finally got their first look at Connor Hellebuyck on the ice as a member of New Jersey on Monday, and his arrival comes with plenty of attention baked in.
Hellebuyck skated in his first practice since the Devils acquired him from the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. The 33-year-old goalie was part of a major trade package that sent Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, Nico Daws, a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft back to Winnipeg.
It is also Hellebuyck’s first appearance with an NHL team this season. He did not report to Winnipeg’s training camp and was suspended for the first 10 games of the season for failing to report.
The 6-foot-4 netminder is coming off a rough year by his standards, finishing last season with a 23-23-11 record, a .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average with the Jets. But his résumé is still loaded.
Hellebuyck has won the Vezina Trophy three times, in 2020, 2024 and 2025, and he captured the William M. Jennings Trophy in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025.
He also posted the best season of his career in 2024-25, going 47-12-3 with a 2.00 GAA and a .925 save percentage while winning the Hart Trophy, the first in either version of the Jets franchise. The Commerce, Mich., native then backstopped the United States to its first Olympic gold medal since 1980 at Milano Cortina 2026.
Elsewhere around the league, the Capitals had two players exit practice early on Monday. Goaltender Logan Thompson and defenceman Jakob Chychrun both left after practice got underway, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.
Thompson, 29, had already missed Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres because of a lower-body injury. On Monday, he skated for about 45 minutes before leaving. The 6-foot-4 goalie has gone 4-3-0 this season with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.
Chychrun, 28, has one goal and seven points in 10 games for Washington this season and is averaging 24:40 of ice time.
In Carolina, Taylor Hall was back on the practice ice Monday, while newly signed Alexander Nikishin had not yet rejoined the club, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.
Hall, 34, missed the Hurricanes’ five-game Western road trip while dealing with a lower-body injury. He has three goals and five points in eight games this season.
Nikishin signed a one-year, $3 million contract on Sunday after the Hurricanes were unable to accommodate his trade request as a restricted free agent. He will become a restricted free agent again at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman had 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games as a rookie last season while averaging 18:11 of ice time. He also chipped in an assist in 17 playoff games, averaging 14:50, and helped the Hurricanes win their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years.
Back in Raleigh after their State Fair road trip, the Hurricanes are set to host the Bruins on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Just Missed On A Goalie Move Fans Will Feel
The market for a top-tier goalie can move quickly, and the Carolina Hurricanes were right in the middle of it as they tried to pry Connor Hellebuyck away from Winnipeg. Multiple trade ideas were explored, but the Jets asking price was never fully met, leaving Carolina to keep searching while other clubs kept tabs on the same opportunity.
For Devils fans, the more relevant twist is that New Jersey was the team that got the deal done. In a race where one contender kept trying to bridge the gap and came up short, the Devils emerged with the kind of move that can reshape a season, and the fallout from Carolinas near miss only makes the swap look even more consequential around the division. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Are Still Waiting For Hellebuyck To Address One Thing
Connor Hellebuycks arrival in New Jersey has already stirred plenty of attention, and not just because the Devils added a name that instantly changes the conversation around their crease. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets moved to trade him in part because they wanted to avoid a public mess, with concern that Hellebuyck might address the media after a required physical and turn an internal issue into a very public one.
Now the Devils are the ones waiting for the next chapter, because Hellebuyck is expected to debut soon and his first trip back to Winnipeg will carry its own weight. For New Jersey, the hockey part is obvious, but the larger storyline still hangs over the move: how he handles the inevitable questions, and whether the explanation for his exit ever becomes as important as his play. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Saw How Fast Colorado Can Suddenly Look Vulnerable
Colorado rolled into a rough night in Nashville, and the kind of loss that gets attention around the league came with it. The Avalanche were beaten 6-2 by the Predators, with special teams becoming the most glaring issue as Nashville cashed in four times on seven power-play chances. For a team that has usually looked like a Cup threat even when it is not at its best, this was a reminder that the margin can shrink quickly when the details slip.
Scott Wedgewood did not give Colorado the steady presence it needed, and the defensive breakdowns around him only made the slide harder to stop. The bigger concern, though, is that the problems have not been isolated to one bad night. The effort has looked inconsistent, the defense has been leaky in recent losses, and the Avalanche will need a sharper sense of urgency if they want to get back on track before the season starts asking tougher questions. [Read more 🡒]