Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Chevaldayoff had a choice on Friday: lean into the chaos of Connor Hellebuyck’s return and the club’s long-running trade saga, or talk about the person on the other side of the table. He went with the second option, and his comments about Sunny Mehta stood out.
Hellebuyck’s suspension is ending, the Heritage Classic is looming, and the trade request that surfaced in August has finally been resolved after months of noise. Hellebuyck did not report to camp and was suspended, and the Jets were still said to be underwhelmed by the offers as recently as last weekend. Chevaldayoff had already reportedly passed on a Buffalo package that included the fourth-overall pick but also required Winnipeg to move its own top-10 selection.
Still, Chevaldayoff had praise for the Devils’ approach once Mehta entered the picture.
“When Sunny [Mehta] got serious, he got serious real quick. It was a real treat to deal with him, he’s very straight forward.
There was no beating around the bush.” #NJDevils
The deal sends Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Winnipeg. It is a lot of pieces, but not exactly the kind of return that screams Hart Trophy and Vezina winner.
Mercer is the main name in the package, a 24-year-old center the Jets have wanted for some time. Daws is viewed as the goalie of the future.
Command is an 18-year-old swing on upside. Bjugstad is part of the return too, though more as filler than a centerpiece.
Winnipeg enters at 5-4-1 with Stuart Skinner as its No. 1 goalie, and the organization now has to sell this outcome to a fanbase staring down Sunday’s Heritage Classic against Montreal.
The structure of the deal fits a familiar pattern. Like the Timo Meier trade in 2023, New Jersey leaned into quantity instead of one obvious star return.
Mercer brings middle-six value and has 30-goal upside, though he still hasn’t fully matched the expectations around him from 2023. Command was taken 12th overall, which is enough to keep the intrigue alive even if the upside isn’t universally loved.
Daws is a goalie who drew praise, but he still hasn’t done enough this season to create real certainty.
Chevaldayoff also made it clear that Mehta’s style left an impression beyond this one negotiation. He referenced how often Mehta called the Nashville Predators in the chase for Luke Evangelista, a sign of someone who keeps pushing without turning the process into a mess.
That kind of persistence may matter again down the line. For now, the Jets have their return, the Devils have their moment, and Chevaldayoff came away with an unexpected compliment for the man across the table.
In Other News...
Devils May Have Finally Found Jack Hughes' Missing Top-Line Fit
The Devils 4-1 win over the Ducks offered another glimpse of a lineup tweak that has quietly changed the look of Jack Hughes line. Sheldon Keefe put Arseny Gritsyuk next to Hughes and Jesper Bratt, and the move has given New Jersey a more natural blend of pace and finishing ability on its top unit. Gritsyuk kept his recent run going in Anaheim, helping the Devils build a 2-0 lead after the first period alongside a Nico Hischier goal.
What makes the fit interesting is how steady it has looked for a player who arrived with some expectations after New Jersey re-signed him to a three-year contract in the offseason. Gritsyuk has brought consistent speed and a strong shot, two traits that can make life easier for Hughes and Bratt when the Devils are trying to tilt the ice. The early results are encouraging, and the real question now is whether this version of the first line can keep showing up once opponents have more time to adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Win-Now Plan
Sunny Mehtas move for Connor Hellebuyck says plenty about where the Devils think they are in their timeline. The general manager had been open before about not wanting to sink major resources into goaltending because of how volatile the position can be, but this trade was different. New Jersey paid a steep price in players and draft picks to bring in one of the leagues most established netminders, and that alone makes the message hard to miss.
For a team trying to push from promising to truly dangerous, it is the kind of swing that can change the rest of the roster plan too. Adding Hellebuyck could reshape how aggressively the Devils approach future opportunities, including the kind of high-end names that always seem to hover around this stage of a build. Whether that leads them down a path toward Dylan Larkin or Quinn Hughes remains speculative for now, but the direction Mehta chose is unmistakable. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Made An All-In Move Fans Will Debate Fast
The Devils have pushed their chips to the center with a sweeping trade for Connor Hellebuyck, landing one of the leagues premier goaltenders from Winnipeg in a deal that cost them Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command and draft picks. It is the kind of move that instantly changes the look of a roster and the conversation around a team, especially for a New Jersey club that has spent plenty of time trying to balance present urgency with long-term flexibility.
There is no waiting around to see what this says about the direction of the franchise, because the salary cap implications and the roster shake-up are part of the story right away. Analysts are already sorting through the value on both sides and weighing what the Devils gave up against the payoff of adding a top-tier netminder, which is exactly the sort of debate a deal like this is meant to ignite. [Read more 🡒]