The New Jersey Devils managed to turn a routine goalie rest decision into a full-blown talking point on Sunday night.
After their 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, general manager Sunny Mehta announced that Connor Hellebuyck would not start Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. That would have been Hellebuyck’s first game back in Winnipeg after he publicly requested a trade at the start of training camp. The explanation was as blunt as it was unusual: starting him “would potentially give [the Devils] a reduction in [their] expected win probability.”
Head coach Sheldon Keefe gave a more conventional reason, saying the move was about workload. If Hellebuyck had played Tuesday, it would have been his fourth start in eight days.
“From our perspective, when you zoom out, this is a goaltender that is not going to play every single game of the season. You’re always looking for times to give him a night off,” said Keefe, h/t The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
Hellebuyck didn’t hide that he wanted the chance to play in Winnipeg. After Sunday’s game, he said he was “disappointed” by the decision, though he understood the team’s thinking.
“I love Winnipeg,” Hellebuyck said, h/t The Athletic. “Playing there again and just facing the music and seeing the reaction, it’d be nice. It’s out of my hands.”
To soften the blow for those upset by the call, the Devils are allowing Hellebuyck to hold a press conference before the game.
The move has already drawn plenty of attention around the league, and not in a good way. The comparison point for many is simple: players in big return games usually go out and play.
Brady Tkachuk did it in his return to Ottawa to face the Senators. Quinn Hughes did it in his return to Vancouver to play the Canucks, the team he began his career with before getting dealt to the Minnesota Wild last December.
That’s part of why the Devils’ choice has landed so awkwardly. Resting Hellebuyck is one thing. Announcing it two days before the game, and tying it to “expected win probability,” made it feel like the team was trying to outrun the criticism before it arrived.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have been forced into a very different kind of goalie management. Their depth issue pushed Dylan Garand into 12 straight games until Joonas Korpisalo finally made his debut on Saturday after recovering from a foot infection. New Jersey, by contrast, had the option to avoid the whole scene.
Instead, the Devils may have sidestepped the boos in Winnipeg only to invite a wave of backlash everywhere else.
In Other News...
Raptors Trade Idea Could Fix Two Problems Toronto Can't Ignore
The Raptors have settled into a 5-5 start, but the early stretch has also made two weaknesses hard to miss: the lack of reliable 3-point shooting and the uncertainty in the middle of the floor. Kawhi Leonards absence after just two games because of a left knee injury has only sharpened the spotlight on a roster that still looks like it is searching for the right balance around its top pieces.
One proposed fix has Toronto sending Jakob Poeltl and draft picks to the Clippers for Brook Lopez and Max Strus, a deal that would try to address both the frontcourt and the perimeter at once. It is still just a hypothetical, but it speaks to the kind of roster questions the Raptors cannot ignore for long, especially with Poeltls health and contract situation adding another layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Enter Brutal Stretch With Kawhi Still Not Close To Returning
Kawhi Leonards return remains on hold, and the Raptors are headed into another difficult stretch without one of their biggest names. Toronto announced that Leonard will miss at least one more week as he continues reconditioning after treatment for left knee swelling, a setback that has kept him out since Oct. 23. He has been back around the team recently, but he still has not resumed on-court work.
The timing only adds to the challenge for a roster already juggling injuries elsewhere. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley are among the other Raptors dealing with health issues, and the team has been careful about managing availability rather than rushing anyone back. For a group trying to steady itself, Leonards absence leaves another important piece missing just as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard's Absence Leaves Raptors Waiting On A Crucial Next Step
Kawhi Leonard will spend another week on the sideline as the Raptors continue to wait for his left knee to respond to reconditioning work. Toronto said Leonard, who has been out since Oct. 23, is now set to keep moving through his rehab process after missing eight straight games, leaving the team without one of its most important pieces for a third consecutive week.
The next checkpoint is still a week away, which keeps the focus on patience rather than any immediate return date. For a Raptors team trying to sort out its rotation and stay steady in the meantime, Leonards absence remains the biggest variable on the roster, and the latest update only pushes the next real answer a little farther down the road. [Read more 🡒]