Connor Hellebuyck’s name suddenly has Montreal attached to it, and that alone changes the conversation for the Canadiens.
The Winnipeg Jets star is not being treated as someone determined to leave Canada entirely. According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, that idea is off base.
Simmons reported that if Winnipeg moved Hellebuyck to either Montreal or Edmonton, the goalie would report. That puts Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes in a far more interesting spot: if Hellebuyck is actually willing to come to Montreal, is this a move worth pursuing?
On paper, Montreal already has a workable setup in goal. Jakub Dobes took hold of the starting job last season and looked even better in the playoffs.
The 24-year-old started all 19 postseason games, went 9-10, and finished with a .908 save percentage. During the run, he was 6-0 with a .942 save percentage and a 1.77 goals-against average after a loss, and he also won two road Game 7s.
Then there’s Jacob Fowler, who remains one of the organization’s key young pieces. The 21-year-old posted a .908 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average in 17 NHL appearances last season after putting up a .916 save percentage in Laval.
NHL.com has him ranked as Montreal’s No. 3 prospect heading into 2026-27. That gives the Canadiens a young, affordable goaltending base with real upside, which is why there isn’t an obvious need to shake things up.
But Hellebuyck is Hellebuyck.
He had a rough season by his standards, finishing 23-23-11 with a .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average. Still, one down year doesn’t erase the body of work.
In 2024-25, he won both the Hart and Vezina trophies after going 47-12-3 with a .925 save percentage, a 2.00 GAA and eight shutouts. He has won the Vezina three times and owns a career .916 save percentage in 625 NHL games.
For a Canadiens team trying to move from promising playoff group to real Stanley Cup threat, that kind of resume demands attention. Montreal may not need to upgrade the position, but a goalie with Hellebuyck’s track record can change the ceiling of a roster in a hurry.
The problem, as always, is price.
Hellebuyck is signed through 2030-31 with an $8.5 million cap hit. He has a full no-movement clause this season, and that becomes a modified no-trade clause in 2027-28.
Winnipeg also has every reason to ask for a major return, especially since Hellebuyck has requested a trade. The Jets would likely want an NHL-ready goalie and another major piece in the deal.
One speculative idea making the rounds has Montreal sending Kaiden Guhle and Jakub Dobes to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck. That is not a reported offer, but it gives a sense of how steep the cost could be.
The Canadiens could also try building an offer around Dobes, a top prospect or young player, and draft picks while keeping Fowler as the long-term answer in net. Whether that package would be enough for Winnipeg is another matter.
That’s the bind for Hughes. Montreal has a young goalie duo that already looks promising.
Trading significant assets for a 33-year-old netminder with an $8.5 million cap hit through age 38 brings obvious risk. At the same time, players with Hellebuyck’s level of accomplishment do not become available often.
If the Canadiens believe their core is ready to take the next step, Hellebuyck would be the kind of proven star who could raise the whole operation - even if goaltending wasn’t the first place Hughes expected to go shopping.
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