Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request has turned into one of the NHL’s messier offseason standoffs, and the noise around it keeps getting louder.
The Winnipeg Jets goalie confirmed last week that he privately asked for a trade several months ago before taking the matter public ahead of training camp. In his statement, Hellebuyck said he had tried to keep the situation quiet while giving the team time to look for solutions, but now believes moving on is the best choice for him and his family.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff responded with a statement of his own, acknowledging Hellebuyck’s wish for a change and showing respect for what he has done in Winnipeg. Even so, the gap between the two sides appears to be widening rather than closing.
NHL analyst Dave Minuk didn’t sound optimistic about a reconciliation. He said he doesn’t believe Hellebuyck will ever play for Winnipeg again.
“I don’t think he’s [Connor Hellebuyck] ever going to wear a Jets jersey again. I just don’t see how he does.
I mean even if his statement was pretty definitive, you know, it was lauding Winnipeg but at the same time he spoke in past tense, right? It was like ‘my time there.’
[…] I just don’t see him coming back now that they put this out. I just can’t see how it’s going to happen.
So I think he’ll wait it out.”
Reports have linked the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and Detroit Red Wings as possible landing spots, but no trade looks close right now. Training camp is expected to open in mid-September, and it’s still unclear whether Hellebuyck would report if nothing gets done before then.
The pressure on Winnipeg to settle the situation is only growing. On TSN’s OverDrive, Dave Feschuk raised the possibility that Cheveldayoff could feel pushed into making a move sooner rather than later, especially if Hellebuyck decides to miss training camp and even the start of the 2026-27 season.
Marty Biron answered with the sense that Hellebuyck is ready for that kind of showdown.
“Obviously that is an option for Kevin Cheveldayoff, but at the same time, I really feel that Connor Hellebuyck’s going to say, ‘Okay, that’s fine. Like, suspend me, whatever.
I’m willing to sit out a year. I’ve made good money.
I put it away. I’m okay for the year.
Just going to take time with my family.’ I think Hellebuyck is prepared for that.”
Hellebuyck’s frustration first surfaced publicly during his exit interviews in April, when he questioned whether Winnipeg had the pieces to become a real Stanley Cup contender. He’s currently under contract for seven years and $59.5 million, and that deal includes a full no-move clause.