Connor Hellebuyck isn’t showing up to camp just to lose money, and that’s where the Winnipeg Jets situation sits right now.
On NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman said the idea of Hellebuyck missing the start of the season was never really in play. When Jameson Coyle asked for the latest on the goaltending situation, Friedman said, “Well, look, I just think that number one, that I think people were wondering if Hellebuyck would show up at the start of the season because then it would be a situation where he’d be losing money.
I think the answer was always going to be no, and he’s stuck to that at this point in time. It’s a no.”
What happens next may depend on how Winnipeg’s new goalie setup performs early. Friedman said the Jets claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers from the Capitals this week, and that Stevenson has earned a real opportunity to prove himself. He also noted that if Stevenson and Stuart Skinner give Winnipeg solid goaltending to open the year, it could change the picture around Hellebuyck entirely.
That’s the key question for the Jets: if the tandem works, does the market shift? Winnipeg has made it clear it wants a goaltender back in any Hellebuyck deal, but Friedman said the club is still waiting on the right offer.
“Could that break the logjam? I think we’re all wondering about that.”
For now, though, the Jets don’t sound moved. Friedman said they have not been presented with anything that would push them into a deal, and the closest they came was Buffalo at the draft.
That discussion hit a snag because Winnipeg wanted the fourth overall pick from the Sabres, but did not want to send the eighth pick back the other way. He also said Ukko-Pekka Luukkanen now has Winnipeg on his no-trade list, which removes another possible option.
The bigger issue, as Friedman laid it out, is what could happen if Winnipeg trades Hellebuyck and the return falls short. He called it “an existential thing” for the organization, saying the Jets worry that a bad deal could lead to more players wanting out. With that in mind, Winnipeg’s stance remains firm: it won’t move Hellebuyck unless the return is right.
“So I just think that Winnipeg is like, no, we’re not doing it unless we get a deal we want. And as far as it stands right now, as I do this, I don’t believe that there’s a deal that they want.”
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What has stood out is not just the production, but the way Connors start has felt like a stabilizer for a club dealing with a brutal standoff elsewhere on the roster. The Daily Faceoff Live conversation around the situation made the same point: teams can survive a lot when the room holds together, and right now the Jets need their best players to set that tone while the rest of the story continues to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
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One notable wrinkle for Winnipeg is the goaltending picture, with Clay Stevenson slated to make his first appearance for the club. Up front, the Jets are also weighing some lineup tweaks after the Detroit game, including Cole Koepke in line to replace Nino Niederreiter, while Vlad Namestnikov appears set to hold onto his spot despite taking two penalties last time out. [Read more 🡒]