Connor Hellebuyck remains a Jet for now, and the sense around the league is that a trade is not close.
On The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston said Winnipeg is not near a deal involving its star goalie, and the teams that have checked in are not willing to meet a big asking price.
“There were some rumors, maybe it seemed like the Buffalo Sabres would be the landing spot for him. By the end of the summer, Connor Hellebuck put out a statement through his agent through his agent Ray Petkow, basically just confirming that he sent out that trade request,” McKenzie said.
Johnston pointed to Buffalo as one team that made a serious run at Hellebuyck around the draft and has since revisited the idea. He also mentioned Carolina and the Utah Mammoth as clubs that have at least kicked tires.
“Now that being said, I have no reason at this point to believe anything’s close with anybody,” Johnston said.
From Winnipeg’s side, Johnston said the situation is delicate because the Jets cannot afford to make a move that undercuts the core of the roster. He noted that Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey are already signed, and that Winnipeg’s market makes it hard to attract outside help.
“You can’t do anything that makes those players that are, you know, part of your, your kind of foundation think that you have no chance to win,” Johnston said.
At the same time, Johnston said there is no urgency around the league to force a deal for a three-time Vezina winner. Even with Hellebuyck’s value, teams already feel set in goal and are not eager to pay a premium.
“You know those teams don’t have the urgency to, to make a crazy trade,” Johnston said. “I think that they’re in the market in case, in case his price ends up being kind of in the more affordable range, and I don’t know that the Jets can do that.”
Johnston described the talks as stalled, though he said that could change if a team loses a goalie in camp. For now, though, he doesn’t see a quick resolution.
“So you know this one is is pretty stalemated at this point in time,” Johnston said.
If Winnipeg does move Hellebuyck, Johnston believes the return has to help solve more than one problem. He said the Jets would ideally want a center in the deal, not just another goalie, because they already have a major hole down the middle.
He pointed to the team’s history of trying to patch that spot with short-term answers, including Sean Monahan and Jonathan Toews.
“I think ideally even more than getting a goalie back, if they could get someone that addresses the center ice position as a key part of the return, that, that makes it start to make some sense,” Johnston said.
Johnston added that Winnipeg can live without Hellebuyck in net if the return addresses a bigger roster need, though he stressed that Hellebuyck has been one of the best regular-season goalies of his era.
The Utah Mammoth came up again as a possible fit because of their prospect depth, but Johnston said that while they could put together a package, that is not what they are offering right now.
“I think that they’re around this because they want to see where the price ends up and if maybe they can get a steal here,” Johnston said.
In Other News...
Connor Hellebuyck Standoff Is Becoming The Jets Biggest Camp Story
Training camp is opening with the Jets still waiting on Connor Hellebuyck, and that absence has quickly become the loudest storyline around the team. The star goaltender remains away from camp as trade interest in him has reportedly cooled since the draft, leaving Winnipeg in a holding pattern while the market around one of the NHLs most prominent netminders sorts itself out.
TSNs Darren Dreger and Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman have both touched on the slow-moving process, noting that offers have been limited and that finding a fit has not been simple. Even with several clubs mentioned in the conversation, the next step for Winnipeg remains unclear, which is why Hellebuycks situation is shaping up to define the early days of camp rather than fade into the background. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Camp Opens With One Huge Hellebuyck Problem Looming
Training camp is set to open with the Winnipeg Jets mostly healthy and a full roster taking shape, but one notable absence has already changed the tone around the start of the season. The club released its camp rosters and on-ice schedule ahead of opening day, and the final informal skate did not include Connor Hellebuyck or Walker Duehr. For a team trying to get organized quickly, the missing names are easy to spot.
Hellebuycks situation carries the real weight here, even before the first drills begin. With medicals not expected to be part of his camp arrival, the Jets are bracing for the possibility of moving forward without him, and there has been little sign since the draft that a trade market is going to solve the issue. It leaves Winnipeg facing a problem at the one position it least wants unsettled, and the first days of camp may say as much about the front office as they do about the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Camp Suddenly Has One Big Goalie Battle To Watch
Connor Hellebuycks absence from training camp has opened the door for a much different look in Winnipeg goal. With Stuart Skinner stepping in as the starter for the time being, the Jets suddenly have a real competition brewing behind him, and the focus has shifted to the depth chart as camp decisions start to take shape.
Thomas Milic, Domenic DiVincentiis, Isaac Poulter and Alex Worthington are all in the mix for the backup job, giving the Jets a chance to sort through a young group before the roster tightens. Milic and DiVincentiis have been the names to watch so far based on their recent showings, and Winnipeg could still decide to supplement the battle by exploring the waiver wire if it wants a more experienced option. [Read more 🡒]