The Devils finally got their first look at Connor Hellebuyck on the ice as a member of New Jersey on Monday, and his arrival comes with plenty of attention baked in.
Hellebuyck skated in his first practice since the Devils acquired him from the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. The 33-year-old goalie was part of a major trade package that sent Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, Nico Daws, a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft back to Winnipeg.
It is also Hellebuyck’s first appearance with an NHL team this season. He did not report to Winnipeg’s training camp and was suspended for the first 10 games of the season for failing to report.
The 6-foot-4 netminder is coming off a rough year by his standards, finishing last season with a 23-23-11 record, a .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average with the Jets. But his résumé is still loaded.
Hellebuyck has won the Vezina Trophy three times, in 2020, 2024 and 2025, and he captured the William M. Jennings Trophy in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025.
He also posted the best season of his career in 2024-25, going 47-12-3 with a 2.00 GAA and a .925 save percentage while winning the Hart Trophy, the first in either version of the Jets franchise. The Commerce, Mich., native then backstopped the United States to its first Olympic gold medal since 1980 at Milano Cortina 2026.
Elsewhere around the league, the Capitals had two players exit practice early on Monday. Goaltender Logan Thompson and defenceman Jakob Chychrun both left after practice got underway, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.
Thompson, 29, had already missed Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres because of a lower-body injury. On Monday, he skated for about 45 minutes before leaving. The 6-foot-4 goalie has gone 4-3-0 this season with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.
Chychrun, 28, has one goal and seven points in 10 games for Washington this season and is averaging 24:40 of ice time.
In Carolina, Taylor Hall was back on the practice ice Monday, while newly signed Alexander Nikishin had not yet rejoined the club, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.
Hall, 34, missed the Hurricanes’ five-game Western road trip while dealing with a lower-body injury. He has three goals and five points in eight games this season.
Nikishin signed a one-year, $3 million contract on Sunday after the Hurricanes were unable to accommodate his trade request as a restricted free agent. He will become a restricted free agent again at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman had 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games as a rookie last season while averaging 18:11 of ice time. He also chipped in an assist in 17 playoff games, averaging 14:50, and helped the Hurricanes win their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years.
Back in Raleigh after their State Fair road trip, the Hurricanes are set to host the Bruins on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Oilers Hot Start Is Hiding A Lineup Concern Fans Know Too Well
The early-season glow around the Oilers has brought the usual debate about how they should best use their top talent, but it also has a familiar undercurrent for fans who have watched contenders get stretched thin when their structure gets tested. One school of thought says Edmonton could create more depth by separating Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, even if the results to this point have been strong enough to keep those conversations from feeling urgent.
Around the league, the latest reminder of how quickly things can get complicated came from Winnipegs handling of Connor Hellebuyck after his suspension. Elliotte Friedman reported that the Jets moved the goalie before he had a chance to speak to the media, and Hellebuyck has not publicly commented since arriving with the New Jersey Devils. For a Winnipeg audience, it is another instance where a team decision and a players voice were kept on separate tracks, leaving the broader picture still a little unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Came Closer Than Fans Realized On Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck was never just a background name in the rumor mill, at least not according to Elliotte Friedman. The NHL insider said multiple teams kicked around the idea of dealing for the Jets goalie, with Florida, Buffalo, Utah and Carolina all showing real interest at various points as Winnipeg's name surfaced in trade conversations.
The talks apparently ran into all the usual roadblocks that can sink a major deal: package disagreements, pick swaps, timing and players who were simply not available. Friedman said he does not have the full picture on every part of the negotiations, which leaves plenty still behind the curtain on how close any one team actually got. [Read more 🡒]
Stuart Skinner Is Giving Jets Fans A Real Reason To Believe
Stuart Skinner has quietly given the Jets something they have badly needed in net since Connor Hellebuyck moved on, and the early returns have been hard to ignore. The Winnipeg starter has settled in with enough consistency to stabilize games, and the underlying numbers suggest this run is not just about surviving from night to night.
The bigger question now is whether Skinner can keep this up once the schedule tightens and the shots get harder to stop. His work on high-danger chances and at even strength has put him in the conversation with some of the leagues better goaltenders, which is exactly why Jets fans are watching so closely. If this level holds, Winnipeg may have found a real answer in the crease, even if the full measure of that development is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]