The New Jersey Devils are emerging as the team to watch in the Connor Hellebuyck sweepstakes, with multiple insiders saying a deal is moving toward the finish line.
That’s a head-turning development on its own, but it lands even harder because Devils general manager Sunny Mehta recently said, “paying for goaltending is dumb.” Even so, New Jersey now appears to be in position to swing a major trade for one of the league’s top netminders.
The momentum picked up after Darren Dreger reported Friday that there had been a pivot and that something was close. Elliotte Friedman then said the Hellebuyck situation was nearing its end and tweeted, “Sources: New Jersey and Winnipeg are working on a Connor Hellebuyck deal. We will see what develops.”
Pierre LeBrun also reported that the two sides were close, writing: “Devils and Jets are close to a Connor Hellebuyck trade but still some important details to iron out. Both teams continue to work on it.”
Emily Kaplan added that New Jersey was closing in, posting, “The New Jersey Devils are closing in on a deal for Connor Hellebuyck, per sources. As of this weekend, Winnipeg felt it had terrible offers for the goalie but things seemed to have progressed last night. Believe Jets have been focused on scorers in return.”
Mike McIntyre reported that the framework could include more than just the two clubs, writing, “Per a source, sounds like a Connor Hellebuyck trade is going to involve three teams. Still working to confirm details.”
If the Devils do land Hellebuyck, it would be a significant swing for a team looking to strengthen the most important spot on the ice. New Jersey has the pieces to chase a major upgrade in goal, and adding a proven elite goalie could push the club closer to legitimate Stanley Cup contender status.
It could also help the Devils draw other talent later, including Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes.
Hellebuyck would bring the kind of stability and playoff experience teams pay dearly for, but the price would not be light. A deal of this size would likely require a substantial package, and the fact that New Jersey is apparently beating out Buffalo, Carolina, Utah, Los Angeles, and San Jose suggests the Devils are putting serious assets on the table.
Jeff Marek summed up the situation this way: “As we’ve been talking about on The Sheet, Sunny Mehta is out there playing poker with the NHL. One of the most interesting GM’s in the game.”
In Other News...
Hellebuyck Era Ends After Jets Breakup Reaches Its Inevitable Finish
The Connor Hellebuyck chapter in Winnipeg has closed in the most familiar way a star-goalie breakup can: with a trade that sends him to the New Jersey Devils and gives both sides a clean reset. For the Jets, it ends a tense stretch around a player who still had five seasons left on his contract and was long expected to anchor the crease for years to come.
New Jersey gets the proven starter it needed, while Winnipeg moves on with a package of players and draft capital that changes the look of the roster immediately. Hellebuycks departure had been building toward this point for a while, and the deal finally gives the Jets a resolution to a situation that had become impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Were Deeper In The Hellebuyck Chase Than Fans Knew
The Connor Hellebuyck trade chatter has only grown louder, and the latest reporting suggests the Winnipeg Jets are no longer just dealing with background noise around their star goalie. What started as another round of league-wide speculation now feels like a live negotiation, with the Devils reportedly in the middle of the push and the sense around the situation shifting toward something that could move quickly.
For the Jets, the timing matters as much as the return. Hellebuyck remains a franchise-level piece, but the longer the uncertainty hangs over the team, the more it complicates the picture around their roster and their immediate plans. Add in the way other Western Conference storylines are already swirling, from Edmonton losing Mattias Ekholm for at least a week to Brock Boesers frustration in Vancouver stirring more trade talk, and Winnipegs goalie situation stands out as one of the leagues biggest unresolved threads. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Should Keep A Close Eye On One Hellebuyck Return
The Connor Hellebuyck trade to New Jersey brought a sizable haul back to Winnipeg, and the Jets return has quickly become a storyline worth tracking beyond the immediate roster pieces. Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad add established depth, Nico Daws gives the club another goaltending option, and the draft capital helps widen the organizations runway. But the long-view interest in the deal is centered on 18-year-old Swedish center Alexander Command, a developmental swing the Jets believe could matter down the line.
Command was taken 12th overall and fits the kind of patient project that can look a lot better a few years from now than it does today. He has shown offensive ability at the junior level, but the next step is proving he can start producing in the Swedish Hockey League, where he has yet to register a point in his career so far. Winnipeg clearly sees a path for him to grow into a meaningful center, possibly alongside fellow Swede Viggo Bjrck, and that makes his progress one of the quieter but more intriguing subplots from the Hellebuyck return. [Read more 🡒]