The New Jersey Devils finally made the kind of move that says they’re done patching the problem and ready to attack it head-on.
On Friday, they landed goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets in a blockbuster trade, betting that he can be the kind of presence in net the franchise has been chasing since Martin Brodeur last played for the club in 2014.
That has been a long search. Cory Schneider gave the Devils some strong regular seasons over seven years, but he reached the playoffs only once before injuries and inconsistency caught up with him. After that, New Jersey kept cycling through options, and the results never really reached franchise-goalie territory.
They took another swing two years ago by bringing in Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames in June of 2024. He gave them a solid first season in 2024-25 and helped push them back into the playoffs, but last year’s drop-off was rough - .883 save percentage and a 3.07 GAA, some of the worst numbers of his NHL career. New Jersey eventually moved on from him in a trade with the Florida Panthers.
This season began with Nico Daws and Jake Allen sharing the net, and neither has given the Devils what they needed. Allen is 4-2 but has an .883 save percentage and a 3.15 save percentage, while Daws went 2-2 with an .872 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA.
To get Hellebuyck, New Jersey sent Daws, centre Dawson Mercer, prospect forward Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad and two draft picks the other way. The deal ends a drawn-out standoff between Hellebuyck and Winnipeg after he asked for a trade in the off-season. He refused to report to training camp, was suspended without pay, and had not played this season before the move.
His suspension was set to end today before the trade.
Even after a down statistical season by his standards, Hellebuyck arrives as a different caliber of goalie than what the Devils have rolled out in recent years. The 33-year-old posted an .895 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA last season as the Jets slid down the standings, but he remains only a step removed from back-to-back Vezina Trophy wins in 2024 and 2025 and a Hart Trophy win in 2025.
He also helped the United States win its first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980 in February at Milano Cortina 2026, beating Canada in overtime in the title game.
For the Devils, the trade fits a larger reality. Since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, they have made the playoffs only three times and have gotten past the first round just once, in 2022-23 before losing in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
It has now been nearly a decade since they drafted Nico Hischier first overall, and Jack Hughes is in his eighth NHL season with little playoff success to show for it.
Hellebuyck’s own postseason résumé still leaves room for doubt. Winnipeg has been a steady playoff team with him in goal, but the deepest run has been the Western Conference Finals in 2017-18. The Jets have never turned that consistency into a real Stanley Cup push.
New Jersey is banking on five seasons of that contract window to change its fortune. Hellebuyck is in the third season of a seven-year, $59.5 million extension with an $8.5 million annual average value, and the Devils are hoping that investment finally gives them the kind of answer they’ve been missing in goal for years.
In Other News...
Devils May Be Closer Than Ever To A Massive Goalie Gamble
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is suddenly at the center of a trade conversation that could reshape the goalie market, with multiple insiders reporting that the Devils and Jets are close to finalizing a deal. The talks have been described as substantial, with significant assets in play and enough moving parts that the framework could stretch beyond a simple one-for-one swap.
New Jersey has emerged as the most likely destination, which would make this one of the biggest roster swings of the offseason if it comes together. There is still plenty to sort out, though, and the structure of the agreement is not settled yet, with the possibility of a three-team setup and Winnipeg looking for scoring help coming back as the negotiation continues. [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 🡒]