The Carolina Hurricanes pushed hard for Connor Hellebuyck, and even that wasn’t enough to get them over the top.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Carolina couldn’t line up a forward on its own roster that Winnipeg valued enough to complete a trade. So the Hurricanes got inventive, trying to work around the problem by contacting other teams, identifying forwards the Jets might want, acquiring those players, and then sending them to Winnipeg as part of a Hellebuyck package.
But the deal always came back to the same issue: the return. Friedman said Winnipeg wanted “immediate forward help” for its longtime goaltender, and Carolina wasn’t ready to move players like Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven or Jackson Blake.
Pierre LeBrun said the same basic thing on the French-language show Aux 4 coins de la LNH. In his view, the Jets were after a young forward from Carolina’s core, someone in the Dawson Mercer range, or maybe even better.
LeBrun said he wasn’t sure exactly which player that would have been, but he pointed to Stankoven or Jarvis as possibilities. Carolina wasn’t willing to pay that price.
LeBrun later said the missed opportunity will sting in Carolina. The Hurricanes believed they had put a fair offer on the table for months, and they stayed in the mix until the very end.
The deal that ultimately happened is getting its own attention for the way it came together. On The Sheet Podcast, Jeff Marek wondered whether New Jersey’s earlier claim of Remi Poirier on waivers was a smokescreen, a move meant to make it look like the club was comfortable with its goaltending picture. Marek called it a classic poker bluff by Devils GM Sunny Mehta, and “one of the great bluffs we’ve seen in the NHL.”
Mehta said the Hellebuyck talks really picked up over the last couple of days. He said the Devils had been on the fringe for a while, keeping tabs on things, and then decided to jump in.
Mehta also recalled what Hellebuyck told him when they first spoke: “I’m ready, I’m packed. I’ll get in my car right now.” Mehta said he laughed and answered: “Don’t do that.”
In the end, it came down to one simple question: which team was willing to part with the right forward? Carolina said no, and Hellebuyck stayed out of reach. For Winnipeg, the next storyline is whether Dawson Mercer can take another step.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Trade Standoff Could Spark Another NHL Fight
Connor Hellebuycks move to the New Jersey Devils already had one significant subplot attached to it, thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes attempt to get involved. Carolina explored a way to help complete a deal by sending over a young forward, but the trade never came together, leaving the central question of what it would have taken to close the loop hanging over the story.
Now the aftermath could stretch beyond the trade market and into the league office. Hellebuyck was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets for 18 days after missing training camp, and he and the NHLPA are considering a grievance to recoup lost salary. A decision is expected by early December, which means the resolution to this saga may still be a few weeks away. [Read more 🡒]
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Jets Depth Got A Boost From Manitobas Messy Win In Iowa
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Thomas Milic helped finish the job with a strong outing in goal, making key saves as the Moose protected a one-goal lead down the stretch. For the Jets, nights like this matter because they can reveal which prospects and call-up options are ready to handle pressure, and Manitobas latest win offered a little more evidence that the organization has some useful options bubbling up below the NHL roster. [Read more 🡒]