The biggest name on the board in Winnipeg is now sitting on the sidelines. Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the Jets after failing to report to training camp, turning an already messy situation into something official.
Hellebuyck had confirmed in late August that he asked for a trade and said that stance had not changed, adding that he believed moving on was the best path for him and his family. Winnipeg acknowledged the request, but no trade has come together.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is set to speak Thursday morning, and that could bring more clarity to where the Jets go next.
Boston, meanwhile, is trying to lock in one of its key forwards before things get any closer to the finish line. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the club is still talking with Pavel Zacha’s camp about a long-term extension.
Zacha is in the final year of his deal and is one of only two forwards in Boston’s top six without contract security beyond this season. He just turned in the best offensive year of his career, posting 30 goals and 65 points in 78 games, while also chipping in 21 points on the power play.
With Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt also in the mix down the middle, Boston sees the extension as part of rounding out its center depth. Sweeney put it plainly: “We know his importance to our hockey club.
We’d like to have him come back so we continue to talk. He’s a big part of our organization and our commitment to winning.
Hopefully we find a landing spot.”
Carolina has its own contract issue to sort through, and it’s keeping Alexander Nikishin away from camp. The Hurricanes confirmed the 24-year-old restricted free agent will not report because he still doesn’t have a contract.
Nikishin has reportedly asked for a trade, but despite offseason talk that Carolina might move him, nothing got done. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said the team loves the player but has to keep moving forward, and his absence opens the door for other defensemen to get looks while the situation stays unresolved.
Detroit’s situation around Dylan Larkin has taken another twist as well. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Larkin suffered an upper-body injury while training and won’t be ready when camp opens.
The Red Wings still don’t have a return timeline. “It’s going to take him a little bit of time to get back from it, and when we have a better timeline of when he will be back and available, we’ll let everybody know,” Horcoff said.
That only adds to the uncertainty after Larkin requested a trade and the team removed his captaincy. Horcoff, who was announced as interim GM on Tuesday, said he has full authority over all hockey operations, including any potential Larkin trade.
Ryan Reaves also made news by announcing his retirement from professional hockey on Instagram. The 39-year-old finishes with 962 NHL games, 66 goals and 140 points, plus 3,225 hits, which ranks sixth all-time.
He became one of only six players to reach 3,000 hits since the stat started being tracked and also logged 96 NHL fights, according to HockeyFights. Reaves played for the St.
Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks.
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 🡒]