The Winnipeg Jets opened Tuesday by laying out their training camp plans and a 51-player roster, but the real storyline hanging over the group is Connor Hellebuyck.
Camp runs from Thursday, September 17th to the 25th at Hockey For All Centre, and the list is packed with familiar veterans, rising prospects and a few names trying to force their way into the conversation. The most intriguing of that younger group is recent eighth overall pick Viggo Björck, who arrives after a productive season with Djurgårdens IF in the SHL. He finished with 15 points in 42 games and added three more in the playoffs.
Hellebuyck is on the roster, but that may be more paperwork than promise. TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Tuesday’s episode of Insider Trading that he does not believe Hellebuyck will report to camp, and that the Jets would respond to his absence on either Wednesday or Thursday. The tension stems from the offseason drama around Hellebuyck’s trade request, which has made his status the biggest question around the team as camp begins.
The goaltending group includes six players. Hellebuyck is the headline name, coming off a 23-23-11 season with an .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average in 57 games.
Stuart Skinner is also in the mix and is expected to be the Jets starter this season after splitting last year between Pittsburgh and Edmonton. The rest of the group features Isaac Poulter and Alex Worthington, both coming from the ECHL and AHL ranks, plus Domenic DiVincentiis, who turned heads in the AHL postseason with a .955 save percentage across five playoff games.
Winnipeg brought 18 defensemen to camp, with Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg leading the way. Morrissey is coming off a 55-point season. There’s also a cluster of prospects trying to break through, including Elias Salomonsson, who split time between Winnipeg and Manitoba, Henry Thrun, who joined the organization after helping the Toronto Marlies win the Calder Cup, and Alfons Freij, who spent most of last season overseas before finishing with the Moose.
Up front, the Jets have 27 forwards in camp, the largest position group on the roster. Mark Scheifele headlines that unit after a 103-point season, while Kyle Connor enters camp as the team’s leading goal scorer after putting up 39 goals and 92 points. Gabriel Vilardi is there too after posting 69 points.
Björck is one of several young forwards in the mix, alongside Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow and Kevin He, all of whom are trying to turn strong showings in the AHL and junior ranks into NHL roles.
For now, though, everything circles back to Hellebuyck. Training camp is almost here, and the Jets still have to find out whether their star goalie shows up as scheduled or whether the trade situation forces a decision before the regular season gets underway.
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Sabres Have A Roster Squeeze That Could Reshape Their Top Six
Buffalos forward depth keeps creating more questions than answers, and the ripple effect could reach all the way to Winnipeg. The Sabres already have a crowded group of young players under contract, with Josh Doan, Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund among the names giving the front office plenty to sort through as it tries to map out the top six and settle on the best spot for Tage Thompson, whether that ends up being wing or center.
The roster squeeze gets even more interesting because Buffalo has also been linked in trade discussions for Connor Hellebuyck, a move that would come with major consequences beyond the crease. Any serious push for a goalie of that caliber would force the Sabres to weigh how much of their young talent they are willing to part with, and that is where the real tension sits for a team trying to stay competitive without thinning out the very group that makes its future so promising. [Read more 🡒]
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Larke is not walking into the room as a stranger, either. He has already worked with Kyle Connor, and that existing connection could make the transition smoother as Winnipeg looks for small improvements that can add up over time. For a team always searching for an edge, the hope is that this kind of behind-the-scenes help translates into more polished play when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Face Growing Pressure To Get Cutter Gauthier Signed In Time
Around the league, front offices are dealing with a busy stretch of contract and management news, but the names that matter most to Winnipeg are still tied to one increasingly tricky trade market. The Jets continue to look for a partner on Connor Hellebuyck, and the process has been made harder by the simple reality that there are plenty of teams circling the goaltending market but not many eager to meet Winnipegs price.
The Ducks situation with Cutter Gauthier is another reminder of how quickly deadlines can tighten leverage, and the same dynamic hangs over the Jets as they try to sort out their own path. Winnipeg would clearly like to find a workable deal before the market shifts any further, but there is still plenty of uncertainty about which clubs are serious enough to get something done and whether the next move comes sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]