The Winnipeg Jets have added goaltender Clay Stevenson off waivers from the Washington Capitals, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It’s a move that plugs an obvious hole for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck has requested to be traded and did not report to training camp, leaving the Jets without a settled backup plan behind Stuart Skinner. By bringing in Stevenson, Winnipeg avoids having to lean on prospect goalies Tomas Milic or Dom DiVincentiis in the NHL.
That matters for the bigger picture, too. Milic and DiVincentiis can keep developing with the Manitoba Moose, while Stevenson and Skinner handle the NHL workload during Hellebuyck’s absence.
Stevenson, 27, arrives as a much more established option than the alternatives. The 6’4″ Alberta native has spent years climbing through the Capitals system after going undrafted out of the BCHL, then playing one season of college hockey at Dartmouth before turning pro.
His path started in the ECHL, where he posted a .916 save percentage in 36 games as a rookie. That earned him a shot in the AHL, and he delivered again with a .922 save percentage in 36 games for the Hershey Bears. He also picked up a Calder Cup championship that season.
The following year was a dip, but Stevenson responded in 2025-26 with another strong showing. In 37 games for Hershey, he went 18-13-3 with a .912 save percentage.
Across his NHL career, Stevenson has appeared in five games and carries a .906 save percentage. He is owed an $850K NHL salary for the rest of the season and can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Because he is on a one-way contract, the Jets wouldn’t save money by assigning him to the AHL.
For Washington, the loss is a setback, even if it was always a possibility once Stevenson became waiver eligible. He wasn’t going to bump Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren on the depth chart, and the Capitals appeared ready for that outcome by keeping several goaltenders on AHL deals in Hershey.
One name to watch now is Cal Petersen, who was in Capitals camp on a PTO and looks like a strong candidate to land a full contract after Stevenson’s departure.
In Other News...
Jets Still Face One Tense Decision Before Opening Night
The Jets are still sorting through the final edges of their opening-night roster, with the club down to 24 healthy players after placing two players on waivers. One more move has to be made before the 4 p.m. CT deadline, which leaves Winnipeg with just enough time to decide how it wants to balance depth, flexibility and the last available spots on the roster.
What makes the situation trickier is the uncertainty still hanging over the waiver wire. There has been speculation about whether Winnipeg will claim a goalie, while the status of Danny Zhilkin and Henry Thrun remains unresolved. Away from the Jets own decisions, Logan Stanley also landed elsewhere, signing a one-year deal with the New York Islanders after a long stretch in free agency. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Lost Goalie Depth At The Worst Time
Goaltending insurance tends to matter most when the season is already beginning to ask for it, and the Jets made a depth move with some future value attached. Clay Stevenson, who spent parts of last season with Washington and its AHL affiliate in Hershey, is now in the Winnipeg organization after being available on waivers.
Stevenson has one year left on his contract and will be eligible to test unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 season, which gives Winnipeg a relatively short runway to evaluate him. For now, the bigger point is simple enough: the Jets added a goalie with NHL and AHL experience, and they did it at a moment when teams are always looking to avoid being thin at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Interest In Connor Hellebuyck Raises A Bigger Goalie Question
The idea of Connor Hellebuyck in San Jose is the kind of rumor that instantly turns heads, and for good reason. According to NHL Network insiders, the Sharks have at least kicked around the possibility of pursuing the Winnipeg Jets goaltender as they sort through their long-term direction, with young goalie Yaroslav Askarov already part of the equation and a playoff push still somewhere in the organizations thinking.
From Winnipegs side, though, this is hardly a simple discussion. The Jets are not treating Hellebuyck like a player they can move lightly, and any serious talk would have to line up with a meaningful return. For now, it sounds more like the early stage of a bigger question than a deal on the verge of happening, which is exactly why it is worth watching. [Read more 🡒]