The Jets are in a familiar late-camp squeeze this morning in Colorado Springs, with one more roster move still looming before the 4 p.m. CT deadline.
After putting two players on waivers, Winnipeg is down to 24 healthy players, and the next step may depend on what happens on the waiver wire at 1 p.m. CT.
A goalie claim is also in play. The Jets have multiple options available, and the question now is whether they’ll add one to make sure they have an NHL-experienced backup behind Stuart Skinner. The club will also be watching to see if Danny Zhilkin and Henry Thrun clear.
Logan Stanley’s next chapter is finally set, and it comes with a much smaller price tag than many expected earlier this summer. It took nearly three months for him to land with the Islanders, where he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal instead of the longer, richer contract some had projected.
The Moose are back in Winnipeg after their pair of pre-season games in St. Paul, and they’re not taking the ice today. Instead, they’re holding a production day, with player interviews scheduled to be featured on the team’s YouTube channel.
Around the Jets beat, the goalie situation keeps drawing attention. One report asks whether another netminder is on Winnipeg’s wish list, and the timing of a possible waiver claim makes that question especially relevant.
Another column argues that missing training camp is going to hurt Hellebuyck this season, though that view was framed as a Sunday overreaction and not everyone is buying it. The sense around the team, meanwhile, is that after the last couple of weeks, they’re ready to move on from the Hellebuyck heartbreak and get to the regular season - even if the road ahead may keep the topic alive, especially with the second game of the season set for Michigan.
In Other News...
Jets Just Addressed A Growing Goalie Problem Behind Hellebuyck
With Connor Hellebuyck away from training camp and a backup situation suddenly more delicate than the Jets would like, Winnipeg moved to shore up the position by bringing in Clay Stevenson on waivers from Washington. The addition gives the club a veteran option in camp and some immediate depth behind Stuart Skinner, while also letting the organization keep its prospects on their current path in the AHL rather than rushing anyone into a bigger role.
Stevenson arrives with professional experience in the Capitals organization, which is part of what made him an appealing pickup for Winnipeg at this moment. Washington had been bracing for the possibility of losing him and still has other goaltending choices in its AHL system, but for the Jets the bigger question remains how long they need to manage this behind-Hellebuyck uncertainty before the situation settles down. [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 🡒]