Connor Hellebuyck’s name keeps circling the rumor mill, but a deal still hasn’t come together with the 2026-27 NHL regular season set to open in a week. The Winnipeg Jets don’t want to head into the year with their star goalie still on the roster and possibly sitting out until a move happens, yet someone has to step forward and actually make the kind of offer that gets this done.
Plenty of teams have already been tied to the situation. The Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes have all come up, and more recent chatter has included the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens. Still, former NHL goaltender and current analyst Jamie McLennan thinks one Pacific Division club deserves more attention: the San Jose Sharks.
“If I’m San Jose, I take a pretty good hard look at him. They’ve got Askarov there, and that might be a scenario where Winnipeg can get themselves a really good young goaltender who’s just learning to become a number one.
And Hellebuyck might fast-track what’s going on in San Jose. To me, if I’m San Jose, I look at what Anaheim did last year, and I think that’s what is in store for them: a dangerous team that is just getting better with experience.
You add a Hellebuyck in there, it might be very interesting, because San Jose has nothing but cap space and picks and prospects. You can make a pretty good deal there if I’m Kevin Cheveldayoff and Mike Grier,”
Hellebuyck is 33 and has five years left on the seven-year, $59.5 million extension he signed with Winnipeg in 2023. His 2025-26 season wasn’t his usual standard either: he finished 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 57 starts.
That contract is exactly why San Jose stands out as a possible fit. The Sharks have the cap room to take it on, and they also have the kind of assets Winnipeg would want back - young players, prospects and picks.
From the Jets’ side, San Jose makes sense as a potential trade partner. The bigger question is whether Mike Grier thinks the Sharks are close enough to spend heavily and push the rebuild forward while Hellebuyck is still in his prime. If he doesn’t, then it’s hard to see him rushing into a major move this early.
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