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NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On Potential Trade Partners For Connor Hellebucyk
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Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request has several pundits speculating over trade destinations, but finding a suitable one could be difficult
The hockey world is still buzzing
about Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck publicly requesting
a trade last week. That’s prompted pundits to speculate about
potential destinations for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner
Hellebuyck, 33, is signed through
2030-31 with an average annual value of $8.5 million. His no-movement
clause gives him complete control over his potential landing spots.
However, Chris Johnston of The Athleticreported he’s willing to
waive his NMC “for a variety of teams.”
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The Buffalo Sabres could be among
them. In late June, it was reported that the Sabres and Jets were
working on a trade that would’ve sent Hellebuyck to Buffalo, and
that he was willing to waive his clause to go there. However, the
deal fell through on the eve of the opening round of the 2026 NHL
Draft
Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News
has the Sabres on his list of Hellebuyck’s possible destinations.
So does Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon, who proposed the Sabres offer up
goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and forwards Jiri Kulich and Konsta
Helenius
Mike Harrington of The
Buffalo News dismissed
that suggestion. Meanwhile, Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat believes the
Sabres should be leery of the Jets’ high
asking price, Hellebuyck’s struggles
last season, and his questionable playoff record
DeRosa also suggested the New
Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks as landing spots
James Nichols of New Jersey
Hockey Now believes the Devils will stick with the trio of Jake
Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich. He pointed out that adding
Hellebuyck’s contract could complicate the Devils’ efforts to
acquire Quinn Hughes if he and the Minnesota Wild fail to agree to a
contract extension
thehockeynews.comWhat’s Next For Hellebuyck And Jets After Trade Request Becomes Public?Connor Hellebuyck just put out a statement saying he has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. What does that mean for his team and his career going forward?
Meanwhile, Curtis Pashelka of The
Mercury News believes that adding Hellebuyck would put the Sharks
in “win-now” mode. Hedidn’t dismiss the possibility of GM Mike
Grier looking into it, but raised concerns about Hellebuyck’s age,
playoff performance, and the high cost of obtaining him
The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida
Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights have been previously mentioned as possible suitors. Of
that group, the Hurricanes have the cap space and the tradeable
assets to pull it off. However, the defending Stanley Cup champions
could be comfortable with their current tandem of Brandon Bussi and
Pyotr Kochetkov
George Richards of Florida Hockey
Nowrejected the idea of the Panthers acquiring Hellebuyck. He
believes that if that deal were possible, it would’ve happened by now,
pointing out that they recently acquired Jacob Markstrom from the
Devils to replace former starter Sergei Bobrovsky
The Golden Knights’ lack of
salary cap space forced them to trade leading goal scorer Pavel
Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers. If they couldn’t afford to
retain him, they can’t afford Hellebuyck’s contract, plus they
lack the trade capital to tempt the Jets
A dark horse could be the Utah
Mammoth. Jesse Granger of The Athleticnoted they have plenty of
future assets and top-six forwards to make a competitive bid. He also
suggested that they include starting goalie Karel Vejmelka in the
deal
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