NHL Rumors: Connor Hellebuyck Eyeing Trade To Panthers?

Thursday, June 11, 2026 ,
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck reacts during 2026 game.

Connor Hellebuyck did not hide his frustration after the Winnipeg Jets missed the playoffs.

At his end-of-season media availability, he called the team's performance unacceptable, shouldered his share of the blame, but made clear that things had to change if Winnipeg was going to become a Stanley Cup contender.

Those comments were pointed enough that David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported increasing chatter around the league regarding Hellebuyck's availability, noting that teams believe there may be an opportunity to explore a trade.

The Florida Panthers are now being put in that conversation.

Even the Game Notes podcast, featuring Colby Armstrong and Matt Murley recently reported that Hellebuyck has requested a trade to the Panthers. That's not been confirmed, however.

The Florida Situation

Sergei Bobrovsky's seven-year, $70 million contract expired this summer after he backstopped the Panthers to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025.

Bobrovsky, who turns 38 on Opening Night, is seeking a contract on the open market and the two sides have not reached an agreement.

If Florida cannot re-sign him, they are staring at one of the largest crease vacancies of any team in the league.

Paul Maurice, Panthers' current head coach, coached Hellebuyck in Winnipeg from his rookie season through the shortened 2020 campaign, including the year Hellebuyck won his first Vezina Trophy.

What the Trade Would Cost

Hellebuyck is 32 years old, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner in 2020, 2024, and 2025, and has five years remaining on a contract at $8.5 million per year, a number that is actually $1.5M lower than what Bobrovsky was making on his expiring deal.

Getting him to South Florida would not be cheap, regardless.

The most commonly proposed framework across multiple outlets involves Florida's ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft as the foundation, alongside young forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Jack Devine and potentially a veteran like Carter Verhaeghe to help Winnipeg manage their own cap situation, maybe even more.

The Panthers do not own first-round picks in 2027 or 2028, which means the ninth overall selection is the primary draft asset they can offer.

Why It Still Makes Sense for Florida

The Panthers won consecutive championships and believe the core around Barkov, Tkachuk, and Reinhart remains capable of winning again if the goaltending is solved. 

Hellebuyck is 32 with five years of control remaining.

Acquiring him does not just solve the 2026-27 crease problem; it solves it through 2031. That's massively tempting for a Panthers' team that still looks dangerous for years to come on paper.

The Jets, meanwhile, missed the playoffs, have roster decisions to make around Brad Lambert and Elias Salomonsson, and may have already determined that keeping a frustrated superstar goalie through another transitional year is not in the organization's best interest.

Now we wait to see whether the murmurings out there prove to be true, or nothing more than just rumors.

Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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