NHL Rumors: Noise Picking Up Around Jets' Connor Hellebuyck
The noise surrounding him says otherwise.
NHL analyst Murat Ates reported that multiple league sources believe if the Jets were to shop their three-time Vezina Trophy winner in earnest, there would be a huge bidding war.
"Multiple league sources believe that if the Jets were to shop Hellebuyck in earnest, there'd be a bidding war for his services," Ates wrote, naming Florida, Buffalo, Detroit, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Utah, and New Jersey as teams that could be interested given their varying levels of need for goaltending stability.
Where the Speculation Started
Hellebuyck's end-of-season media availability is what started all of this.
The 33-year-old questioned openly whether the Jets could build a legit Stanley Cup contender, coming off a season that fell well below his usual standard with an .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average across 57 games, even after helping Team USA capture Olympic gold in February.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has been monitoring the situation.
"It is clear he wants to chase a Stanley Cup," Pagnotta said. "He wanted to do so with the Jets, but after a rough season for everyone, his tune started to change."
Dreger on Barn Burner podcast: "Winnipeg is willing to consider moving Connor Hellebuyck"
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 17, 2026
Dreger goes to talk to about what they need in return for Hellebuyck: "preferably a no.2 centre and maybe you get a d-man on top of that"
Pagnotta also confirmed the Panthers contacted Winnipeg in May to check on Hellebuyck's availability, and addressed an unsubstantiated report from former NHL player Matt Murley that Hellebuyck had requested a trade outright, which Pagnotta said could not be independently confirmed.
"The Jets are not actively shopping Hellebuyck and do not want to move him, by every indication I've been given, but if the netminder wants out, Winnipeg will have to navigate the trade waters," Pagnotta confirmed.
Why Florida Keeps Coming Up
The Panthers are the most frequently cited destination.
Sergei Bobrovsky is heading toward free agency with no extension in place, leaving Florida with a big vacancy in net.
Paul Maurice, the Panthers' head coach, coached Hellebuyck for years in Winnipeg and knows precisely what he would be getting.
According to the Game Notes podcast, #NHLJets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has requested a trade to #TimeToHunt.
— Jets Empire (@JetsEmpir3) June 9, 2026
Take it with a grain of salt, but it will be interesting to see whether any established reporters weigh in on the situation in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/w3dASU3RTg
Florida holds the ninth overall pick in the 2026 draft and could build a package around that selection alongside prospects like Mackie Samoskevich or Jack Devine if talks ever turn serious.
Elliotte Friedman added additional context this week, saying there is a lot bubbling under the surface and that an unsubstantiated report suggested Hellebuyck had given a small list of teams to Winnipeg that included Florida, Tampa Bay, and Vegas.
Friedman noted Tampa Bay makes the least sense given Andrei Vasilevskiy's two remaining years under contract, while Vegas's questions in net following Carter Hart's up-and-down Stanley Cup Final performance make that connection more plausible.
Nothing about this situation has reached the formal request stage.
Hellebuyck remains under contract, the Jets obviously maintain they want to keep him, and no team has reportedly made a formal offer.
But the volume of teams being named and the consistency of insiders independently arriving at similar conclusions is very interesting.
Something definitely seems to be building.
Whether it becomes an actual trade this summer depends entirely on what happens behind closed doors between Hellebuyck's camp and Kevin Cheveldayoff in the weeks ahead.
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