Report: Colorado Avalanche Linked To Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck

The Colorado Avalanche's disappointing trip to the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs led to a first-round exit. With the departure of former GM Chris McFarland, the team is eager to begin 2026-27 with a clean slate. 

Since Joe Sakic took on the GM role again, he's swung high with his attempts to improve the team's lineup significantly.  

On Monday's episode of The 32 Thoughts Podcast, he linked the Avalanche to the Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck, a former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender. 

“By the way, I had a couple of teams say to me they wondered if Colorado took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck,” Friedman said. “I don’t know how that could work, I don’t know what they would offer, and I’m not sure that Winnipeg would want to see that. But there were a couple of teams that were like, they kind of suspected that the Avalanche considered it.”

But the Avalanche would have to navigate a few obstacles before pursuing the elite goaltender. 

Elliotte Friedman: I had a couple teams say to me they wondered if Colorado took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck - 32 Thoughts (7/6)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 7, 2026

At the moment, the Avalanche have $404K in cap space per PuckPedia and would have to consider moving contracts to make the math work. Hellebuyck is in the third year of his seven-year, $8.5 million average annual value contract. 

This is the first obstacle of many in which we haven't even discussed what kind of package GM Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Jets would ask for in return for the American-born goaltender. 

What A Trade For Connor Hellebuyck Would Look Like

Wherever the 33-year-old goaltender lands next, he could propel his new team to the next level. With a no-movement clause attached to his contract, he will have to waive it for his next destination in the NHL. With that in mind, what would a trade for Hellebuyck look like? Jetswhiteout has a few mock trades that would make sense. We'll use their template for a trade with Buffalo, for example. 

• Konsta Helenius — drafted 11th overall in 2024, Helenius is viewed by NHL.com as Buffalo’s top prospect. A mid-sized forward who plays in all three zones and has a high hockey IQ sounds good to me.

• 2026 first-round pick and 2027 first-round pick.

With the Jets' signing former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner, could the scenery in Winnipeg be changing soon? 

Hellebuyck finished the season with 57 games played, a 2.86 goals-against average, and a .895 save percentage.