Winnipeg Jets Rejected Connor Hellebuyck Trade Offers
Vezina trophy winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been dangled in trade talks by the Winnipeg Jets all summer long, but according to multiple reports, the Jets are asking for a boatload in return, and continue to reject trade offers.
Yaremchuk: On Hellebuyck, one of our commenters commented: “Is Hellebuyck too expensive, or are teams gun shy over his playoff performance or non-playoff performances? I’ll just chime in quickly and I don’t even know if it’s that, I just think the Jets might be asking for the sun, the moon, and the stars here.
Hutton: I don’t think there’s any buyer beware here. If you have a chance to get Connor Hellebuyck as your goalie, you’re going to take it, but at what expense?
I just find it interesting if you’re the Winnipeg Jets and you’re sitting here with Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner making $3.75 million, and he’s making $8.5 million and a Winnipeg Jets team that was kind of miserable last year — and I know they came off a Presidents’ Trophy run, and you think that might be a blip on the radar. There might be some value there… And I think if you’re the Winnipeg Jets, at some point you want to move him because at 33, if you wait two or three more years, there’s no more value left in them.
Hellebuyck has grown frustrated with the organization and there lack of progress to push the team over the hump, and add top-six talent up front, and top-four talent on the back end. There was plenty of speculation that Hellebuyck would be moved at the NHL Draft back in June, with the Buffalo Sabres circling the waters, and the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche making offers, but Jets' GM Kevin Cheveldayoff continues to hold firm on his stance.
Hellebuyck, 33, is signed through the 2031 season at a very reasonable $8.5 million AAV, and for this season until July 1st, holds a full no-movement clause, controlling his own destiny. Once next summer hits, his trade protection decreases to a 10-team approved list that he'll have to submit at the end of this season.
The Devils are trying to land Quinn Hughes in a trade, so they're likely out of the mix for now. The Sabres likely have turned their attention to finding some forward help, after Alex Tuch left for the Washington Capitals. The Avs make sense still, but it's the Jets that seem to be holding up talks.
Daily Faceoff's Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHLer Carter Hutton discussed the latest on Hellebuyck in a recent episode of Daily Faceoff Live, and had this to say on what they feel is going on:
Hutton: I don’t think there’s any buyer beware here. If you have a chance to get Connor Hellebuyck as your goalie, you’re going to take it, but at what expense?
I just find it interesting if you’re the Winnipeg Jets and you’re sitting here with Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner making $3.75 million, and he’s making $8.5 million and a Winnipeg Jets team that was kind of miserable last year — and I know they came off a Presidents’ Trophy run, and you think that might be a blip on the radar. There might be some value there… And I think if you’re the Winnipeg Jets, at some point you want to move him because at 33, if you wait two or three more years, there’s no more value left in them.