Sabres Trade Talks For Connor Hellebuyck Hit Major Roadblock
How The Draft-Week Deal Collapsed
Talks between the Sabres and Jets got serious around the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, and by most accounts, a trade felt close.
It fell apart over one specific sticking point. Winnipeg wanted Buffalo's fourth overall pick while holding onto its own eighth overall selection, and the Sabres wouldn't move inside the top 10 without getting a pick back in return.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Connor Hellebuyck trade request/Sabres: Now I believe that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has Winnipeg on his no-trade; the Jets want a goalie, so that complicates things - 32 Thoughts (9/18)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 19, 2026
Neither side budged. The Jets stayed at eight and took Viggo Bjorck, a player Friedman said they'd liked all along, while Buffalo kept its own pick and selected Daxon Rudolph.
Hellebuyck, for his part, was reportedly willing to waive his no-movement clause to approve a trade to Buffalo specifically, which is what made the Sabres the presumed frontrunner all summer.
Winnipeg has since suspended Hellebuyck after he failed to report to training camp following his public trade request, and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke on the situation this week, making clear he won't force a trade simply to make one and expects an appropriate return for a three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Luukkonen's No-Trade Clause Complicates Everything
That return is where things get complicated.
Winnipeg has made clear it wants a goaltender coming back in any deal, and the obvious candidate on Buffalo's roster is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was reportedly one of the central pieces the Sabres were willing to include back in June.
The problem is Luukkonen's five-year, $23.75 million contract includes a five-team no-trade list that only kicked in on July 1, after the draft-week talks had already stalled.
"Now I believe, and obviously nobody confirms these things, but now I believe that Luukkonen has Winnipeg on his no-trade," Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. "The Jets want a goalie, so that complicates things."
Luukkonen himself has acknowledged being part of those conversations without confirming any list details. "It's business, I guess," he said at Sabres training camp. "I've been part of those conversations before. I'm really happy to be here."
Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the Jets for not reporting to camp 😳
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 17, 2026
He publicly requested a trade in August pic.twitter.com/8ThK8kk1dg
At least one other goaltender who could realistically headline a Hellebuyck package also reportedly has Winnipeg on his no-trade list, according to Friedman, further narrowing Cheveldayoff's options if a goalie is truly the price of admission.
Friedman has also confirmed the Sabres and Jets discussed a Panthers offer around the same time, while Carolina remains in the mix separately, centered on defenseman Alexander Nikishin, though Friedman noted Winnipeg has its own questions about whether Nikishin would actually sign there long-term.
For now, Friedman describes the entire situation as being in "a holding pattern."
