Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck didn't hold back criticism of his performance and that of his teammates this season. His remarks also have some observers wondering how much longer he'll be with the team.
This season was disappointing for the Winnipeg Jets.
Winners of the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record in 2024-25, the Jets struggled throughout this season and fell short of a playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Connor Hellebuyck had the worst season of his 11-season NHL career. Coming off his third Vezina Trophy win and his first Hart Trophy in 2024-25, the 32-year-old Jets goaltender finished with a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average, and a .895 save percentage, marking the first season that his save percentage fell below .900.
Hellebuyck didn't sugarcoat his remarks about his performance and that of his teammates during his end-of-season media availability on Friday.
He owned up to his share of the blame, going on to call the club's performance "unacceptable." Hellebuyck also wondered about the club's direction, adding that things had to change for them to become a Stanley Cup contender.
Those remarks drew different opinions about Hellebuyck's future with the Jets.
Gordon Anderson of the Winnipeg Sun noted Hellebuyck spoke of re-evaluating things and that his goal is to win the Stanley Cup. However, he didn't believe it meant that the superstar goaltender was eyeing the exit.
He indicated that Hellebuyck said he still believes the Jets are "a very good team" and spoke of how he loves living and playing in Winnipeg.
However, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press felt that Hellebuyck sounded like he might not be with the Jets for much longer. He pointed out that speculation about the netminder's future started after he backstopped Team USA to Olympic gold in February.
McIntyre admitted Hellebuyck may have been blowing off steam following a disappointing season. Nevertheless, he wondered if moving their all-star goaltender might be the answer to where the Jets go from here.
Hellebuyck has five years left on his contract with an affordable $8.5 million average annual value. McIntyre believes plenty of teams would pursue the all-star goalie if he hits the trade block this summer.
This wouldn't be the first time questions were raised about Hellebuyck's future. Media trade chatter in the summer of 2023 had him and teammate Mark Scheifele on their way out of Winnipeg, but they wound up signing identical eight-year contract extensions that fall.
Hellebuyck was clearly unhappy over his performance and that of his teammates, but he also stressed that he didn't want to leave any speculation that he wants out of Winnipeg. However, he's sent a clear signal to the Jets front office that he wants to win the Stanley Cup and wants to know how they intend to achieve that aim.
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