There's no end in sight for the standoff between Connor Hellebuyck and Jets management, but that's not stopping the speculation about potential trade destinations.
It's been a week since the Winnipeg Jets suspended Connor Hellebuyck without pay for failing to report to training camp. So far, there's no sign that the standoff between the 33-year-old goaltender and Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will end soon.
On Sunday, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun weighed in, dismissing the notion that Hellebuyck’s trade request and refusal to report to camp mean he doesn’t want to play for Canadian teams.
Simmons believes Hellebuyck would immediately report to the Edmonton Oilers or Montreal Canadiens if he were traded to either club. He suggested that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner wants out of Winnipeg "not because the Jets are lousy, but because his family has apparently been treated poorly by the local community."
Hellebuyck was unhappy about the backlash his family received on social media for his attending a White House reception honoring Team USA's Olympic gold-medal victory over Canada. The Jets looked into security for him and his family and spoke to police about the online threats.
However, Hellebuyck said he wasn't booed by Jets fans, adding that some of them congratulated him on winning Olympic gold. He didn't mention mistreatment by the Winnipeg community during his end-of-season comments to the media. When he revealed his trade request last month, he thanked Jets fans for their support.
Simmons' mention of the Canadiens and Oilers had some folks wondering if they would pursue a deal for Hellebuyck.
James Murphy of The Sick Podcast cited an NHL source saying the Canadiens aren't interested in Hellebuyck. The source said they're content with their current goaltending and don’t want to pay a high price for something they don't need to address.
The Oilers would probably love to have Hellebuyck as their starting goaltender. However, they lack the salary-cap space to absorb his $8.5 million average annual value through 2030-31 and the trade assets necessary to acquire the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Meanwhile, The Hockey News' Jake Tye cited NHL insider Frank Seravalli, who suggested the door remains open for Hellebuyck to return to the Jets. Nevertheless, he also felt the San Jose Sharks, Utah Mammoth, and Vegas Golden Knights could be landing spots for the superstar goaltender.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes the Sharks and Jets "kicked tires" on a possible deal.
If the Sharks and Mammoth are interested in Hellebuyck, they both have young NHL players that could tempt the Jets. They lack salary-cap space to take on his cap hit, but they could address that by sending some salary to Winnipeg in the deal.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
