It's been almost a month since rumblings about the possibility of the Winnipeg Jets trading franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck first arose in the rumor mill.

The chatter intensified as the NHL draft weekend approached, with reports claiming the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers were interested in the 33-year-old Hellebuyck. It was later reported that a deal between the Jets and Sabres fell through hours before the first round of the draft began.

It seemed only a matter of time until the Jets traded Hellebucyk, but over two weeks after the draft, there's no sign a deal is imminent. Talk of the Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils as landing spots for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner has been dismissed.

Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press firmly believes Hellebuyck will be traded this summer, putting the odds at "somewhere north of 95 percent." He based it on their decision not to re-sign backup Eric Comrie and their addition of former Edmonton Oilers starter Stuart Skinner via free agency.

McIntyre considers the Sabres as the most likely landing spot, with the San Jose Sharks and the Hurricanes as other suitable destinations. He also thinks that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff can afford to be patient, given the remaining five years on Hellebuyck's contract.

However, Massimo De Luca-Taronno of the Winnipeg Sun disagrees with McIntyre's take. He considers it "increasingly likely" that Hellebuyck will be reporting to the Jets' training camp in September. De Luca-Taronno felt that if a truly enticing offer had been made, the trade would've happened by now.

Unlike Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings, there are no reports of Hellebuyck requesting a trade. The Jets seem willing to listen to offers, and if they get something suitable, they could take it to him to see if he'll waive his no-movement clause.

The Buffalo deal was reportedly close to happening, but one of the players involved was rumored to have refused to waive their no-trade clause. It was suggested that the player was goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has a five-team no-trade list, but that clause didn't go into effect until July 1, four days after the draft.

It's possible that no one meets the Jets' asking price and they retain Hellebuyck for the regular season. However, it's not unusual for a big-name player to be traded during the summer's dog days. Just ask Erik Karlsson, who was shipped to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a blockbuster, three-team trade on Aug. 6, 2023.

Still, the longer this drags on, the less likely it becomes that Hellebuyck gets moved before training camp.

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.