Winnipeg Jets Trade Connor Hellebuyck To New Jersey Devils In Blockbuster Five-Player Trade

The Connor Hellebuyck saga has finally coming to an end.

The Winnipeg Jets have traded Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for goaltender Nico Daws, forwards Nick Bjugstad and Dawson Mercer, prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, the Jets announced.

This move comes as the 33-year-old's suspension by the Jets ends after he failed to report to training camp ahead of the season. He forfeited $927,835.05 in salary over his 24-day suspension.

The goaltender publicly released a statement on Aug. 27 through his agent's X account, expressing his desire to be traded.

Hellebuyck is in the third season of a seven-year contract that carries an $8.5 million cap hit.

Daws is a third-round pick of the Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft and has put together an .897 save percentage in 59 NHL games across five seasons since making his debut in the 2021-22 season.

Mercer, 24, was a first-round pick of the Devils in 2020 and has scored 20 goals in three of the previous five seasons. He scored a career-high 27 goals and 56 points in the 2022-23 season.

Bjugstad is entering his 16th season in the NHL and spent majority of his time with Florida Panthers, who drafted him in 2010. The 34-year-old finished with just two points in 26 games with the Devils after being traded from the St. Louis Blues on Feb 5.

Command was a first-round selection of the Devils in the most recent 2026 NHL Draft, taken 12th overall. The 18-year-old center spent time between the SHL and Sweden's U-20 junior league, recording 44 points in 30 games with Orebro last season.

With the completion of this trade, Hellebuyck will make his return to Winnipeg on Nov. 10 when the Jets host the Devils. 

Hellebuyck has been one of the game's most dominant netminders, winning three Vezina Trophies, a Hart Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

A fifth-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Hellebuyck has spent all 11 seasons of his illustrious career with the Jets. Winnipeg made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven of those seasons, with their best finish coming in the 2017-18 season as they made it to the Western Conference Final before eventually losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.

More to come...

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