THN.com/podcast. From The Hockey News Podcast: Evaluating Every NHL Team's Free Agency Moves Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk5MzMyODMzNTUzMDMzMTY2/usatsi_17978469.jpg] Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele The Winnipeg Jets dominated the rumor mill [https://thehockeynews.com/news/winnipeg-jets-dominate-rumor-mill-as-nhl-draft-approaches] leading up to last month's NHL draft. With Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele a year away from UFA status, they were expected to be traded to other clubs. Dubois was shipped to the Los Angeles Kings on June 26 while Wheeler was bought out of his contract on June 30. Hellebuyck and Schiefele, however, remain with the Jets approaching mid-July. So far, there's little buzz in the rumor mill about either player being close to a trade. On June 29, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun [https://theathletic.com/4650722/2023/06/29/nhl-draft-no-trades-lebrun/] reported the New Jersey Devils were interested in Hellebuyck but unwilling to pay a big price for the 30-year-old goaltender. LeBrun didn't rule out the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner starting this season in Winnipeg if the trade market wasn't more robust. Two days later, LeBrun's colleague Murat Ates [https://twitter.com/WPGMurat/status/1675247601614979072] reported Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was listening when teams were calling on Hellebuyck and Scheifele. Since then, there's no indication he's any closer to moving either player. The Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/08/sports/connor-clifton-sabres/] felt Scheifele, 30, could be a good fit with the Bruins as their first or second-line center for the next four or five years. However, he believes it would cost them forwards Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha, along with perhaps prospect Fabian Lysell. Their contracts are a likely sticking point. Hellebuyck [https://puckpedia.com/player/connor-hellebuyck] carries a $6.166-million cap hit for 2024-25 but will earn $7.5 million in actual salary. Scheifele [https://puckpedia.com/player/mark-scheifele], meanwhile, earns an average annual value of $6.125 million and has a 10-team no-trade list. With 24 teams carrying less than $6 million in cap space [https://puckpedia.com/teams], it will take some creativity on Cheveldayoff's part to move either player this summer.
