Hellebuyck Saga Finally Ends With Trade To New Jersey

To the relief of many in NHL circles, the saga swirling around goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has finally come to a close, as the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner was dealt to the New Jersey Devils on Friday for center Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, 2026 first-rounder Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad, and a pair of draft picks. 

Until the very end, the Buffalo Sabres were connected to the gold-medal winning netminder, as recently as this week leading up to the deal, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Thursday’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Sabres and the Utah Mammoth were hoping that Winnipeg would feel the pressure of moving Hellebuyck prior to the end of his suspension on Friday, and that they were waiting for the asking price would come down.  

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The rumors may have understandably caused a distraction with Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who reportedly could have been part of a trade for Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft in June, and may have been moved elsewhere had GM Jarmo Kekalainen been able to consummate a deal.

"(You)  kind  of  learn  to  deal  with (the rumors). You  can't escape  it," Luukkonen said after being informed about the trade. "I  don't  go  automatically to  read  (trade rumors), but  I  think  anybody  who  says  that  they  don't  see  it  or  they  don't  read  it.  They're  lying,  because  you  can't  really  escape  it  nowadays. If  I'm  not  on  social  media,  my  friends  will  send  it  to  me.  So  you  can't  escape  it and  I  think and  it's a  stupid  mentality  to  think  that  ' if  I  don't  see  it,  it's  not  happening.' " 

Luukkonen is focused on being more consistent after an up-and-down start to the season, something that head coach Lindy Ruff is looking for from his starter, who is expected to make his fifth start in a row against Washington on Saturday. 

" I  think  there's  been  just  key  saves  at  key  times  in  the  games  for  us  that  has  really  made  a  difference.  We  know  that  there's  kind  of  a  threshold  (Luukkonen)  gets  to  when  he  plays  a  number  of  games,  and  then  we  need  to  get  somebody  else  in  the  net." Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "I  think  any  time  a  goalie  gets  to roll  a  few  games  in  a  row,  he  gets  a  little  bit  of  momentum and  starts  to  feel  good  about  parts  of  his  game."

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