NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Florida Panthers were "hot" for Connor Hellebuyck, but the deal to acquire Brady Tkachuk has made that possibility much more difficult.
Connor Hellebuyck has made his trade request from the Winnipeg Jets public, with a statement on social media via his agent, Ray Petkau.
“Several months ago, I privately requested a trade,” Hellebuyck said in the statement. “I have tried to handle this situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”
Before the public statement, several insiders revealed that the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes had made offers to the Jets, but the Jets turned them down. Outside of the Sabres and Hurricanes, the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and the Florida Panthers are said to have, or had, interest in acquiring the three-time Vezina Trophy and one-time Hart Trophy winner.
On Sept. 4, Elliotte Friedman, a trusted NHL insider, joined the NHL Tonight show and discussed several trending topics around the league. Unsurprisingly, Hellebuyck was among them.
Friedman said the Panthers were "hot" for Hellebuyck, but since the Brady Tkachuk trade, making a deal has become much harder.
"I think one of the teams that was really in this hot was Florida," said Friedman. "And I think one of the challenges is that part of Florida's package, not all of Florida's package, but part of it was what they traded to Ottawa to get Brady Tkachuk. So, does Florida have anything that still makes sense?"
There are several roadblocks the Panthers must overcome to land Hellebuyck. For starters, their trade assets are scarce. They have no first-round picks in any of the next three NHL drafts, own a thin prospect pool that doesn't feature any projected stars, and they don't have the cap space to fit Hellebuyck.
Although the Panthers would likely deal an NHL player back in a move for Hellebuyck, they would still be required to clear additional space to fit his $8.5 million AAV contract.
Then comes the issue with Jacob Markstrom. The Panthers made a deal with the Devils to bring back their 2008 first-round pick. Moving on from him before the season starts would be a poor use of assets, and they'd have to navigate his 20-team no-trade list.
While picturing Hellebuyck backstopping this Panthers team is fun, and it would make for one of the more dominant rosters in the NHL, it's likely impossible for the Panthers to acquire him.
It would be nothing short of a miracle if they did.
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