There is speculation that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Hellebuyck could be on the move this summer, and one of the teams linked to the 30-year-old is the New Jersey Devils.
The Winnipeg Jets are a team stuck in mediocracy. Since the 2018-19 season, the club made the postseason four times but only have a single playoff-round victory on their resume in that time.
After another disappointing early first-round exit, the Jets are expected to make some significant changes, and one player who reportedly is on the move is their goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Several teams have been linked to the former Vezina Trophy winner, including the New Jersey Devils, who are arguably one or two pieces away from being a true Stanley Cup contender.
What Devils fans need to know about Hellebuyck
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Why Trading for Hellebuyck Makes Sense for New Jersey
The Devils have not had an elite goaltender in their crease since Martin Brodeur. Since his departure, it's been a revolving door in New Jersey net with names like Yann Danis, Cory Schneider, and Keith Kinkaid attempting to backstop their team to success. During the 2022 offseason, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald acquired Vitek Vanecek to solve his goaltending problems.
The trade worked, and the combination of Vanecek, Schmid, and Mackenzie Blackwood helped New Jersey reach the postseason for the first time since the 2017-18 season. For the purpose of this article, there will not be a focus on Blackwood, who is currently a restricted free agent.
In the regular season, Vanecek was primarily relied upon playing 52 games, earning a record of 33-11-4. His goals-against average of 2.45 was eighth-best in the league. The Havlickuv Brod native's 33 wins put him in a unique category, with Brodeur as the only goaltender in New Jersey's history to earn 30 or more wins in a single season. However, the 27-year-old's playoff performance was less than desirable, starting four games and losing three of them. His struggles led to some feeling that the Devils' search for an elite goaltender may not be over.
Schmid took massive strides in his development and was maybe the biggest surprise on Fitzgerald's roster. He appeared in 18 regular season games and earned a record of 9-5-2. During the postseason, he became a household name leading the Devils to a Round 1 victory over the New York Rangers, including a shutout in a critical Game 7. In Round 2 versus the Carolina Hurricanes he was unable to backstop his team to a win.
Neither goaltender has the experience and resume of Hellebuyck. The Jets goaltender has 40 games of playoff experience compared to Vanecek and Schmid, who have a combined 19. Schmid is waivers exempt for the 2023-24 season, which could open the door to a very impressive tandem of Hellebuyck and Vanecek.
The Devils are not in a win-now mode but are in a position to be highly competitive over the next several seasons, and a Vezina-caliber goaltender could be the final piece in Fitzgerald's puzzle. It also doesn't hurt that the Devils could emerge as the perfect trade partner for the Jets, thanks to their available assets.
Why the Devils Should Stay Away from Hellebuyck
It all comes down to money.
The Devils have a little more than $34 million in cap space to work with this summer but only have five forwards and five defensemen signed for the upcoming season. The biggest item on Fitzgerald's to-do list is to lock up restricted free agents Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier. Ultimately their contracts will dictate what corresponding moves the organization makes.
The Devils surpassed everyone's expectations, and there is a notion that they should essentially run it back with the same roster, albeit with a couple of minor moves. Depth pieces like Erik Haula, Michael McLeod, and Nathan Bastian need new contracts, so the question is, how big of a need is a netminder for Fitzgerald?
During his end-of-season media availability, he spoke highly of his current goaltending tandem.
"We got above-average goaltending," he said. "(Vanecek) had a really good year and won us a lot of games. (Schmid) came in and showed the promise and the poise in his game to give us promise moving forward. ...I was actually really happy with our goaltending this season."
Hellebuyck would come with a cap hit of $6.17 million next season. After that, he would be an unrestricted free agent, and some are projecting his next contract would have an average annual value of $9 million or higher.
It's also worth noting that Fitzgerald does not have the best track record when bringing in a goaltender aged 30 or older. On Oct. 11, 2020, he signed 35-year-old Corey Crawford to a contract. Unfortunately, in January 2021, the organization announced Crawford would take an indefinite leave of absence, and the next day, he announced his retirement from the NHL. Months later, Fitzgerald signed 32-year-old Jonathan Bernier to a two-year contract. He played a mere ten games for New Jersey and has not appeared in a professional game because of injuries since Dec. 3, 2021.
Vanecek and Schmid gained valuable experience this past season. Vanecek learned what it takes to be a starter in the league, and Schmid learned the difference between regular season and playoff hockey.
There are always players who can improve a team's roster, and Hellebuyck can undoubtedly do that, but in this situation, is the juice worth the squeeze? Like he does every offseason, Fitzgerald will speak to his team to see if a change is necessary.
"We're going to go evaluate with Martin Brodeur, Dave Rogalski, Lindy Ruff, and Scott Clemmensen, all the people involved with our goalie department."