Jets' struggles highlight Hellebuyck's indispensable value. His absence proves he's the NHL's true MVP, carrying the team's playoff hopes.
The Winnipeg Jets are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games, have lost four games in a row, five of their last seven and eight of their last 11.
Things are not going all that well in Winnipeg just a few months removed from a first-place finish overall.
The biggest difference at the moment in the roster composition is that of the absence of all-star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
The reigning back-to-back Vezina and Jennings Trophy winner has been missing for the past week-and-a-half as he recovers from a minor, arthroscopic knee procedure that he underwent last Saturday.
Winnipeg's play has been pedestrian at best since he went down.
Hellebuyck, who had the Jets at 11-7-0 on the year when he left the team in Eric Comrie's capable hands.
Yes, capable.
Comrie has proven over the years to be a competent NHL goaltender. He hasn't, however, had a chance to be a starter with the Jets organization, thanks in large part to Hellebuyck's 10 years of dominance.
He has gone 1-3 since taking over as the No. 1 goaltender for Winnipeg. He hasn't played terribly either. The Jets just haven't given him much in terms of run support.
The glaring difference is the desperation saves or the saves that Hellebuyck makes on 'expected goals' to which Comrie is unable to keep up with.
Thomas Milic has also spent the past week with the Jets, making his NHL debut on Friday afternoon in Carolina. He fared well in his first NHL contest, but ultimately did end up as the loser in the game.
Much like that of Winnipeg's play in front of Comrie, the Jets didn't do much defensively in front of Milic either.
Last year, the Hart Trophy was presented to Connor Hellebuyck as the league MVP.
Some argued it should have been Leon Draisaitl's trophy, but it has become abundantly clear just how important Hellebuyck is to the success of the Jets.
Since entering the league 10 years ago, Hellebuyck has bee able to avoid any major injury concerns - that is, until 2025-26 rolled around.
With the Jets falling from a playoff spot during his absence and not really showing any other signs of life, the next few weeks during his four-to-six week stay on the injured reserve will be critical for the season-long success of Winnipeg this season.
The league's MVP is most definitely a candidate for the starter's role for the United States' Olympic Team, but his injury timetable certainly makes things a bit more interesting. Should he make it back for January, Hellebuyck will look to help get his team back into the hunt, before turning his attention to supporting his country in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience overseas.
Winnipeg, which went a dismal 2-4-0 on its season-long, six-game road trip through the Western Conference earlier in November, is playing its third test of a five-game road trip on Saturday in Nashville. The game also serves as the second half of a back-to-back, to which the Jets dropped 5-1 in Carolina on Friday. They take on Buffalo on Monday and Montreal on Wednesday, before returning home on Friday for another test against the Sabres.