On Monday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman spoke on his podcast, 32 Thoughts, touching on every team in the league during a season-ending episode, and one particular tidbit involving the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets stood out.

There has been plenty of conversation around superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and whether the Jets would move him, with several teams reportedly looking to add the 33-year-old Michigan native. 

One team Friedman noted likely won't land Hellebuyck is one of Winnipeg's division rivals in the Colorado Avalanche, as Friedman explained that some teams wondered whether Colorado had taken a run at him, and a few suspected the Avalanche had at least considered it.

Friedman didn't sound convinced anything could realistically come together, though. "I don't know how that could work, what they could offer, and I'm not sure that Winnipeg would want to see that," Friedman said on the podcast, pouring some cold water on the idea before it could gain traction.

There has been one confirmed offer on the table for Hellebuyck so far, coming from the Buffalo Sabres, and it was a substantial one. That package reportedly included the fourth overall pick, starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a player believed to be Jack Quinn and at least one additional asset. Even with that kind of return on the table, the Jets ultimately walked away from the discussions.

A deal of similar magnitude coming from Colorado would be difficult to construct. The Avalanche are already tight against the salary cap, and taking on Hellebuyck's contract would require moving out significant pieces of their own roster just to make the money work, let alone putting together the kind of prospect and roster player package Winnipeg would likely want in return. 

There's also the added complication of a divisional rival landing a franchise goaltender, something that would almost certainly push Winnipeg's asking price even higher than what they were seeking from Buffalo, given how often the two clubs would see each other over an 82-game schedule and potentially in the playoffs.

At this point, a trade sending Hellebuyck to Colorado, or really anywhere, doesn't appear close to happening. The rumor mill surrounding his future has quieted considerably in recent days, and for now, it looks like the Jets and their franchise goaltender remain right where they started.

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