As trade leverage vanishes and training camp looms, the Jets risk losing their disgruntled star for a diminished return following a steep decline in the crease.
As we enter the start of the hockey season with training camps around the corner and preseason games on the horizon, the Winnipeg Jets find themselves inching closer to the regular season while still having a disgruntled superstar on the roster.
Three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck isn't expected to be back with the Jets this upcoming season after confirming over a week ago that he did request a trade earlier in the offseason and has not changed his stance.
It was made public around the time of the draft that Winnipeg did try to strike a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that would've seen the Jets bring in the fourth overall pick as well as top-six forward Jack Quinn. However, the deal fell through when Winnipeg wasn't willing to move off their first-round pick at ninth overall.
Now in early September, it appears the Jets are running out of time before moving into training camp with as little drama as possible. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on NHL Tonight this past Friday that he's heard there are "big challenges" when it comes to getting a deal done, and that it could affect the return package coming back to Winnipeg.
"Some of the things that were available at the beginning of the summer or at the draft are no longer available," meaning the Jets may not get the price they're looking for when it comes to moving Hellebuyck, which could complicate things heading into camp.
Hellebuyck is coming off a down season by his standards, finishing 2025-26 with a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage, a steep drop from his back-to-back Vezina campaigns, when he combined for an 84-31-7 record, a 2.19 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
If they can't find a decent return for Hellebuyck, it begs the question of whether they will cave in and sell off, or could they even try to make amends with the 33-year-old Michigan native.
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