Report: Jets Trade Superstar Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey Devils

On Friday, the Winnipeg Jets traded superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils in a blockbuster deal that brings a significant haul back to Winnipeg.

The return includes forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, 2026 12th overall draft pick Alexander Command, depth goaltender Nico Daws, a 2029 second-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

The move ends the three-time Vezina Trophy winner's time in Winnipeg.

Hellebuyck is coming off a down year by his standards, posting a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 57 games. The Jets missed the playoffs for just the second time in the last nine seasons, and the Michigan native reportedly came to believe he needed a change of scenery and will now get one with the Devils.

Mercer, 24, was selected 18th overall by the Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft and has grown into a reliable middle-six forward. The Carbonear, Newfoundland native played all 82 games this past season, finishing with 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points.

Command, 18, was drafted by New Jersey just a few months ago and is already on the move to Winnipeg. The Jets land a top-12 draft talent and for good reason, as the Swedish import has impressed in his home country, dominating at the junior level while also earning a brief taste of professional hockey in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). 

Command has been far more productive with Örebro HK’s U20 squad in the U20 Nationell, where he tallied 29 goals and 35 assists for 64 points in 43 games over three seasons. He is once again splitting time between the junior and senior levels this season, already producing 12 points in six games with the U20 team while remaining scoreless through another six appearances in the SHL.

The six-foot-one center still has a long development road ahead, but his offensive upside and early production at the junior level offer plenty of promise. While he is far from a finished product, Command could ultimately prove to be the most significant piece of this trade for Winnipeg and long-term staple in the lineup alongside fellow Swede Viggo Björck.

Daws, 25, was a third-round pick in the same 2020 class and got off to a solid start in the NHL last season, going 2-1-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage over three games. He has been decent again this season, posting a 2-2-0 record and a promising 2.78 goals-against average, though his .874 save percentage in four games leaves room for improvement.

Hellebuyck finishes his Jets tenure with a 345-208-55 record, a 2.58 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in 625 games. He leads the franchise in nearly every major goaltending category, including games played, wins, losses, overtime losses, shutouts, time on ice, goals-against average and save percentage.

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