"We'll See" - Wheeler, Hellebuyck Unsure of Future in Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets held their year-end media availability from Canada Life Centre on Saturday. As one would expect, the moods were glum and for the most part, the longing to be elsewhere was very evident.

Whether that feeling was temporary is another question altogether.

Blake Wheeler - the team's former captain - made it clear he wasn't on the same page with head coach Rick Bowness. He also spoke in a reflective way, as if to indicate his time within Manitoba was nearing a close.

"I think he could have been honest with us," Wheeler said. "We could have had those discussions behind closed doors. So I didn't agree with how he handled himself after that game.

"But I think he got caught up in the moment, you know what I mean?... But regardless of what the message was, that could have been done more appropriately."

Wheeler back-pedalled his comments slightly, referencing the human side of things from the perspective of losing four-straight playoff games. 

"He's a person, too, so we don't expect him to be perfect all the time," Wheeler added. "People make mistakes. Those conversations are best had face-to-face. There's certainly healing that can happen, for sure. But, yeah. We'll just leave that between the guys and Rick. I think that's the best way forward."

Connor Hellebuyck, who is quite possibly the Jets very best player, didn't stray far from Wheeler's narrative.

Whether that was because he was sitting just two feet to his former captain's right, or due to the fact that he was still reeling following another missed opportunity at his ultimate goal this postseason. 

"Yeah, my main goal is to win a Stanley Cup, and I'm starting to run out of time and can feel it," Hellebuyck said. "You know, Wheels talks about this all the time. It just flashes by. And I'm starting to understand."

With free agency creeping up next offseason, Hellebuyck doubled down on his personal goal of wanting hockey's greatest prize. Whether he attempts to accomplish that goal in Winnipeg or elsewhere remains a mystery. 

"I just want to win a Cup," he said. "I don't know what the future of this team's going to look like. I don't know what their plans are, and I don't know if I'm in it, to be honest. I'm not sure what they're thinking. 

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to give everything wherever I am. If they decide to move me, that's their call. If they decide to try to talk, I haven't really thought about that, yet. Time's on my side. I've got all summer. I'm not in any rush."

Despite the season coming to an end less than 48 hours ago, the team's sights are already focused on 2023-24, to which the Jets' roster could boast a boatload of new talent.

But if those faces are young and less talented than the club's current makeup, you can likely count Hellebuyck out. 

"I'm not interested in a rebuild," he said. I'm just looking to compete every year."

For Wheeler, the 36-year-old very well may have skated in his last game as a Jet, despite having one year left on his current deal. 

"I'm not a general manager, yet. Yeah, I did say yet, he smiled. "I don't know if that means I'm going to be in the future. But there's no secrets what's coming up in the next couple of years. We'll see. Like Connor said, we were pretty invested in that series and being in the playoffs. We'll see. We'll see what the plans are."

With some serious re-tooling on his hands, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and company will certainly be fielding calls for possible trade partners as the calendar flips into draft and free agent season.