Talk about Connor Hellebuyck requesting a trade from the Winnipeg Jets has swirled ever since his end-of-season comments, and that speculation has only intensified in recent days with the offseason now fully underway.
There have been questions about how much truth there is to the idea of Hellebuyck departing Winnipeg, but on Thursday we learned that his time with the Jets could very well be nearing its end.
According to TSN insider Darren Dreger, while Hellebuyck hasn’t formally requested a trade, he certainly wouldn’t mind a change of scenery.
“I can say confidently that they’re not shopping Connor Hellebuyck, but if you rewind the clock two months, Hellebuyck was pretty clear that he was not happy with how that season went for the Winnipeg Jets. Now, I don’t have the information that he has formally asked for a trade, so I don’t believe that he has. But I think there’s a sense, a clear indication, that he wouldn’t mind a change,”
The 33-year-old has five years remaining on the seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension he signed with the Jets in 2023. He had a down 2025-26 campaign, going 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage, and no shutouts in 57 starts.
It makes you wonder whether Hellebuyck is one of — if not the main player — Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman has been referring to when stating that more big-name trade requests are coming this summer.
The superstar netminder would immediately skyrocket up trade target boards and generate significant interest from numerous teams. Among those already having been linked are the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Florida Panthers.
This figures to be one of the biggest storylines around the NHL in the coming days and weeks with the draft and free agency right around the corner.
