The Connor Hellebuyck trade saga continues to gain momentum, with two Canadian franchises — the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens — now part of the conversation as potential landing spots for the star Winnipeg Jets goaltender. That alone might come as a surprise, given the consensus view that Hellebuyck was ruling out Canadian teams.

If true, it shows how much his view on a trade may have changed.

According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, the widespread belief that Hellebuyck wants to leave Canada altogether isn’t accurate. Simmons reported that if the Jets traded the three-time Vezina Trophy winner to either Edmonton or Montreal, Hellebuyck would report without hesitation. These two teams are Canada’s best chances to win a Stanley Cup this season, which many believe is as big a priority for Hellebuyck as would be playing in a U.S. market.

Hellebuyck formally requested a trade earlier this offseason, a situation Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff acknowledged in August, though no deal with either club has been reported as being discussed.

Why the Oilers and/or the Canadiens For Hellebuyck?

For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious. The Oilers overhauled their goaltending this offseason, acquiring 24-year-old Devon Levi from Buffalo and signing veteran Frederik Andersen, while also retaining Tristan Jarry. Yet uncertainty remains: Andersen is currently injured, Jarry has struggled with consistency, and Levi has just 39 NHL games under his belt. For a team built around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and chasing a Stanley Cup, Hellebuyck would represent a clear win-now upgrade.

Montreal’s situation looks different. The Canadiens already have a promising young tandem in Jakub Dobes and top prospect Jacob Fowler, ranked as the organization’s No. 3 prospect. They also have Sam Montembeault, who some believe will inevitably be traded. General manager Kent Hughes has less obvious motivation to pursue a trade, but Hellebuyck’s résumé is hard to ignore.

Hellebuyck is coming off a down year by his own lofty standards, finishing 23-23-11 with an .895 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average. But that follows a historic 2024-25 campaign in which he won both the Hart and Vezina Trophies, going 47-12-3 with a .925 save percentage and eight shutouts. Across 625 career NHL games, he owns a .916 save percentage.

What Would It Cost the Canadiens or Oilers?

Any deal would be costly, but the price might be going down. Hellebuyck carries an $8.5 million cap hit through 2030-31 and holds a full no-movement clause this season. That hurdle might not be as big an issue if he’s open to either team.

What Winnipeg wants back would be the bigger hurdle. They likely seek a goaltender ready to play immediately, along with a significant young player or prospect and draft capital. One speculative — and unconfirmed — package floated for Montreal involves Kaiden Guhle and Dobes heading to Winnipeg. For the Oilers, it would either be Levi and someone like Ike Howard or Matt Savoie.

Whether either team is willing to pay that price remains to be seen, but with Hellebuyck reportedly open to both destinations, the rumor mill shows no signs of slowing down.

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