{"id":371925,"date":"2026-07-26T00:33:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T19:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=371925"},"modified":"2026-07-26T00:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T19:03:52","slug":"has-connor-hellebuyck-played-his-last-game-for-the-winnipeg-jets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/26\/has-connor-hellebuyck-played-his-last-game-for-the-winnipeg-jets\/","title":{"rendered":"Has Connor Hellebuyck played his last game for the Winnipeg Jets?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Has Connor Hellebuyck\u2019s time with the Winnipeg Jets come to an end, or will he be back next season?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

NHL Media<\/a><\/strong>: EJ Hradek was asked if Connor Hellebuyck<\/a> has played his last game for the Winnipeg Jets and if he\u2019ll be traded by the beginning of the season.<\/p>\n

** NHLRumors.com transcription<\/p>\n

Jamison Coyle: \u201cHas the netminder played his last game already in Winnipeg?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hradek: \u201cI feel he has. I feel that, that the conversations that Hellebuyck talked about after the 12 months, all of the rumors about him being moved. I feel they\u2019re, they\u2019re planning on moving him.<\/p>\n

NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, and the St. Louis Blues<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, again, I am going back to the situation with Buffalo.\u00a0I feel for the Winnipeg Jets, they need to get someone who might be a second center in return. Someone who could slide behind (Mark) Scheifele\u00a0and fill a hole they\u2019ve had, quite frankly, there for a very long time.<\/p>\n

I feel the forwards and backwards with the Buffalo Sabres has been, the Sabres actually need Hellebuyck. They\u2019ll offer you the goalie, and possibly it\u2019s UPL in return, so that you get that fixed up. You have got him and (Stuart) Skinner together. But what\u2019s the opposite piece? I feel Buffalo is willing to maneuver off of Jack Quinn<\/a>, but he\u2019s a winger. So does that basically help the Winnipeg Jets, who just got here to terms with Cole Perfetti<\/a> (last week) on an extension, which is nice news for them?<\/p>\n

So, you realize, I feel that\u2019s the rub there. And again, there\u2019s no urgency at once in the midst of July.\u00a0Buffalo might be sitting there and saying, \u2018Well, that is what we\u2019re willing to supply, and you realize that\u2019s it.\u2019 After which Winnipeg, then again, is saying, \u2018Listen, you wish Connor Hellebuyck? It\u2019s going to must be a distinct player, player X, player Y.\u2019 You have got so many good young players there in Buffalo.<\/p>\n

So I feel that\u2019s the rub, because again, there isn’t a rush at once. It could occur any day. We could, August sixth, September 1st. Who knows? But as we catch up with to the regular season, that pressure starts to construct, and possibly that\u2019s what the Buffalo Sabres are hoping for-that the Jets don\u2019t need to go into the season having to have this hanging over their head.<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cYeah, Connor Hellebuck to Buffalo, hypothetical. If it happens, how a lot better does that make the Sabres on paper?<\/p>\n

Hradek: \u201cWell, I feel on paper, actually rather a lot higher. I mean, let\u2019s face it: this guy has won multiple Vezina\u00a0trophies, won the Hart Trophy, he\u2019s got a gold medal. He\u2019s a extremely good goaltender, and it fills the slot there in Buffalo. So there\u2019s absolute confidence about it.<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens can only really offer up futures<\/a><\/p>\n

But I’ll say this in regards to the Sabres: (Alex) Tuch\u00a0is gone up front. (Bowen) Byram is gone on the blue line. That\u2019s some significant depth. They’ve some really talented young players which are going to be necessary players for the Sabres that they think can fill those roles, particularly in 2, 3, 4\u00a0years down the road. However it\u2019s awfully difficult within the immediate to switch those 30-plus goals from Tuch\u00a0and the large size and strength that he has, and to switch what Byron was in a position to do in a second-pair role for the Sabres on the blue line. So it\u2019ll be interesting to see how things go in Buffalo this 12 months, after such an ideal season last 12 months.\u201d<\/p>\n

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