Will Connor Hellebuyck be traded before the season or during the season?
One of the more disappointing teams last season was the Winnipeg Jets. During the 2024-25 season, the Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents Trophy, led by Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Unfortunately, his regular-season success did not carry over into the playoffs, and he bowed out in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after narrowly escaping a first-round series with the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 in overtime. However, that success from 24-25 did not carry over into the 2025-26 season.
NHL Rumors: Where the Winnipeg Jets are at with Connor Hellebuyck
Hellebuyck missed time because of knee surgery, but showed he could deliver in the spotlight moment, helping Team USA win the Gold Medal at the 2026 Olympics. That gold medal game performance was one of the best games of his career. After tasting success, Hellebuyck wants more. That is the price for winning and having a winner’s mindset.
However, Hellebuyck was part of the problem when the Winnipeg Jets crumbled down the stretch of the season. Every time the Jets got close, they faltered. In the end, Winnipeg finished with 82 points, seventh in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference.
But given the Jets’ run to the Western Conference Final was back in 2018, Hellebuyck sees their window closing and wants a chance to win elsewhere. His comments about complacency and having to pay more to sign players or keep players in Winnipeg raised a lot of eyebrows. Hellebuyck isn’t wrong about what he said, but it put Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff on the clock to improve the team.
The player may or may not have even put the team on the clock by asking for a trade. And the Jets were close to trading him before July 1st. Winnipeg spoke to the Buffalo Sabres at the 2026 NHL Draft. However, Winnipeg wasn’t willing to give up the 8th overall pick as part of the trade, so the reported deal fell apart.
NHL Rumors: When Do the Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin Trades Happen?
The Jets talked to other teams like the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, and Carolina Hurricanes, but Florida and Carolina didn’t have the pieces. The Panthers moved on to Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid, while the Hurricanes are sticking with Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov. Meanwhile, some aren’t sure if Hellebuyck is a Sunny Mehta guy.
However, the rumors surrounding a Hellebuyck trade won’t go away. As Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com and Full Press Hockey was asked on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio, will Connor Hellebuyck make it through the season as a member of the Winnipeg Jets?
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “And is it Hellebuyck even there, Jim? I know we’re guessing, but that’s what we do on Sports Talk Radio. We speculate. So speculate: Is he a Jet when we get to the playoffs?”
Jim Biringer: “No, I don’t think he’s a Jet to be honest. I don’t think he’s going to be a Jet to begin the season. I think they’re gonna find a way.”
Host: “Oh, okay, okay.”
Has Connor Hellebuyck played his last game for the Winnipeg Jets?
Biringer: “I think they’re going to figure out a way to make this happen because I think unless you’re going to have a heart-to-heart with him, I don’t think the moves they made are enough to say, ‘Hey, come on back and try again.’ I think he wants to go win. I’m just not sure the Winnipeg Jets are a playoff team.”
While it is the dog days of the offseason, we have seen trades in the middle of the summer before training camp. Just because it is all quiet on the Western Front doesn’t mean things aren’t being discussed. But the asking price is high for Connor Hellebuyck for any team trying to acquire him from the Winnipeg Jets.
It’s worth keeping an eye on, as one phone call can change everything.
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