The New Jersey Devils have a new goalie in net: three-time Vezina Trophy winner and Olympic gold medalist Connor Hellebuyck makes his Devils debut tomorrow against the Dallas Stars as the Devils begin a three-game road trip. The New Jersey Devils acquired Hellebuyck after he requested a trade out of the Winnipeg Jets organization.
The New Jersey Devils are ready for a new era after trading previous goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers in the offseason. The Devils gave the Winnipeg Jets forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad and goalie Nico Daws. The Jets also acquired a seventh-round 2027 draft pick.
Come Helle Or High Water
The New Jersey Devils believe that they have the key piece to win a Stanley Cup with the blockbuster trade in acquiring Hellebuyck. The Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said that Hellebuyck looked sharp, but he must clear medical and coaching checkpoints before starting in goal. The Devils will play Tuesday night in Dallas, Wednesday night in Colorado, and end their three-game road trip in Las Vegas against the Knights.
The 33-year-old goalie practiced with the Devils for the first time Monday, and Hellebuyck reported after practice that he is ready to play. Hellebuyck is very excited about his opportunity in New Jersey. He mentioned, “I’m joining a very skilled group. They brought me for a certain specific role. I’m really excited to fill that role, not only on the ice but off the ice as well.”
With this new role and new team, Tuesday night will be a highly anticipated game to watch for all hockey fans. Everyone should hold their breath and be on the edge of their seats for the matchup against the high-powered Dallas Stars team. It will be a test for Connor Hellebuyck after not playing hockey since last season.
Ahead For Connor Hellebuyck And The Devils
The Devils are 7-4 as they hit the road against three top teams in the Western Conference. This will be a real test for the Devils and Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is entering his 12th season in the NHL; he started as an Atlanta Thrashers player before the team moved to Winnipeg. As a Jet/Thrasher he is the franchise leader in games, wins, and shutouts. He won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL three times (2020, 2024, 2025) and the Hart Trophy as the League’s most valuable player once (2024-25 season).
Devils forward Connor Brown said that Hellebuyck has an impressive resume but it’s the Stanley Cup that drives him to still play hockey and be in pursuit as being the best goalie of all time. The Stanley Cup is the greatest, oldest, and hardest trophy to win in all of sports. Now that Hellebuyck is in the Eastern Conference, it will be a tougher road to get to the Cup finals, with previous champions Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers playing in the same conference.
End Of My Conner Hellebuyck Rant
If the Devils do make it to the playoffs and into the Eastern conference finals, it will be a real test for the goaltender. The Devils made the playoffs in the 2024-25 season, where they lost in the first round. As the 2025-26 season came to an end, the Devils did not make the playoffs. General manager Tom Fitzgerald has set the stage for their current “win-now” push attitude with the addition of Connor Hellebuyck.
Come hell or high water, we will see if the blockbuster trade was worth it for the Devils or was it a bust. The goaltender is 33 years old, but he is one of the best goalies in the league. If the Devils can utilize their star players and play solid hockey, they might have a chance in the East.
