Yesterday, three time Vezina trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. While the timing of this request is shocking, Hellebuyck’s reasoning for wanting out isn’t as hard to understand. Hellebuyck has the most Vezina trophies of any current goalie in the league, and has given the Jets stellar goaltending since 2017. The team in front of Hellebuyck has simply not been able to uphold their end of the bargain.
It is worth mentioning that Jets fans have been frustrated at Hellebuyck’s poor performance in the playoffs. In the 2023, 2024, and 2025 playoffs, Hellebuyck ended up having a save percentage below .900. However, every goalie is prone to ups and downs, and the defensive side of the game in Winnipeg has been lacking for many years. Regardless of numbers or gripes with Hellebuyck’s performance, it’s clear that Team USA’s gold medal victory in the Olympics, of which Hellebuyck was the starter, showed him that he can have success with a stronger team in front of him.
Going into the 2026-27 season, Hellebuyck has become the most valuable trading piece in the NHL. Beyond the fact that he is a phenomenal goaltender, his contract is bound to appreciate in value going forward. With five years left on a contract worth $8.5 million a year, and the exponential rise in the NHL salary cap, almost any team in the league would be willing to move some pieces around to get Hellebuyck in their net. Let’s talk about how this effects Winnipeg’s future.
It’s been said in the NHL that a team with an incredible goaltender has limitless potential. Thus, Hellebuyck has been the reason that fans have never fully counted Winnipeg out. For instance, take the Jets surprise President Trophy season in 2024-25. Although the playoffs didn’t go their way, Winnipeg had very little right or reason to have such an electric regular season. A season, no doubt, thanks to Hellebuyck. Without their star goaltender, Winnipeg is frankly dead in the water. Yes, maybe the Jets could cobble together a wildcard birth, and maybe fluke out a round one victory. However, having a purely hypothetical cobbled together playoff run is no team’s idea of success.
Let’s not mince words. There is one other goalie on par with Hellebuyck; Andre Vasilevskiy. Igor Shesterkin could potentially be in this territory in a few years, but he’s not quite there yet. Either way, Tampa Bay and New York are certainly not giving up their goalies any time soon. Without such quality goaltending, the whole Jets team need to elevate their game. The problem is, Winnipeg’s lack of ability to elevate their game is what started this whole mess. In the NHL, goaltender is the position most irreplaceable and indispensable. Without Hellebuyck, the Jets won’t be able to claim to be a competitive team.
What do you do with a fighter jet which has lost its engine? You tear it down, sell the parts for scrap, and build a better jet.
To put it bluntly, it’s time to blow it up. Star forward Mark Scheifele is 33 and doesn’t have time to wait out the impending rebuild. Kyle Connor, who will be 30 in December, is running out of prime years as well. Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey are also on the upper end of their prime. Time for a fire sale. Everything must go. Scheifele, Connor, and Morrissey could all potentially pull in first round picks from the right buyer.
The man of the hour, Hellebuyck, will bring in a nice haul. Carolina, Buffalo, and New Jersey are the names at the center of discussion for bringing in Hellebuyck. New Jersey has four first round picks over the next two years.
After losing Markstrom, the Devils have a vested interest in bringing in a top tier goalie. With the right negotiations, Winnipeg could set the rebuild ahead by a few years with the right trade to New Jersey. Buffalo has a wealth of good pieces, including goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and a good trade could move the trade timeline ahead pretty quick. Carolina has the least tempting in terms of assets, but the Hurricanes will be desperate to bring in such a stunning goaltender. A blank check could be in order.
Kevin Cheveldayoff is the longest-tenured GM in the NHL. With years of mediocrity under his belt, and a lack of tangible success, Cheveldayoff might be feeling his seat getting hot. This seat heat might make him reluctant to throw the team into a full-on rebuild. It makes sense, after already having years of failure, Cheveldayoff might get wary at the thought of more bad seasons for the sake of rebuilding. Jets fans certainly don’t like the sound of that.
However, false hope would put Winnipeg in a much darker place down the line. Let’s say Cheveldayoff trades Hellebuyck for one first round pick, a goalie, and a few other roster players. The Jets would be fine. As I mentioned, the might squeak into the playoffs and take a round. Flash forward to three years in the future. Being slightly above mediocre has lead the Jets to more first round exits. Scheifele is contemplating retirement. The other stars have left in free agency. Now, Winnipeg is terrible, but not by choice.
Delaying the inevitable only makes it more painful. Cheveldayoff has to capitalize on the assets he has now, or else those assets will lose their value. This is not the time to try and get better now. It is the time for counting your losses. As Kenny Rogers would tell you, sometimes you just have to know when to fold em’.
Dark days are ahead for Winnipeg. If all goes smoothly on the trade front, those dark days could be a bit shorter. Winnipeg has a wealth of assets which could help facilitate the rebuild. The Hellebuyck trade request marks the end of an era for the Jets. With every closing door, there is an opened window. It’s up to Cheveldayoff to lead the team through that window.
The last thing that can happen in the Jets organization is desperation or false hope. If Hellebuyck is dealt, it’s time to count losses, take it like a man, and blow it up. Find the core of the future in the draft, have veterans around to mentor the young guns, and maybe in 3-5 years, the Jets can take to the sky once again. As of now, that’s just not happening without Hellebuyck.
Check out my Central Division Preview!
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
