10/23/2026 03:37:00
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10/23 15:35 CDT Devils acquire U.S. Olympic goalie Connor Hellebuyck in a trade
with the Jets
Devils acquire U.S. Olympic goalie Connor Hellebuyck in a trade with the Jets
By JOHN WAWROW and STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writers
A deal with the Devils ended the lingering saga of Connor Hellebuyck in
Winnipeg.
Hellebuyck finally has a new home with New Jersey after the Jets granted the
three-time Vezina Trophy winning goaltender's trade request on Friday.
The Devils sent forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, prospect Alexander
Command, a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 seventh-rounder and long-term injured
forward Nick Bjugstad to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.
"It really does come down to what teams are willing to do and willing to pay,"
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at a news conference in Winnipeg.
"It's not necessarily what I got. It was more like what other teams were
willing to pay."
The long-awaited, blockbuster trade ends months of speculation, a failed bid to
move the U.S. Olympic gold medal winner and 2024-25 NHL MVP in June, and the
Jets' suspension of Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp in a
standoff that required the involvement of the league and the Players'
Association.
"It certainly hasn't been fun," Cheveldayoff said. "Connor made his choice to
do how he chose to do it. And, as an organization, we had to act accordingly
and we did. He asked for a trade. We told him we would do our best to make it
happen. And if it happens whatever months ago when he first asked, we would
have done it then. Unfortunately it took to this time now."
The 33-year-old Hellebuyck, who backstopped the U.S. to Olympic gold at the
Milan-Cortina Games in February, leaves Winnipeg after spending his entire
11-year career there. Hellebuyck joins Jack Hughes, who scored in overtime of
the final to defeat Canada, with the Devils and immediately puts them closer to
being a Stanley Cup contender.
When training camp opened, new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said he was
very comfortable with the team's goaltending situation. Since then, Daws and
Jake Allen combined for an .880 save percentage, which ranks 23rd among 32
teams.
"When Sunny got serious, he got serious real quick," Cheveldayoff said. "There
was no beating around the bush with each other. We kind of laid our cards on
the table and said this is what it's going to take."
It was not immediately clear how soon Hellebuyck might be ready to play for his
new team. He has been skating in his home state of Michigan while trade talks
were ongoing.
Hellebuyck has five seasons left on a seven-year contact with an annual salary
cap hit of $8.5 million. He leaves the Central Division for the Metropolitan,
much to the delight of rivals who will see him less often moving forward.
"I don't mind," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "You knew he was getting
traded at some point. You just didn't know where. To see him go to Jersey
doesn't hurt my feelings."
He becomes the latest high-profile American to depart Canada for the United
States. In June, Ottawa dealt captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida, where he joined
his brother Matthew. In December, Vancouver traded star defenseman Quinn
Hughes, a brother of Jake and teammate Luke, to Minnesota.
The process to trade Hellebuyck became messy, especially after the goalie went
public with his request to leave Winnipeg in September. The Jets suspended the
goalie for failing to report for camp in a disciplinary move that extended into
the season with Hellebuyck not getting paid.
The length of suspension became an issue with the league and union determining
Hellebuyck would be allowed to rejoin the Jets on Friday. Instead, a move to
New Jersey materialized ahead of Winnipeg hosting the outdoor Heritage Classic
this weekend.
"Certainly wish I could have done it five or four months ago --- whatever when
the opportunity first started," Cheveldayoff said. "We were looking, but here
we are."
The post-Hellebuyck plans went into motion over the summer, signing Stuart
Skinner in free agency. The Jets claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers before the
season began, and their combined .907 save percentage is seventh-best in the
NHL.
Cheveldayoff said the plan is to carry three goaltenders for now.
The Jets were second-guessed for not dealing Hellebuyck in June, when teams had
more options to prioritize salary cap space to make room to acquire the goalie.
The Sabres were among the teams expressing interest in Hellebuyck, and were
preparing to package a deal that included swapping first-round draft picks ---
Buffalo had the No. 4 selection, and Winnipeg had the eighth.
The challenge for Winnipeg became finding a willing trade partner to acquire a
goalie with a high price tag and a lengthy contract well after most teams had
set their rosters and had little salary cap space to work with.
"A goalie market is a little bit of a different market," Cheveldayoff said.
"You find out who has legitimate interests. You find out who has legitimate
needs. You go through the process of what assets they have within their
organization, and more importantly, what assets they are willing to move."
Another question mark involved Hellebuyck's age and track record of following
regular-season success with a spotty playoff record.
After Hellebuyck went 9-8 in leading the Jets to the Western Conference finals
in his playoff debut in 2018, he has gone 15-26 since since, with the Jets
advancing to the second round just twice in their next six playoff appearances.
In four first-round exits, Hellebuyck had a combined 5-15 record.
The disparity of regular season vs. postseason success was evident in 2024-25.
Leading Winnipeg to the Presidents' Trophy and winning the Hart Trophy as MVP,
Hellebuyck recorded a career-best 47 wins, then went 6-7 in the playoffs as the
Jets were eliminated in Dallas in the second round.
With a 345-208-55 regular-season record, Hellebuyck ranks 27th in career wins
on the NHL list, and fifth among U.S.-born players. Among U.S.-born goalies
with 300 or more career starts, his .916 save percentage ranks fourth and 2.58
goals-against average ranks sixth.
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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.
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