The chatter surrounding a Winnipeg Jets netminder will not be going away anytime soon. Even if the summer season is in full swing and most teams are hitting the links, the Jets may be working behind the scenes to pull off a Connor Hellebuyck trade.
Now, it’s worth noting that Hellebuyck hasn’t publicly asked for a trade. But it’s pretty much certain, given the news coming out of Winnipeg.
And the latest signal all but makes a Hellebuyck trade all but certain.
In a piece published in the Winnipeg Free Press over the weekend, Mike McIntyre made a rather bold statement regarding the ongoing situation involving Hellebuyck.
“I firmly believe Connor Hellebuyck is going to be traded. In fact, I’d put the odds somewhere north of 95 per cent. I just don’t know exactly when, or to whom.”
Well, there’s a relatively clear indication that the other party in a Hellebuyck trade would be the Buffalo Sabres. As for the timing, that’s really tough. Timing anything in the market is like herding cats.
So, good luck there.
But the latest signal should really raise some eyebrows, as McIntyre explains.
“Hellebuyck is (almost certainly) moving on. That became apparent on July 1 when the Jets did not re-sign his personal security blanket, Eric Comrie, allowing him to pursue a new opportunity in San Jose.” McIntyre added, “And it became crystal clear when the Jets did sign Stuart Skinner — a guy who has made at least 50 starts every year of his NHL career — to a two-year US$7.50 million contract ($3.75 million per season).”
Skinner, it seems, is the key to a Hellebuyck trade.
Jets Did Not Sign Skinner to Be a Backup
One of the narratives surrounding Stuart Skinner is his desire to be a starting goaltender. After his exodus from Edmonton, Skinner got a chance to be the number-one guy in Pittsburgh. He couldn’t hold onto that role, likely leading to his departure.
And it’s Skinner’s desire to be a number-one guy that makes a Hellebuyck trade all but certain. McIntyre reinforced this point by adding how Skinner’s free-agent contract makes this situation clear.
“Adding to the intrigue is that Skinner’s agent, Ray Petkau, is also Hellebuyck’s agent (and Comrie’s!). You think he’s selling Skinner on the concept of Winnipeg if he thinks Hellebuyck is still going to be here? Of course not.”
So, it seems that the Hellebuyck trade has to happen in order for the Jets to deliver on their promise to make Skinner the starter in Winnipeg.
What to read next:
When Is Hellebuyck Trading Going Down?
That’s the hardest question of all. A generic answer would be “this summer”. A Hellebuyck trade would have to happen at some point before the start of next season.
But there’s a bit more of a precise point. The deal would have to happen before mid-August at the latest. The idea here is that Hellebuyck would need time to acclimate himself to his new team and city.
That’s something that would ideally happen before the start of training camp in September. As such, a Hellebuyck trade could come down at some point within the next month.
Again, timing trades is like herding cats. But the Jets are running out of time to make it happen.
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