The Winnipeg Jets’ signing of free agent goaltender Stuart Skinner could signal that Connor Hellebuyck is on the move.
The Jets inked the 27-year-old netminder to a two-year, $3.75 million deal, PuckPedia reported.
On the surface, the deal makes sense. Hellebuyck’s backup, Eric Comrie, is also a UFA this summer. The question, however, is the fact that Skinner signed for nearly $4 million per season.
That’s a heck of a lot of money for a backup goalie.
And it signals that the Jets might be getting ready to trade Helleybuck, whenever that happens. In fact, the rationale here would be that, instead of having the former Vezina Trophy winner start 60+ games, Winnipeg would be rolling with a tandem.
That situation should become apparent if and when a deal happens.
Skinner had been adamant about wanting to be a starting goalie. He was the starter in Pittsburgh following his trade from the Oilers last season. However, Skinner lost the starting job in the playoffs to Arturs Silovs.
Considering that situation, would Skinner be thrilled to become the backup to someone like Hellebuyck? Is this just a case of Skinner taking the best deal that he could? Or is there something else brewing beneath the surface?
No Hellebuyck Trade Imminent
A notable insider, TSN’s Darren Dreger, tweeted that no Hellebuyck trade was imminent. That’s an interesting comment, as it’s pretty clear that this move wasn’t the precursor to a trade.
If anything, it’s the sort of move that signals the Jets are just putting the ducks in a row. Winnipeg wants to make sure they have flexibility in case push does indeed come to shove. It’s almost certain that the Jets don’t want to trade Hellebuyck.
But if they have to, they at least have a goalie who can carry the load as an NHL starter. That’s what Skinner represents for the Jets, and why the organization would want him in the fold.
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Jets Would Need to Get Goalie in Trade
If the Jets do move Hellebuyck, one of the requirements would be to get a solid goalie in return. Ideally, said goalie would be a type of guy Winnipeg could use in a 1A-1B tandem with Skinner.
That’s why any sort of trading involving Hellebuyck would require the acquiring team to send a goalie to Winnipeg. That situation sort of limits the number of teams that could pull off that type of trade.
For instance, the Buffalo Sabres have reportedly offered Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He could be a solid option as a tandem with Skinner.
The same goes for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto could offer a younger goalie like Dennis Hildeby to support Skinner.
Of course, it will take much more than just one goalie to make this deal happen. The key here will be to determine if the overall package, including the netminder, makes up for what the team would lose by trading Hellebuyck.
Whatever happens, it will be an interesting offseason for the Jets. There is still plenty of time for anything to happen. Since trades don’t necessarily need to happen on July 1, the rest of the summer could come with bountiful speculation.
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