Connor Hellebuyck is back in trade rumors, and now it's the Carolina Hurricanes doing the asking.
Insider David Pagnotta said on Hello Hockey that Carolina is "always poking around" on Hellebuyck, and wouldn't be shocked if that continues.
That's not nothing. Pagnotta covers these markets closely, and his radar rarely points at nobody.
David Pagnotta: Re Connor Hellebuyck: Carolina's always poking around; wouldn't shock me if they continue to do that.
Hellebuyck carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, fifth among all NHL goaltenders. He went 18-23-8 in 57 appearances this season with a .895 save percentage.
Those are not the numbers Winnipeg signed up for when they handed their franchise goalie that contract.
The Jets finished 35-35-12, good for 82 points and 26th overall. They closed the year on a four-game skid and went just 5-5-0 over their final ten.
Their last game of the season was a 1-6 loss to San Jose. Not exactly a highlight reel to end on.
Winnipeg's collapse only adds fuel to the goaltender chatter
Carolina is a different animal entirely. The Hurricanes finished 53-22-7 for 113 points, second overall in the league, and they closed strong at 7-2-1 over their last ten.
Rod Brind'Amour's group has been chasing a true difference-maker in net for years now. Everyone in the league knows it.
And here's the thing. Winnipeg already lost both meetings against Carolina this season, 4-3 in November and 5-1 a week later. Small sample, but it stings.
Eric Tulsky runs a front office that doesn't chase headlines. If Tulsky is even lightly involved in this, there's substance somewhere underneath the noise.
Would Carolina actually pull the trigger on a goaltender making $8,500,000 with term still attached? That's the real question nobody's answered yet.
Scott Arniel inherited a mess in Winnipeg this year, and moving your franchise goalie would only complicate whatever rebuild plan the Jets are working toward.
I'll say it plainly. Trading Hellebuyck now, coming off a down year, is a strange time for either side to push hard. But hockey trade season rarely waits for convenient timing.
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Kevin Cheveldayoff hasn't said a word publicly. Until he does, this stays exactly what it is. Smoke, not fire. But smoke has a way of finding oxygen in July.
Should the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck this offseason?
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