Connor Hellebuyck trade talk just got uglier for the Winnipeg Jets, and insider Darren Dreger isn't sugarcoating it.
Dreger reported Monday that the offers Winnipeg has fielded for its franchise goaltender so far have been terrible. His word, not ours.
That's a brutal thing to hear if you're the Jets front office, staring down one of the toughest goalie decisions in the league.
Hellebuyck posted a .895 save percentage across 57 appearances this past season, going 18-23-8 behind a Jets team that finished 35-35-12.
Winnipeg limped to the finish line too. The Jets dropped four straight to close things out, including a 1-6 collapse against the Sharks.
A -29 goal differential and a 26th-place overall ranking don't exactly scream contender, and that context matters when you're trying to sell a star.
Hellebuyck still carries a cap hit of $8,500,000, the fourth-highest among all goaltenders in the league. That's not pocket change for a rebuilding club.
No-trade clause looms over any Hellebuyck deal
Dreger also believes the three-time Vezina winner has no interest in waiving his no-trade clause to leave Canada. That's the real roadblock here.
Behind Hellebuyck sits Thomas Milic, who's appeared in just three games this season. Trading away that much certainty for that little depth is a gamble.
Winnipeg went 19-16-6 at home and 16-19-6 on the road this past season, a split that shows a team leaning hard on its goaltending to stay competitive.
Kevin Cheveldayoff built this roster and hired Scott Arniel to run the bench. Now the GM has to figure out what a franchise goalie is worth if nobody wants to overpay.
Trading a generational goaltender for pennies on the dollar is a bad way to run a franchise. If the return stays this ugly, Winnipeg's best move might be doing nothing at all.
-
The Jets have no next game listed as the offseason grinds on, which only gives this saga more oxygen. Every terrible offer that leaks out just adds pressure on both sides to blink first.
Should the Jets keep Connor Hellebuyck rather than accept a weak trade return?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Montreal Canadiens' star player ruled out for start of the season
