Darren Dreger says the Winnipeg Jets may soon decide it's time to cut bait in the Connor Hellebuyck situation, with Stuart Skinner as the fallback.
Dreger laid out two paths on the Barn Burner Podcast on Friday. One depends on another team's misfortune, and the other on Winnipeg running out of patience.
The first involves an injury where "a goalie goes down on a team that Hellebuyck would consider going in the US, not in Canada."
That last detail shrinks the market fast. A goaltender with an $8,500,000 cap hit who isn't considering Canadian cities leaves the Jets with fewer doors to knock on.
The second path runs through Kevin Cheveldayoff. Dreger described the Jets deciding, "We are okay with our goaltending. We believe in Stu Skinner."
From there, the message would be blunt. "It's just time to cut bait because we can't allow this to drag on," Dreger said.
Stuart Skinner's rough night in Colorado complicates the Jets' backup plan
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Skinner's latest audition didn't help the argument. He stopped 28 of 32 shots in last night's 5-2 loss in Colorado.
That dropped Scott Arniel's club to 1-2-1 this preseason. Domenic DiVincentiis dressed as the backup and never got in.
Betting a season on Skinner after a night like that would be a mistake. Believing in him sounds nice on a podcast, but selling it to a locker room a week before opening night is much harder.
This has the feel of a breakup where both sides know it's over, and nobody wants to be the first to move out of the apartment.
Dreger's closing thought hinted at where Winnipeg's head might be. The Jets, he said, are "not as committed to needing a goaltender back."
That's a telling line. Taking a return without a goalie in it means Winnipeg would roll with what it already has.
San Jose has already kicked tires, according to Elliotte Friedman earlier this week. Whether the Sharks sit on Hellebuyck's list of US options is the next question.
The Jets open the regular season October 2 at home against Boston.
Dreger made it clear this can't drag on. Every day it does, Skinner looks less like a fallback and more like an answer Winnipeg may not be ready to give.
Should the Jets cut bait on Connor Hellebuyck and roll with Stuart Skinner?
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