The Sabres, Mammoth and Sharks are still watching Connor Hellebuyck, and they'd rather pay the Jets in prospects than roster players.
Nick Kypreos reported on Sportsnet that multiple teams are trying to convince Winnipeg to focus on their blue-chip prospects instead.
Carolina can be added to that group as a team keeping tabs, and Elliotte Friedman already said the Hurricanes are interested.
The Jets suspended their goalie on September 17 after he didn't report to training camp.
His full no-movement clause means he has to approve any deal, and he won't approve one to another Canadian team.
That's the one piece of good news for Winnipeg. Buffalo, Utah, San Jose and Carolina are all American clubs.
So why would Kevin Cheveldayoff settle for prospects?
Nick Kypreos: Teams like Buffalo, Utah and San Jose continue to monitor the Connor Hellebuyck situation as multiple teams try and convince the Jets to focus on acquiring their blue-chip prospects instead of roster players - Sportsnet (9/24)
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NHLRR: The Hurricanes can be added to the mix as a team keeping tabs
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Kevin Cheveldayoff faces prospect-first market in Connor Hellebuyck trade talks
Because the buyers apparently don't want to part with NHL talent for a goalie carrying $8,500,000 on the books.
Only two goalies in the league carry a bigger cap hit than Hellebuyck.
The Sabres have already been down this road. They reportedly got close around the June draft before draft picks became the sticking point.
A prospect-only return would be a bad trade for the Jets. Moving a franchise goalie for futures is how a team starts rebuilding without ever deciding to.
It's like selling your house and getting paid in lottery tickets. A couple might hit, but you still need somewhere to sleep tonight.
The fallback plan hasn't exactly calmed anyone down. Stuart Skinner made 28 saves on 32 shots in a 5-2 loss at Colorado on Friday.
The Sharks, for their part, put up 10 goals against Anaheim on Thursday. Ryan Warsofsky's group plays in Vegas tonight.
The Mammoth don't have a single player among the league's 30 biggest cap hits, which makes Utah an easier fit on paper.
The Hurricanes complicate the picture. They just gave Pyotr Kochetkov a two-year extension worth $3.95 million per season.
The regular season opens Tuesday, and from then on a suspended player forfeits his pay for every day he's out.
Every day that passes costs Hellebuyck money and hands the Jets a little more leverage. Somebody is going to blink, and prospects-only offers won't make it Cheveldayoff.
Should the Jets accept a prospects-only package for Connor Hellebuyck?
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