The Minnesota Wild are tied with Utah for first place in the Central Division at 6-3-2, and they open a back-to-back in Seattle on Saturday before Quinn Hughes makes his return to Vancouver.
The biggest news in the division on Friday did not involve the Wild directly, though. After a standoff that lasted all offseason, the Winnipeg Jets finally traded their three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
The move takes a familiar problem out of the Central for Minnesota. But according to the Wild’s top insider, it could matter even more for two other stories hanging over the team right now.
Winnipeg Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils
Darren Dreger (TSN) was first to report the trade call was complete late Friday morning, and the Devils made it official shortly after.
RAISE HELLE!
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 23, 2026
Connor Hellebuyck is a New Jersey Devil: https://t.co/HCehRGOQI5pic.twitter.com/dZGNQR16m1
Winnipeg received forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to 2026 first-round pick Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. The Jets did not retain any of Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million cap hit, which runs through the 2030-31 season.
Hellebuyck, 33, had not played a game this season. He asked for a trade over the summer, did not report to training camp and had been suspended since Sept. 16.
Bjugstad is a name Wild fans will know. The Blaine native played for the Gophers from 2010 to 2013 and spent two seasons with the Wild from 2020 to 2022. He is currently recovering from surgery on a torn pectoral muscle.
What losing Hellebuyck in the Central means for the MN Wild
Few goalies have given Minnesota more trouble. Hellebuyck has gone 17-10-3 with a .918 save percentage, a 2.54 goals-against average and four shutouts in 33 career regular-season starts against the Wild.
He was even better when it mattered most. In the 2018 first round, Hellebuyck went 4-1 with a .924 save percentage and two shutouts as Winnipeg eliminated Minnesota in five games.
Connor Hellebuyck with a wild save and the Jets are headed to the playoffs ✈️ 🎥 @NHL | @NHLJets https://t.co/B0G5UV6Wlx
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) April 12, 2023
The Wild still see the Jets three more times this season, with home games Dec. 12 and Dec. 26 and a trip to Winnipeg on Jan. 19. Stuart Skinner, who owns a .912 save percentage through seven games, is now the Jets’ starter.
Winnipeg also beat Minnesota 5-2 on Oct. 13 without Hellebuyck in the lineup… but none of that is what makes today’s trade so interesting for Wild fans.
Remember, Hellebuyck was one of two starts in the NHL trying to get traded. The other is Dylan Larkin, Hellebuyck’s Olympic teammate and Minnesota’s top trade target.
Hellebuyck trade puts pressure on MN Wild to land Dylan Larkin
And that’s not the only wrinkle. Quinn Hughes was on Team USA when they won a gold medal last winter too, and his brother Jack is now teammates in New Jersey with Hellebuyck.
So… what does today’s trade mean for the Minnesota Wild, and their still unaccomplished missions to sign Quinn Hughes and trade for Dylan Larkin? Well, there are multiple NHL insiders weighing into that conversation this afternoon, including
If the Devils are serious about reuniting the three Hughes brothers over the next year, whether via trade or free agency, Mehta made the ultimate chess move.
As of now, after checking in again this week, Hughes remains undecided on his future. He hasn’t told the Wild he won’t extend. However, he also hasn’t told them he will. He’s undecided, period.
But let me say this if I can venture to guess the many thoughts that are dancing around in the superstar defenseman’s head: “Do I stay in Minnesota where the Wild are a legit Stanley Cup contender or fulfill our family dream of playing with Jack and Luke in New Jersey even if the Devils don’t yet look like a true … wait, they just got Hellebuyck? Does that make them closer to a Cup contender?”
Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic
Then, there’s local beat writer Michael Russo (The Athletic), who called it “a terrific trade” for Devils GM Sunny Mehta, noting the somewhat modest package they had to give up in order to land one Hart Trophy winner in net.
While he did mention how this deal could affect the Wild in a negative way, like LeBrun above, Russo seems more intrigued by how Winnipeg’s modest return for Hellebuyck might push Red Wings’ GM Shawn Horcoff to take what Guerin has on the table for Larkin now, before the package shrinks.
Could Hellebuyck trade help MN Wild in Larkin trade talks?
Minnesota’s top hockey insider even went as far as to say that he can “almost guarantee” that Minnesota’s offer for Larkin includes one good young player, a couple of other rostered players and multiple first round picks. Winnipeg didn’t even get one first in their deal for Hellebuyck.
One wonders if this return for an award-winning, gold medal-winning Hellebuyck gets Detroit Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff’s attention because I can almost guarantee you the Wild have offered a good young player, one or two other roster players that make decent money and multiple first-round picks for Dylan Larkin.
Remember, while Horcoff may not be intrigued with the positioning of where those picks could end up if the Wild are good (late first-round picks if the Wild get to where they hope), Horcoff can always use those futures in subsequent trades. Plus, if the roster players are pending UFAs, those players can be flipped at the deadline.
Michael Russo – The Athletic
Related: Wild Insider Agrees: Dylan Larkin Trade Feels Imminent
Larkin is coming off a 34-goal, 67-point season in 74 games, and he has five points in eight games this year. He also carries an $8.7 million cap hit, which the MN Wild could clear by placing Brock Faber on long-term injured reserve, if they don’t make the money work directly in the trade.
Faber has not played this season after having surgery for a skull fracture. LTIR requires a player to miss at least 10 games and 24 days of the regular season, and Faber has already missed all 11 of Minnesota’s games. Either way, Russo agrees with his colleague. This deal certainly puts more pressure on Guerin to get the Larkin deal done.
What I do think is this certainly puts more pressure on the Wild to execute this Larkin trade, and one wonders now if the Wild’s offer becomes more intriguing for Horcoff.
Michael Russo – The Athletic
Why the Devils trade matters for Quinn Hughes
The other worry for Wild fans is how the Connor Hellebuyck deal might affect contract negotiations with Quinn Hughes, who is in the final year of his deal, which currently carries a $7.85 million cap hit.
It’s widely known that Hughes is due to become an unrestricted free agent next July, and that he eventually wants to play with his brother brothers, Jack and Luke. Both currently play in New Jersey with Hellebuyck.
Russo wrote that Hughes “loves Hellebuyck,” and that a stronger Devils team “absolutely gets [Hughes] attention.” Like Minnesota, New Jersey’s money situation ($16.8 million in projected cap space next season) would make signing another Hughes brother for $20 million difficult.
Obviously, the Wild’s best bet is to land Hughes’ best friend, Dylan Larkin. Russo still believes that would entice Hughes to re-sign as soon as possible. For that, Guerin will need a Red Wings front office that’s actually willing to play ball…