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The Winnipeg Jets were embroiled in a trade standoff with goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The star netminder requested a trade over the summer. He remained with the Jets throughout the preseason and into the regular season. Things then got messy, with Winnipeg suspending the star netminder for failing to report to training camp.
Now, things have finally reached a conclusion. Hellebuyck has been traded to the New Jersey Devils in a blockbuster deal. It was a big trade, with six assets heading to the Jets. And now, both Winnipeg and its former MVP goaltender can move on.
With the dust settling a bit on this trade, let’s hand out grades to the Jets and Devils.
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Full Connor Hellebuyck trade
The Winnipeg Jets traded Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. In return, Winnipeg received forward Nick Bjugstad, Dawson Mercer, and Alexander Command, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.
Devils land elite goaltending at low cost
The Devils were always a logical trade destination for Hellebuyck. They had some goaltending depth with Jake Allen and Nico Daws. Allen has been solid as a spot starter, but wasn’t used to a true starter’s workload. Meanwhile, Daws had the potential while lacking the experience.
Early on this season, though, New Jersey’s goaltending has struggled. They rank 23rd in the league with an .880 team save percentage. Both Allen and Daws have struggled early in the season. Still, the Devils won six of their first 10 games this year.
Now, they have one of the best goaltenders in the game. And they didn’t give up too much to do so. New Jersey dealt from a position of strength by moving out some of their forwards. Alexander Command is a bit of a pain point, considering he was just drafted and he has some decent upside. But for someone like Connor Hellebuyck, it’s worth it.
The Devils certainly look like a team that can contend this season. Hellebuyck gives them truly elite goaltending, and New Jersey still has two first-round picks to work with since they didn’t give one up in this trade. They could get even better before the end of the season. This is fantastic work from Sunny Mehta.
GRADE: A+
Jets had no true leverage
The Jets were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Winnipeg could not conceal the fact that Connor Hellebuyck wanted out. Their former goaltender made sure of it by making his trade request public. The only leverage they had was suspending him and not paying him.
To their credit, they used that leverage. But that doesn’t help in trade negotiations. This trade is not great for Winnipeg. They got some intriguing players here. Command and Dawson Mercer could be good gets for the Jets. Daws has potential and should slot into the goaltending rotation with Stuart Skinner.
But we’re talking about Hellebuyck. This is one of the best goaltenders of his generation. He is one of eight goaltenders to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP. And he’s just the third to do so in this millennium.
This is a talent with little comparison, and he plays one of the more in-demand positions in the league. Teams across the NHL need goaltending. To trade the best in the business and not get more than they did is a shame.
Winnipeg, as mentioned, had no real leverage here. They had to make this trade because this situation could not drag on any longer. Even with that considered, this is a disappointing return considering the talent headed the other way.
GRADE: C
Related: NHL rumors: Hurricanes still engaged in Connor Hellebuyck trade discussions