Yesterday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck publicly requested a trade. Despite going public with the request, it’s believed that it has stood since the beginning of the summer, albeit quietly. Just before the 2026 NHL Draft, the Jets had nearly traded Hellebuyck to the Buffalo Sabres. The trade negotiations went deep enough that Hellebuyck waived his no-movement clause to join the Sabres, though the trade never crossed the finish line.

Although Hellebuyck has been patient and deliberately didn’t go public with his request so Winnipeg could retain leverage in negotiations, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll be moved anytime soon. Still, it appears that Hellebuyck is prepared to hold out of training camp, which would prompt the Jets to suspend him without pay. Regardless, as the NHL world has shown with how Dylan Larkin‘s trade request with the Detroit Red Wings has played out, Winnipeg isn’t entirely without leverage.

Hellebuyck’s contract runs through the 2030-31 season at an $8.5MM salary. Even though he currently has a no-movement clause, it will transition to a 10-team trade list next season, giving the Jets a few more options if they don’t find a deal in the meantime.

However, unlike Larkin’s situation in Detroit, Hellebuyck should have immense value around the league and has presumably given the Jets more options than Larkin gave the Red Wings. It’s a peculiar spot for the rest of the league, since Hellebuyck is arguably an upgrade on every team. Unfortunately, Hellebuyck can only go to one team. Essentially, every team should be calling Winnipeg, although that’s not realistic.

To start, the Sabres are an obvious landing spot. Yes, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen‘s trade protection kicked in on July 1st, but Hellebuyck is such a unicorn that Buffalo may bite the financial bullet for a year and work out a Luukkonen trade down the road. They have approximately $5.1MM in cap space and could make up the salary gap by including other assets.

Other teams looking to break into the playoffs after years of rebuilding, who could use an upgrade in between the pipes but don’t necessarily need one. The Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and San Jose Sharks would fit the mold.

Regardless, the list of teams that likely won’t go after him is fairly small. It’s unlikely that Hellebuyck would waive his no-movement clause to join a Canada-based franchise, nor a team that already has a well-above-average starting netminder. It’ll be an interesting trade to see play out, considering training camp is only a few weeks away.

Which Team Will Acquire Connor Hellebuyck?

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