Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors (Getty Images) The market for Connor Hellebuyck has effectively dried up. One by one, teams that might have been realistic suitors locked up their goaltending situations this offseason — the Maple Leafs signed Sergei Bobrovsky, the Oilers brought in Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi, the Panthers added Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid, and the Rangers picked up Joonas Korpisalo. With those dominoes falling, the pool of teams genuinely capable of landing the Winnipeg Jets starter has shrunk to just two, according to NHL insider Chris Johnston.
Which teams are still in the running for Connor Hellebuyck?
Connor Hellebuyck’s name has been circulating in trade rumors since the Jets missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He made his frustration clear after the season, publicly calling it “unacceptable” and questioning the team’s direction. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff later confirmed the exit meetings involved “frank conversations,” which only turned up the heat on what’s become one of the offseason’s most-watched storylines.On The Chris Johnston Show, Johnston narrowed the field down to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres.Carolina is the name that intrigues him most. “The one I wonder about is Carolina. Feels like the Hurricanes didn’t get a lot done on July 1st, the day itself, but they were in on everything, it felt like… They’ve been linked to Hellebuyck, and I wonder, is there some world where they circle back and find a way to get that done? I think that’s a possibility,” Johnston said.The Hurricanes have long had a question mark in goal, and if they missed out on other targets earlier this month, returning to the Hellebuyck conversation makes sense. Carolina has the assets and the organizational stability to absorb what would likely be a significant trade package.
Why is the Connor Hellebuyck trade market so quiet this summer?
A few factors have slowed things down. At 33, Hellebuyck posted an .895 save percentage last season — a down year by his standards and Cheveldayoff’s reportedly high asking price has scared off teams that might otherwise have been interested. The GM hasn’t shown any urgency to move his franchise goaltender, and if a deal at his price isn’t there, he seems comfortable letting the situation sit.Buffalo is the other serious name. Johnston pointed out that the Sabres were “engaged pretty deeply in talks with the Jets around the draft,” with the No. 4 overall pick reportedly central to those discussions. Now that the draft is in the rearview mirror, the shape of any deal would likely look different. “Is there some sort of trade possibility those teams can put together with the draft in the rearview mirror? I think it’s possible, but it’s not a guarantee,” Johnston noted.For now, Johnston sees very few other teams in the picture. “I don’t see it right now, a lot of other teams that would be in the mix other than maybe Buffalo and Carolina, unless there’s some surprise out there.” That door remains open, but the window is closing. If a deal happens this summer, it almost certainly runs through Raleigh or Buffalo.