Hold onto your hats, hockey fans!
We're still a month out from the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, but things are starting to heat up considerably thanks to some recent news. On Thursday, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck publicly requested a trade from his long-time team. In a statement released by his agent Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck stated that he privately requested a trade "several months ago", but with training camp close and no movement on a deal, the goaltender has taken his request public.
"With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family," Hellebuyck's statement reads.
Hellebuyck is signed with
the Jets through the end of the 2030-31 season at an $8.5 million cap hit, having signed a seven-year, $59.5 million deal with Winnipeg in 2023. The goaltender is no stranger to trade rumors, as his name has come up to be moved in recent years, but Hellebuyck going public with the trade request is quite a big deal in an attempt to force the Jets' hand.
Statement from Connor Hellebuyck: pic.twitter.com/hW8sNw1LJi
— Ray Petkau (@RayPetkau) August 27, 2026
Hellebuyck immediately makes himself the biggest trade target on the market with this move. The goaltender is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, has a career .916 save percentage and a 615-345-208 record, and is considered one of the top goaltenders in the league today. Most recently, Hellebuyck helped backstop the United States to its first Olympic gold medal since 1980 earlier this year.
So, with Hellebuyck going public with his trade request, which NHL teams could be his next landing spot? Let's dive in!
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens have the cap space and the young talent in the pipeline to make this kind of blockbuster deal work. Hellebuyck would be quite the upgrade over Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault in net and it would be exactly the kind of move that would catapult the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup champion hopefuls tier. One would certainly think general manager Kent Hughes will take a long look at adding Hellebuyck to the mix.
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo would have to move some money to make this kind of trade work, but it's possible the Sabres could help the Jets out here by trading Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in a goaltender swap. The Sabres are also in that tier of looking to take the next step after their lengthy rebuild, so this could very well be the kind of move that gets them to the conference finals or beyond.
Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin swap, anyone? The Red Wings are without a general manager right now after Steve Yzerman's sudden departure from the role, but don't count out Detroit in terms of making moves. The last time the Red Wings made the playoffs was in 2016 and are in need of a jolt to bring them back into the playoff fold. Hellebuyck could be just the start of the turnaround in Detroit if things break the Red Wings way.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Likewise for the Blue Jackets, they haven't seen playoff success since 2020. Columbus has over $12 million in cap space coming into the 2026-27 season and could very well weaponize that to take a swing at Hellebuyck. The Blue Jackets are very much in need of goaltending help as well, as Pheonix Copley looks to be taking over starting duties after Elvis Merzļikins underwent shoulder surgery with no timetable on his return.
New Jersey Devils
General manager Sunny Mehta could make a big splash here in his first season as GM for the Devils. New Jersey would have to move money around to make this work, but with talented players aplenty on their roster, they seem to be in a good spot for pursuing Hellebuyck if they wanted to. And why wouldn't they, as their current starting goaltender is set to be 36-year-old Jake Allen after moving on from Jacob Markström this offseason.
Vancouver Canucks
Trust in the Canucks front office is at an all-time low, but a big swing for Hellebuyck could very well turn the tides in Vancouver. The Canucks have the cap space, though would have to dig deep into their prospect pool to make the return worth it for the Jets. New general manager Ryan Johnson could get some immediate goodwill from Canucks fans if they make a serious run for Hellebuyck, starting a new era for Vancouver off strong and this time hopefully in the right direction.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 6 landing spots for Connor Hellebuyck after Jets’ goalie’s trade request
