Finally! After Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade and was suspended until Friday, the NHL franchise found a landing spot for him: The New Jersey Devils.
It's a huge deal for the netminder who's among the NHL's best, and a bigger deal for the team that acquired him, giving them an instant upgrade. And for the Jets, it's a chance to move on from the distraction that's swirled around this offseason and at the start of a solid season for Winnipeg.
So who won or lost this one? What are the details? As always, let's break it down and hand out some grades to both sides of this one.
Jets and Devils trade details
Jets get: G Nico Daws, C Dawson Mercer, F Nick Bjugstad, F Alexander Command, 2028 seventh-round pick, 2029 second-round pick
Devils get: G Connor
Hellebuyck
Devils trade grade
The Devils have the making of a really good hockey team with some serious young talent. But they were lacking the goaltending. Enter Hellebuyck, who is one of the world's best at the position. It may have cost the Devils a lot young guys like Mercer, 2026 first-rounder Command and Daws, but the opportunity to go from good to great was too much to let pass. This is the kind of deal you make if you're trying to take that next step, and the kind of return you need to give if you're getting a name like Hellebuyck. GRADE: B+
Jets trade grade
You would have thought that the Jets wouldn't have much in the way of upper hand when it came to Hellebuyck and his trade request. But they held out and they got a really nice return for the disgruntled star. Command is a first-rounder from earlier this year. Bjugstad and Mercer add great forward depth. There's a second-rounder in 2029 in there. Solid job all around for a team that needed to deal its star goalie. GRADE: A-
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Connor Hellebuyck trade grades: Who won the Devils and Jets deal?
