Why Jets’ hot start should increase, not decrease, urgency to trade Hellebuyck ASAP
The great thing about early success in an NHL season for a franchise in a desperate situation: it buys time to think. At least, that’s one way to look at the Winnipeg Jets’ 4-1-1 start in 2026-27.
But I actually see it the opposite way. Looking competitive so far this season, the Jets are drastically increasing the urgency to trade goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets hit quite a low in summer 2026. In a single year, they’d tumbled from the Presidents’ Trophy winners to out of the Stanley Cup playoffs altogether. Hellebuyck, their reigning Hart Trophy-winning netminder, couldn’t carry a mediocre team any longer and labored through his worst regular season in years, and yet, for an extra squeeze of lemon juice in the eyes, he temporarily recaptured his legendary form for the 2026 Winter Olympics and backstopped Team USA to a gold medal with a breathtakingly amazing performance in the final against Canada.
It was surely a dagger to the heart for Jets fans and players when Hellebuyck, with five years remaining on his contract, confirmed all the early-summer trade chatter and publicly announced in late August that he wanted out of Winnipeg. It has since been implied that Hellebuyck’s motivations aren’t simply related to his desire to win a championship, as he and his family have had concerns for their safety, fielding threats since his gold-medal triumph to the point police intervention was needed, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters last month. Nevertheless, whether Hellebuyck’s reason to leave is justified or not, the trade request was a blow to the Jets.
Veteran sniper (and American) Kyle Connor, who recommitted to the franchise on an eight-year extension last season, called the news “heartbreaking.” At the Player Media Tour last month, I asked top center Mark Scheifele how difficult it was for the team to labor on not knowing what will come of the Hellebuyck situation, and Scheifele solemnly suggested all he could do was focus on himself and helping his teammates.
Not only did the Jets begin 2026-27 without the best player in franchise history (at least their best before the original Jets’ records got folded back into the Thrashers-Jets history), but they were stuck waiting on what would be an extremely useful return for Hellebuyck in a trade. If Hellebuyck were to net a solid NHL goaltender, perhaps a viable young NHL skater with upside and some pick-or-prospect capital, that package would go a long way toward keeping the Jets afloat in a tough Central Division. Instead, they arrived at training camp minus Hellebuyck and any helpful pieces he could net them.
Which is all a long-winded way of suggesting the outside expectations for Winnipeg’s 2026-27 season were low. They were rolling the dice on the famously volatile Stuart Skinner to play well in goal and for 2026 first-round pick Viggo Björck to step right in as their No. 2 center at 18 years old. Among our 10-staffer predictions panel at Daily Faceoff, three voters picked the Jets to finish eighth in their division, while just one had them making the playoffs.
The 4-1-1 start, then, is quite the fun surprise. Connor is ablaze, ripping off seven goals and 10 points through six games. Underachiever Cole Perfetti is showing signs of a post-hype breakout, producing better than a point per game as he gets a look on the top line with Connor and Scheifele. Skinner has yet to lose a game in regulation and owns a .917 save percentage.
A strong start to the season is great news for Cheveldayoff, who has reportedly not been satisfied with the quality of offers he’s received for Hellebuyck and now has time to wait for the market to develop. At least, that might be what the situation tells us at first glance.
I actually believe it’s the opposite. By looking relevant in the Central early this season, the Jets have every reason to solve their Hellebuyck situation as soon as possible, because they actually have something to lose right now.
Had the Jets started 1-4-1 instead of 4-1-1, they’d be on the path to another playoff miss. They could patiently wait out Hellebuyck as long as he was willing to stomach being suspended without pay. If they were open to a package that was weighted heavier toward draft picks and prospects, their list of suitors might grow. They could use a Hellebuyck trade to signal a rebuild or at least a retool and pick multiple times in Round 1 of the 2027 NHL Draft. They’d have little to lose by being patient.
But at 4-1-1? The Jets matter in the Central right now. Zoom out on their contracts, including this season, and we see Connor, 29, signed for eight seasons; Scheifele, 33, signed for five more seasons; Gabe Vilardi, 27, signed for five more seasons; Perfetti, 24, signed for five more seasons; Adam Lowry, 33, signed for five more seasons; Neal Pionk, 31, signed for five more seasons; Mario Ferraro, 28, signed for three more seasons; and Josh Morrissey, 31, signed for two more seasons. This is a win-now operation with many veterans inked long-term while nearing the ends of their primes. The Jets sit 14th in average roster age at 28.38, but most of their core players are older than that. They’re running out of chances to win with this group.
They’re also not a lock to keep winning exactly as constructed. They actually have the eighth-worst expected goal differential in the NHL, per MoneyPuck. Only five teams allow more scoring chances per 60 at 5-on-5. Among 36 goalies who have played at least four games so far this season, Skinner sits ninth in goals saved above expected per 60. He’s rescuing the Jets from subpar defensive play, which is exacerbated by Morrissey’s absence with a wrist injury. Skinner is perhaps the least consistent goaltender in the league; his hot streaks are frequent but can flip to ice-cold stretches at any moment. If that happens with a porous defense in front of him, the goals will pile up alarmingly fast.
If Cheveldayoff wants his team to contend this season, he can’t keep all the same chess pieces on the board. The Jets’ play-driving deficiencies will catch up to them, and the losses will accumulate.
But what if a Hellebuyck trade materializes? Take the Buffalo Sabres, who have been linked to Hellebuyck since the draft and haven’t hidden their interest. Keeping in mind that Hellebuyck isn’t in Winnipeg’s lineup right now: imagine adding someone like Jack Quinn to the forward group, maybe Alex Lyon to pair with Skinner in net, and a blueliner like Radim Mrtka for the pipeline.
Or take the Carolina Hurricanes, who are enduring a litany of major injuries right now and might be motivated to sort out their Alexander Nikishin standoff. Imagine if the Jets could add a high-upside, NHL-caliber defenseman like Nikishin to their D-corps today as part of a Hellebuyck return? They’d instantly get deeper.
It’s possible, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta has reported, that Hellebuyck ends his holdout soon and decides to rejoin the Jets and start collecting paychecks again. But there’s been no indication he intends to repair his relationship with the team long-term. He still wants out, and adding him back into the dressing room would be an awkward temporary fix. The Jets are better off resolving the situation permanently.
And if they care about winning this season, Cheveldayoff should make his move sooner rather than later, even if he has fewer partners to trade with than he might in several months. It would go a long way toward keeping the rest of his veterans happy and confident in the team’s direction, which is imperative if Winnipeg doesn’t want its other stars to dream of playing elsewhere.
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