Connor Hellebuyck’s divorce from the Winnipeg Jets was messy.
But according to one NHL Insider, it nearly got much uglier.
Hellebuyck is arguably the best player in the history of the Winnipeg Jets, leading the franchise with 125 point shares.
After the star netminder made it clear he no longer wanted to play for Winnipeg, Hellebuyck sat on the sidelines, suspended without pay.
And, everything seemed to hit a breaking point as he returned from his suspension in late October.
Friedman sheds insight on Hellebuyck’s final days with Winnipeg Jets
On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman suggested that there was a mounting pressure point in the Hellebuyck trade negotiations.
“One of the reasons the trade happened when it did was because…Hellebuyck was going to go into Winnipeg on the Friday of the Heritage Classic because that was the day the suspension ended.”
“The Jets were going to have to pay him. And he had to come in there to do his physical. And somebody told me, after this was over, that Hellebuyck wanted to talk to the media.”
“At that point in time, he still wasn’t traded. I think he had some things he wanted to say. And I think it was with the goal of kind of forcing the trade to happen.”
Hellebuyck was traded on the day his suspension from the Jets ended, as he was shipped to the New Jersey Devils for Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Daws, Alexander Command (12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft), a 2029 2nd round pick, and a 2027 7th round pick.
It sounded like Hellebuyck wanted to speak to the media after Winnipeg hosted the Heritage Classic on Sunday, Oct. 25. If the Jets were concerned about Hellebuyck’s public comments, there was certainly a pressure point to get the trade done.
Friedman went on to suggest the Jets were nervous about what Hellebuyck could have said to the media if his goal of speaking publicly was to force a trade.
Winnipeg, being a smaller market team in the middle of the Prairies, has historically struggled to attract free agents. Of course, that becomes even tougher when you don’t have a Vezina-calibre goaltender like Hellebuyck manning the crease.
“If Hellebuyck said anything that [Winnipeg] thought would make it harder for them to recruit players, they were going to respond in kind. And this was going to get into new depths of ugly.”
Did Jets rush the Hellebuyck trade?
When trading arguably the best player in franchise history, you better nail the return.
It’s hard to argue that the Jets did that.
Hellebuyck’s resume is stellar, with three Vezina trophies, a Hart Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal to his name.
In return, they got a middle-six forward in Mercer, a depth player in Bjugstad, and a 25-year-old goaltender in Daws, who had yet to establish himself as a legitimate NHLer.
Command was clearly the centrepiece, but there should be some skepticism about him living up to being the focal point of a Hellebuyck return. Most scouting reports suggested he could be a two-way middle-six centre, with comparables such as Brayden Schenn and Scott Laughton.
For the Jets, they’re certainly hoping Command can be more than that.
Connor Hellebuyck’s Departure From Jets Nearly Got Much Uglier