There was a point in which the Florida Panthers were Connor Hellebuyck’s number one choice. But as things played out, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner ended up in New Jersey.
During Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the fallout of the Connor Hellebuyck trade. In particular, he focused on some of the offers that were believed to be on the table for the 33-year-old.
Among them, the offer that the Florida Panthers had made stood out. And it was too bad for The Cats that it didn’t work out because Florida was Hellebuyck’s purported top choice.
“The one that’s interesting to me is the Florida one (possible deal) because I do think that was, there was a time that was Hellebuyck’s number one choice. I think initially that was the team he really wanted to go to and eventually opened it up more.”
The Panthers made their pitch, offering various pieces in the deal. Friedman reiterated that the pieces in play included Evan Rodrigues, Eetu Luostarinen, and the draft picks that the Panthers eventually sent to the Ottawa Senators in the Brady Tkachuk deal.
However, the Jets were seriously about getting back a goaltender at the time. And, presumably, that might have been the biggest reason why the deal ended up falling through.
Stuart Skinner Changed the Equation for the Winnipeg Jets
What Friedman mused about was the fact that the circumstances shifted from the summer, when the Hellebuyck was initially on the block, to now, when the deal was final.
Specifically, Friedman wondered that, if the Jets knew that they would be fine with the Stuart Skinner-Clay Stevenson tandem, that the organization would have take the Panthers’ offer at the time.
“If Winnipeg knows that they’re relatively solid in the future with Stevenson and Skinner, does that deal happen?”
It’s a fascinating thought. But there was really no way for the Panthers, or anyone else, to figure out how things would eventually play out. The entire conversation occurred before the Jets even signed Stuart Skinner. That’s why the entire situation was is “guesswork,” as Friedman noted.
Panthers May Have Made a Mistake in the End
All told, it seems that the Panthers may have made a mistake. When the Hellebuyck deal didn’t work out, the organization pivoted to the Brady Tkachuk deal. The club spent a fair amount of its draft picks, including the ninth-overall selection, and then moved Rodrigues to the Devils for Jacob Markstrom.
While Markstrom has been all right so far this season, he’s now on the shelf. Perhaps if the Panthers had waited like New Jersey did, they could have had a chance to make something happen.
Of course, Florida GM Bill Zito wasn’t going to sit on his hands all summer, hoping the Hellebuyck deal would open up. He needed to shape his team for this season, and, well, things worked out the way they did.
In hindsight, it seems the Panthers may have made a mistake. But until someone has a fully functioning crystal ball, GMs have to make decisions based on the best available information at the time.
It just goes with the territory in the NHL.
Panthers were Connor Hellebuyck’s No.1 Choice, Friedman Says