The New Jersey Devils pulled off the unexpected.
While the NHL kept its eyes on the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth, it was the Devils swooping in to trade for superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck has ton the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie three times, and he’s having a great year. This season for Hellebuyck has also been following the momentum of an Olympic gold medal in February as the starting goalie for Team USA.
He was due to be traded for a while. Hellebuyck had suggested to the Jets at the end of the 2025-26 season that he would like to be moved.
With a no-trade clause, Hellebuyck was in a lot of control of what happened here and basically had to approve a trade or it couldn’t happen.
Eventually, it was the Devils who won the pursuit.
The question of where Hellebuyck will end up is answered.
The next question has to do with when Hellebuyck will actually take to the ice with the Devils.
When Will Connor Hellebuyck Play for Devils?
Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen wrote about this on Sunday and suggested Hellebuyck could play as soon as this week.
“Hellebuyck arrived ahead of Saturday’s game versus Los Angeles (a 3-1 Devils win) and laughed that if it were up to him, he’d have started that game,” Boylen writes. “The Devils set off on the road this week, with a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back in Dallas and Colorado, followed by a trip to Vegas on Friday. After that, they’ll return home to New Jersey for two games against Edmonton and St. Louis. Jake Allen started Saturday’s win and 25-year-old Remi Poirier is on the roster, but hasn’t played NHL minutes yet. In all likelihood, someone other than Allen will start one of the games in Dallas or Colorado, and Elliotte Friedman reported on Rogers Saturday Night Hockey that it might be Hellebuyck.”
Friedman’s comment noted that last year, Hellebuyck needed just two practices after a return from surgery and then got into game action. “Do not be surprised” to see Hellebuyck play this week, Friedman said.
“Getting into an NHL practice at NHL speeds through a whole roster is going to be important, but I don’t think at this point in my career it’s going to take me long,” Hellebuyck said this weekend.
Devils Schedule
Let’s break down what was mentioned above.
The Devils play against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
They then take on the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
As suggested above, a back-to-back would be a reasonable point to expect Hellebuyck to play.
Even if it’s not those games, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be very long now. Hellebuyck’s Devils debut should be here soon.
This Is When Connor Hellebuyck Will Debut For Devils