There has been plenty of talk about the San Jose Sharks being a potential landing spot for Connor Hellebuyck. Well, there have been several landing spots proposed, but San Jose seemed like a reasonable one.
But according to Elliotte Friedman, that may not really be the case.
During the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the notable insider discussed why a potential Winnipeg Jets trade with the Sharks involving Hellebuyck never really went through.
“So, I’ve aksed about what happened between San Jose and Winnipeg. And the best answer I got is they talked, but it never really went a long way.”
That’s pretty much it.
The two teams talked, but nothing ever really materialized.
Now, one could speculate about why that was the case. Perhaps the Sharks didn’t want to part with whatever the Jets asked for Connor Hellebuyck. In particular, the snag might have been getting a goalie back in the deal. The Sharks have one of the best goaltending prospects in Yaroslav Askarov, but that’s about it. Perhaps a goalie prospect wasn’t as enticing as getting an established goalie who could tandem with Stuart Skinner.
Maybe there were other pieces the Jets would have wanted that the Sharks just didn’t have. For example, the Jets have been looking for a second-line center. The Sharks have a couple of good, young players, but would they be willing to relinquish someone like, say, Will Smith?
Ultimately, that may have been the major reason why the deal never really got very far.
Friedman Explained Why San Jose Is Attractive to Connor Hellebuyck
Friedman explained why San Jose would be an attractive destination for Connor Hellebuyck. Namely, the gold medal winner is looking for an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. And considering he’s 33, the most realistic chance for him to win one would be in the next three years or so.
Now, the Sharks could be the sort of team that could make the playoffs this season. But they’re not quite ready to contend. That may be the major reason why the Sharks might not want to go all-in on Connor Hellebuyck. But as Friedman argued, the Sharks would do well to go for it at this point.
Jets Don’t Want Futures at This Point
The bottom line is that the Jets don’t want futures at this point. The organization thinks that it can still contend, hence making a likely futures-based package from the Sharks a no-go.
Yes, getting a top goalie prospect like Askarov is not a bad move. But he won’t be the guy to lead the Jets on a prolonged playoff run.
That’s the whole point of having Connor Hellebuyck in the crease. And since the Jets won’t have Hellebuyck, they’ll want to get someone who can actually help them fill the void, even if it’s by committee.
So, Winnipeg will remain in a holding pattern until they can figure something out. Perhaps a team might change its mind in about a month and think that they really need Connor Hellebuyck. A team like the Florida Panthers or Carolina Hurricanes may decide they have no other choice this season.
All of these ideas are just suppositions at this juncture. The likeliest outcome is that the entire conversation will remain in a holding pattern.
Connor Hellebuyck-Sharks Trade Didn’t Happen Because of This