The Winnipeg Jets still haven’t traded Connor Hellebuyck.
The NHL regular season is a week away, and it’s getting a bit awkward. The San Jose Sharks wouldn’t mind being the team that steps in to acquire the Olympic gold medalist.
That’s the latest update in a saga that seems like it’ll never end.
Connor Hellebuyck Trade to Sharks News
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared in an appearance on The FAN that the Jets and Sharks have discussed a Hellebuyck trade.
It’s not necessarily clear whether a deal was ever close, or what it would include.
It just adds San Jose to the list of teams that certainly would like Hellebuyck.
Clearly, acquiring Hellebuyck would be a major statement of intent for the Sharks, who are a team on the rise led by their young superstar Macklin Celebrini.
The Sharks do have a talented young goalie, Yaroslav Askarov, but the idea of just considering Hellebuyck isn’t a bad one. San Jose owes it to their talented roster to put together the best team they can.
They already had a big offseason, signing the likes of Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Mason Marchment.
A trade for Hellebuyck would be a win-now move, but it wouldn’t necessarily stop Askarov from having a bright future. Would the Jets want Askarov in return? That would certainly impact the Sharks’ willingness to do such a trade, you would think.
Given how many teams want Hellebuyck, though, and the fact that it seems inevitable that the Jets trade him eventually — some team is going to get him, so it makes sense that every team is checking in on him.
Hellebuyck does have a no-trade clause, so he could stop a trade to San Jose if he didn’t want to go there. His contract also wouldn’t fit on their books right now.
Why Everyone Wants Connor Hellebuyck
The reality is that even coming off a down season, Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies on the planet.
He proved that in the Olympics, when he helped Team USA win the gold medal in February.
Hellebuyck has also won the Vezina Trophy three times — awarded to the top goalie in the NHL.
It’d be easy to attribute his bumpy 2025-26 to a Winnipeg team that wasn’t in a good place. If the players in front of you are struggling, that makes life tougher on a goalie.
Hellebuyck is 33 years old, but goalies often last for a while, so he could still be a key contributor to a playoff team for a handful of years to come.
The Jets are clearly taking their time here, but something seems like it has to give with the season approaching, so keep an eye on this rumor, and all of them, because at some point, this story will reach a conclusion.
Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck Trade to Sharks News Would Help Macklin Celebrini