The Winnipeg Jets haven’t traded anyone yet.
And by all accounts, it sure seems like the first guy to go would be the star goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
But if Hellebuyck goes, then consider the Jets a roster for sale. They may not make follow-up moves, but the rest of the NHL will be circling.
Winnipeg certainly has to consider a rebuild if they trade away Hellebuyck. And if that’s the path they end up going down, Mark Scheifele could be next.
Why Would Jets Trade Mark Scheifele
It’s Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report who has recently connected the dots on this.
“The ongoing drama surrounding Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has some observers wondering about the fate of other Jets stars, like Mark Scheifele, and their futures in Winnipeg,” Richardson writes. “On Sept. 24, Marc Dumont of Montreal Hockey Now cited Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, who claimed the Montréal Canadiens were among several teams looking into Scheifele’s availability. He noted that Kypreos believed the Jets would demand a high price for the 33-year-old center.”
Scheifele just put up a career-best 103 points in the 2025-26 season despite massive struggles by the Jets as a whole, which speaks to just how talented he is.
He’s also 33 years old, though, which means that there are only so many good years left in him. If they’re spent without Hellebuyck, that seems potentially less valuable.
Mark Scheifele Landing Spots
Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz took the next step on the Scheifele rumors. He named four potential landing spots for Scheifele if he does get traded.
The first is the Montreal Canadiens.
“They wouldn’t need him as a No. 1 center (Nick Suzuki has that spot locked down), but they do need an upgrade at their No. 2 center spot and with their depth down the middle,” Gretz writes. “That might be the one big Achilles heel they have with the roster this season, and Scheifele would give them a pretty dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle.”
Gretz then points out the Minnesota Wild.
“Center depth is a huge concern here, and has been for a few years during this contention window,” Gretz writes.
If not those teams, then Gretz adds the Philadelphia Flyers.
“There is a need, not only for a center, but also for somebody that can just be a difference-maker offensively,” Gretz writes. “As good as they have been defensively over the past few years, generating offense has been a major problem.”
The final team mentioned by Gretz is the Boston Bruins.
“There is also the reality that Zacha is an unrestricted free agent after this season and might be playing elsewhere after this season, creating another potential opening in the lineup,” Gretz writes. “The Bruins almost certainly still see themselves as a playoff team, and a team that is capable of contending. But there is always going to be a ceiling on what they can do without a true No. 1 center on the roster. It would not solve all of their problems, but it would solve a big problem.”
Clearly, Scheifele would have a market. He may not be on the block yet, but it could be coming.
Jets’ Mark Scheifele Named With 4 Trade Destinations