The Winnipeg Jets are going to have to determine their direction.
They have now traded away Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. That part of their business is complete, a deal months in the making.
The next steps are what everyone is wondering about now.
Does a Hellebuyck deal mean pushing this thing toward a rebuild? If it does, names like Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor could pop into focus.
Of those two, Scheifele is the one that was more discussed in the offseason as a possible departure from the Jets if Hellebuyck moved, so let’s stick with him for now.
Mark Scheifele Trade Rumors
Scheifele’s name will surely start to come up in the days ahead after the Hellebuyck deal.
Most likely, Winnipeg will emphasize that it’s not punting on this season despite that trade, and that it believes the return package from New Jersey will keep them competitive now and in the future. The Jets may be right about that, too.
But if Winnipeg falters at all, the logical follow-up to dealing Hellebuyck would be to trade a guy like Scheifele.
In an article earlier this month, Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report started to examine this in more depth.
“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 worte. “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.”
Another B/R writer, Adam Gretz, came up four possible landing spots for Scheifele. He named the Canadiens, Wild, Flyers and Bruins.
Scheifele put up 103 points last season, a career-high, despite Winnipeg having a rough go of it for most of the year. Clearly, he’s a desirable piece if he’s put onto the block.
Reading the Jets’ Tea Leaves
Winnipeg did get some NHL experience back in the Hellebuyck deal, which suggests they don’t mind continuing to compete this season.
They also didn’t get an obvious goalie replacement back, which means the positive early returns from Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson were enough for the Jets to think they can compete in net with what they have.
Neither of those things will stop Scheifele from becoming a trade candidate if the Jets fall off a cliff. But at least in the immediate aftermath, Scheifele and Connor will likely be counted on to push Winnipeg forward even without their three-time Vezina winner in net.
Jets’ Mark Scheifele Pops Into Trade Rumors After Connor Hellebuyck Departure