The Winnipeg Jets‘ entire offseason has essentially been run by the trade rumors involving goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
The season is now here, and Hellebuyck is still under contract with the Jets. That doesn’t mean a deal isn’t still coming, but it certainly makes some things awkward.
The Hellebuyck rumors, though, may be overshadowing another key reality — if the Jets move the star goalie, it may point toward further moves.
They aren’t rumors yet, necessarily. But getting rid of a Vezina Trophy winner and gold medalist in goal does beg the question of when the next contention window really would arrive in Winnipeg.
And that brings us to Mark Scheifele, whose name was recently thrown out as one to watch in trade talks.
Mark Scheifele Trade Rumors
It’s Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report who has connected the dots on this.
Richardson wrote about Scheifele earlier this week, not in the sense that Scheifele himself is making any noise about wanting a trade, but about the fact that a Hellebuyck trade changes the entire calculus in Winnipeg.
“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.
Case Against a Trade
There’s plenty of reason to think Scheifele won’t get traded, though, starting with his long-term contract that also includes a no-trade clause.
“He’s signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $8.5 million,” Richardson writes. “The high-scoring center also has a full no-movement clause this season, and there’s no indication he’s willing to waive it or is asking for a trade.”
And for all the Hellebuyck rumors, there really haven’t been specific ones about Scheifele.
“The Jets are trying to find a suitable trade partner for Hellebuyck, but there’s no indication they’re peddling a core player like Scheifele, who is invaluable to their hopes of rebounding from last season’s disappointing campaign,” Richardson writes. “Nevertheless, his status could be worth watching, especially if the Jets struggle this season.”
That last sentence is really the key. Winning cures most ills.
If the Jets have another losing campaign ahead of them, things become much more likely to change, even with a team leader like Scheifele.
Jets Put On Notice About Mark Scheifele Trade Amid Connor Hellebuyck Rumors