The fact that Connor Hellebuyck got traded was only going to be part of the fun.
First, there was the matter of who the Winnipeg Jets would trade him to, and the answer is the New Jersey Devils.
But there’s also the return: What would the Jets get for Hellebuyck?
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan had the full details on X on Friday:
Connor Hellebuyck has been traded to New Jersey Devils. The deal includes Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Command, who NJ took No. 12 overall at the 2026 Draft. Plus two draft picks.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) October 23, 2026
Alexander Command is an exciting pickup, and you can read about him at this link.
Mercer and Daws are both fun acquisitions, as well.
Maybe the most interesting name, not necessarily in a long-term sense, is Nick Bjugstad — because the question essentially becomes why the Jets wanted a 34-year-old forward in this trade.
We’ll see if we can come up with a few answers.
Who is Nick Bjugstad?
Nick Bjugstad is a 34-year-old center originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He stands 6-foot-6, and he was originally a first-round pick by the Florida Panthers back in the 2010 NHL Draft.
He has since played in 821 NHL games for Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Edmonton, Utah and New Jersey.
He has 163 goals and 176 assists in his career for 339 points.
He also has 1,326 career hits.
Bjugstad played in 61 combined games last season between the Blues and the Devils, and he had six goals and three assists.
He had yet to play in a regular season game this season for New Jersey.
His last strong season was in 2023-24 when he had 45 points in 76 games for Arizona with 22 goals and 23 assists.
These days, Bjugstad is nothing more than a depth forward and veteran presence.
Why Did Jets Get Nick Bjugstad?
It feels like there are probably a couple of components here.
The first is that the Devils needed to move some salary out to make room for Hellebuyck. Bjugstad is on an expiring contract with a cap hit of $1.75 million this year. That’s not a ton, but it’s enough to make it worth moving him.
The Jets may also have figured that, if they need to, Bjugstad is an easy plug and play. He’s a proven NHL contributor. Some of the talent they got back for Hellebuyck will take years to fully reach their potential. Bjugstad could show up to the rink tonight and move the puck and hit some people. He knows what he’s doing.
This trade won’t be assessed in the long run by Bjugstad’s presence in it, but it does add yet another NHL team to his long list of them.
Who is Nick Bjugstad? Why Jets Got Veteran Forward in Connor Hellebuyck Trade