5 Trade Landing Spots for Connor Hellebuyck Amid NHL Offseason Rumors

A year after winning the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record, the Winnipeg Jets struggled throughout this season and failed to qualify for the 2026 playoffs.

Injuries to key players such as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the departure of winger Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes, the slow development of young players such as Brad Lambert and Elias Salomonsson, and the addition of aging veterans Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist contributed to their demise.

Hellebuyck didn't hold back his frustration over the Jets' performance during his end-of-season media availability on Apr. 17. He called it "unacceptable", and shouldered his share of the blame for the disappointing outcome. The superstar goalie also stated that things had to change if the Jets hope to win the Stanley Cup.

A three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the current holder of the Hart Memorial Trophy, Hellebuyck is considered the NHL's top goaltender. His reputation was further enhanced in February by backstopping the United States to gold in Olympic men's hockey, making him more determined than ever to win the Stanley Cup.

Hellebuyck still considers the Jets to be "a very good team", but referred to this season as "chaos", adding that they created their own bad luck. He wondered about the club's direction and how management intends to address it.

Those comments raised concern among some observers. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press felt that Hellebuyck sounded like someone who might not be with the Jets much longer.

Signed through 2030-31, Hellebuyck earns an average annual value of $8.5 million and has a full no-movement clause. Nevertheless, McIntyre believes that his affordable cap hit and superstar status would draw plenty of attention if he became available in the trade market.

It's unlikely that the Jets will trade Hellebuyck this summer, preferring instead to improve the club around him. His remarks may have been his way of blowing off steam after a difficult season. Nevertheless, we felt it worthwhile to examine five potential landing spots for the all-star goaltender.

Carolina Hurricanes

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For the past six seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes have been among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They've been to the Conference Final twice in the last three years and finished first in the conference during the 2025-26 regular season.

The Hurricanes have a well-earned reputation for making bold moves. They brought in Jake Guentzel at the 2024 NHL trade deadline and acquired and traded winger Mikko Rantanen last season.

General manager Eric Tulsky was expected to make another big move at this year's trade deadline, but instead made a depth acquisition by bringing in Nicolas Deslauriers. His Hurricanes have the salary-cap space and tradeable assets to make a major move this summer if the opportunity presents itself.

Tulsky could opt to upgrade his goaltending. Oft-injured starter Frederik Andersen is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status. Pyotr Kochetkov has yet to establish himself as a starter, while Brandon Bussi seems best suited in a backup role.

Hellebuyck could be a tempting target for the Hurricanes. They could include Kotchetkov or Bussi as part of their pitch to the Jets, along with their 2027 or 2028 draft pick. The Jets could also seek top prospect Bradly Nadeau, or a promising young NHL player such as Jackson Blake or Logan Stankoven.

Detroit Red Wings

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For the past three seasons, the Detroit Red Wings appeared poised to break through as playoff contenders, only to falter down the stretch and miss the postseason. General manager Steve Yzerman could start feeling pressured to make a significant move or two that can put this team over the top.

Acquiring Hellebuyck could help them get there. Cam Talbot is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and likely won't be back. John Gibson had a good season but has a year remaining on his contract. Moving him to make room for Hellebucyk might not be difficult, given the need for goalies around the league.

The Red Wings have two promising young netminders in Trey Augustine and Sebastian Cossa. They could keep one to be Hellebuyck's understudy and include the other in a trade package to the Jets, along with another promising young player and a first-round draft pick.

Hellebuyck is a Michigan native, born and raised in Commerce, a northwest suburb of Detroit. He was a Red Wings fan growing up, and would likely be open to playing for his childhood team, especially if he could help them get over the playoff hump and win the Stanley Cup.

The Red Wings have a solid mix of young stars and veteran talent, and the salary cap space to add talent. They must improve their secondary scoring, but they have sufficient cap space to add Hellebuyck and address their other roster needs, especially if they can move out part or all of Gibson's $6.4 million cap hit.

Florida Panthers

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After winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, the Florida Panthers' hopes for a three-peat were derailed by injuries to key players, including team captain Aleksander Barkov and winger Matthew Tkachuk. However, they hope to stage a bounce-back season with a healthier roster in 2026-27.

The Panthers also hope to re-sign long-time starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. If those negotiations fail, general manager Bill Zito could look elsewhere for other options.

NHL.com'sDave McCarthy suggested Zito contact the Jets if they make Hellebuyck available this summer. He believes the three-time Vezina Trophy winner would be a perfect fit for the Panthers, as his $8.5 million AAV would be less than the $10 million annually that they were paying Bobrovsky.

The Panthers have $15.4 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27 with 18 active roster players under contract. They can afford to take on Hellebucyk's contract, and he might be willing to join them given their recent championship status. Having him between the pipes could improve their chances for another Cup run.

Landing Hellebuyck could cost the Panthers their 2026 first-round pick, leaving them without one through 2028. Their prospect pool is rather shallow, ranked 32nd by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. They might have to part with young forward Mackie Samoskevich as part of the return.

The Panthers could lose a bidding war if Hellebuyck hits the trade market. What could work in their favor is if they're among a short list of his acceptable trade destinations, and the other clubs either have limited assets of their own or can't afford his contract.

New Jersey Devils

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Changes are coming to the New Jersey Devils. On Apr. 7, they fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald and replaced him on Apr. 16 with former Florida Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta.

It remains to be seen what changes Mehta has in store for the Devils. One of them could be shaking up the goaltending. Starter Jacob Markstrom is 36 and struggled this season. He has a new contract starting next season worth $6 million annually.

A bold move would be acquiring Hellebuyck if he were willing to accept a trade to the Devils. He'd be a significant upgrade over Markstrom, who could be moved to one of the clubs not on his 20-team no-trade list when his new contract begins on July 1.

The Devils possess considerable talent with forwards Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt, and veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton. They also have two promising blueliners in Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec.

Inconsistency has been an issue for the Devils, but Hellebuyck's solid goaltending could help them address that issue. They'd play with more confidence having the league's top goalie backstopping them.

The Devils have the cap space ($11.9 million) to take on Hellebuyck's full contract. They might have to include Nemec as part of the deal. With Jake Allen entrenched as a reliable backup for the Devils, they could also include young goalie Nico Daws in the package along with a top prospect or a first-round pick.

Vegas Golden Knights

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The Vegas Golden Knights are always mentioned whenever a notable player surfaces in the trade market. That's because they almost always find a way to get their man, adding Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, and Mitch Marner in recent years.

Goaltending has been an issue for the Golden Knights this season. Starter Adin Hill struggled, injuries sidelined Carter Hart, and Akira Schmid has been relegated to third-string duty.

A trade target such as Hellebuyck would be irresistible to the Golden Knights. They have a history of ruthless wheeling and dealing to get what they want. Adding a three-time Vezina Trophy winner like Hellebuyck would improve their chances of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights have limited salary-cap space next season, but that has rarely affected their previous efforts to acquire top talent. If defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains on long-term injury reserve, it'll give them over $13 million in cap space, and they could always make more cost-cutting moves.

An offer from the Golden Knights for Hellebuyck could include Hill, Hart, or Schmid. They might have to include their 2028 first-round pick, as they've traded away their 2026 and 2027 picks. Top prospect Trevor Connelly would also have to be in the deal.

That pitch is still thin for someone like Hellebuyck, but it could work if the Golden Knights are among what could be a short list of his preferred trade destinations.

Stats via NHL.com. Salary cap and contract info via PuckPedia.