NHL Trade Grades for Connor Hellebuyck to Devils, Dawson Mercer, Picks and Other Players to Jets

The Connor Hellebuyck saga is over in time to avoid a forced, awkward reunion in Winnipeg.

The Olympic gold medalist gets his wish and heads to an American contender.

The winning team? The New Jersey Devils, who were a reasonable destination to infer, but not one that appeared to be an aggressive pursuer. It's a franchise-altering move for both teams. The Jets move on from arguably the best player in franchise history. The Devils add a real solution in goal for the first time in a decade.

Why did the Devils make this move, given GM Sunny Mehta's skeptical view of goaltending value? Where do the Winnipeg Jets go from here? Let's grade the deal for both teams.

New Jersey Devils

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Connor Hellebuyck

The New Jersey Devils have not had a quality season out of a starting goaltender since Vitek Vanecek in 2022-23, and they have not had a reliable, multi-year option in net since Cory Schneider a decade ago.

Connor Hellebuyck is an affirmative solution to the problem. He's a three-time Vezina winner, and he's led the NHL in goals saved above expected over the last five seasons, per Evolving Hockey. He'll probably end his career as the greatest American goaltender of all time, with 2026 Olympic Gold as the cherry on top.

In previous seasons, the Devils looked like a rising contender being sunk by horrible goaltending. The goaltending has not been awful this season, but both Jake Allen and Nico Daws have been slightly below average. The rest of the team, meanwhile, is playing the skilled, high-octane offense that the team abandoned last season. 

GM Sunny Mehta may not see the goaltending position as one generally worth investing in, but he also knows that a player like Hellebuyck is an outlier. Most goaltenders might be great one season and awful the next. Year-to-year data is not nearly as predictive as it is for skaters. But Hellebuyck is one of the five or six who can dependably back a defense over 60-plus starts year-over-year with All-Star numbers. 

And as a poker player, he knows when circumstances may signal for him to play a hand he might otherwise stay away from. The market for Hellebuyck was soft, and Winnipeg was reaching both official and optical deadlines for getting this mess off their hands. Now a top-five NHL team by expected goals adds arguably the best goaltender in the NHL (at least, as long as Igor Shesterkin is out).

That doesn't mean the Devils aren't assuming risk. Hellebuyck turns 34 in May and has five seasons remaining at an $8.5 million cap hit. The goaltender position is subject to injury risk, and he has a lot of mileage on his body. Specific to this season, it will not be easy for Hellebuyck to adjust to a new team without any sort of lead-in to the season. Training in a private rink with a few buddies cannot match real practice, let alone live action. How long will it take him to find his form?

Losing Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad also takes a bite out of their bottom-six. Mercer in particular will be missed, though the Devils could afford to part with him. The 24-year-old was forever stuck behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier at center and has spent time at wing this season. 

Alexander Command is a solid prospect who has second-line upside (though I see him more likely as a third-line center), but the Devils come away with an elite goaltender without giving up an impact player. If Hellebuyck is even just an above-average goaltender in New Jersey the next few seasons, the Devils will shoot into Stanley Cup speculation.

Grade: A

Winnipeg Jets

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Dawson Mercer

The biggest thing for Winnipeg is that they can now move on.

In whatever way that means. The Jets have been okay to start the season: 11 points in 10 games. The good news is that goaltending has been a pleasant surprise; Stuart Skinner was one of the top goaltenders in October, and Clay Stevenson has held his own as a backup. Their biggest problem has been forward depth. Only the Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry lines have been able to generate anything. The second line has been awful, and 18-year-old Viggo Björck does not look ready for the NHL, let alone capable of a top-six role.

Dawson Mercer

The Jets are getting a huge infusion of depth with this trade. Dawson Mercer has been flirting with top-six upside his whole career. The 24-year-old was buried behind Hughes and Hischier in New Jersey, which limited his minutes and offensive opportunities. He's been good for roughly 40 points in that role while also playing strong defensively. The Jets should not hesitate to put him on their second line alongside Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi for what is, in theory, a heavy play-driving line with secondary scoring. Mercer is on a frugal $4 million cap hit and is a restricted free agent in July.

Nick Bjugstad

Bjugstad is a veteran fourth-line center who holds down tough defensive minutes. He gives Jets Head Coach Scott Arniel the versatility to move Vlad Namestnikov up the lineup. 

Alexander Command

Command, taken 12th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, is a high-floor center prospect. Name an attribute required to play hockey, and he'll grade out as at least adequate in that area. The Swede is a hard-working center who is thorough defensively and in a neutral zone forecheck. The skating is pretty good, and he has a baseline level of puck skill, though it's not consistent. He is likely to be a third-line center in the NHL in a couple of seasons and has upside similar to Mercer's as a middle-six center. 

Nico Daws

Nico Daws, 25, is a below-average NHL goaltender who has shown moments of upside in spot starts over the last few seasons. He has struggled in four starts (.872 save percentage) this season. Winnipeg now has three goaltenders on the roster, so Daws may be punted somewhere else.

The Winnipeg Jets are trading a franchise goaltender for a quantity of parts. That's not a winning trade on the merits. Of course, the Jets are only making this trade because they had no choice. Hellebuyck wanted out. One has to trust that this was the best offer on the table. Given that Hellebuyck was a sunk asset for this season anyway, the Jets at least come away a stronger team for this season and add pieces in Mercer and Command who could make an impact long-term.

Grade: C