Connor Hellebuyck Did Not Play for 24 Days. It Cost the Devils Six Pieces to End That.
Connor Hellebuyck had not played an NHL game since April 13. He asked Winnipeg for a trade, did not report to training camp, and was suspended without pay by the Jets on Sept. 16. That suspension was set to expire Friday.
Friday is the day he got traded.
The Price
New Jersey sent Winnipeg six pieces for one goaltender: forward Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to unsigned first-round pick Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
Early reporting suggested a third team would be involved. In the end it was Jets and Devils, straight across.
Mercer is the real cost. He is 24, put up 20 goals and 42 points last season, and is on an expiring contract. Daws gives Winnipeg a third goaltender behind Stuart Skinner. Bjugstad, 34, is on long-term injured reserve after pectoral surgery and is not expected back before January.
Mehta Reversed Himself, and He Was Right To
In September, Devils general manager Sunny Mehta explained why he would not spend big on a goalie. “Because there is randomness at the position, I’m reluctant to invest significant assets there,” he said.
Weeks later he spent big on a goalie and called it an “awesome trade for the organization.”
He should have. New Jersey traded Jacob Markstrom to Florida in June and then spent the first three weeks of the season proving it had nobody to replace him. Jake Allen was 4-2-0 with a .895 save percentage. The team’s save percentage sat near the bottom of the league. The Devils were 6-4-0 on the strength of everything except the position that decides playoff series.
Hellebuyck is 33 and owns three Vezina Trophies, from 2019-20, 2023-24 and 2024-25. He won the Hart Trophy in 2024-25 while going 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average. At the 2026 Winter Olympics he went 5-0 with a 1.18 goals-against average and won gold with the United States.
He has no Stanley Cup, and he raised it himself. “I’m here to win, and the only thing I got left on my resume is a Stanley Cup,” he said Saturday.
The Risk Is Real
This is not a flawless asset. Hellebuyck is signed through 2030-31 at an $8.5 million annual cap hit on the seven-year, $59.5 million deal he signed in October 2023, so New Jersey owns the decline years too.
Last season was the worst of his career: 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage for a team that missed the playoffs. His career playoff record is 24-34. He has not faced an NHL shot in six months.
He says that part does not concern him. “Sitting at home for so long was getting to me,” he said. “I don’t think at this point in my career it’s going to take long.”
Sheldon Keefe will decide when he plays. No debut date has been announced.
Winnipeg Got Out
The Jets are 4-3-3 and had already played ten games without the goaltender who holds their franchise records for games, starts, wins and shutouts. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he wished the deal had come together “four months ago, or whatever.”
His parting line was the sharpest thing anyone said all week. “These fans love the Winnipeg Jets,” Cheveldayoff said. “They want people that want to be Winnipeg Jets.”
Hellebuyck did not fire back. “I loved my time there,” he said. “Canada loves their hockey, I felt that to the bone. I hope they know I care about them.”
The Devils visit Winnipeg on Nov. 10. He may well be in net for it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
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