Connor Hellebuyck's Trade Request Addressed by Jets GM amid Goalie's Camp Absence

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says he is willing to wait in order to find the right trade for Connor Hellebuyck despite the star netminder's refusal to report to training camp.

"This isn't necessarily a time thing for me. My obligation is to the Winnipeg Jets players and the Winnipeg Jets fans, and for me, I just want to get this right," Cheveldayoff told reporters Thursday.

Asked whether there was any prior understanding Hellebuyck would seek a trade if the Jets weren't competitive in the future, Cheveldayoff answered, "A contract is a contract in the National Hockey League, period. There are no side agreements."

The Jets have been navigating Hellebuyck's trade request since exit meetings following the regular-season finale in April, according to Cheveldayoff.

"When Connor came and asked, and requested being traded, we kept it quiet. That was partly on his request as well," Cheveldayoff said. "We tried to make that work, and we've been trying to make it work ever since."

The general manager's media availability took place the day after Hellebuyck did not report to Wednesday training camp and was subsequently suspended by the team.

Hellebuyck said in an Aug. 27 statement shared by his agent, Ray Petkau, that he had requested a trade "several months ago."

"My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family," Hellebuyck wrote at the end of August.

Cheveldayoff said Hellebuyck's camp had warned the team in earlier conversations they might release a statement if the goaltender's trade request was not resolved, but indicated the Jets would still be willing to welcome Hellebuyck back should he decide to rejoin the team.

"No doors are closed, in my estimation. He's a player under contract, and he's a player that's under contract for five years," Cheveldayoff said. "At the end of the day, that's his choice."

Cheveldayoff concluded, "It can't get emotional. It can't get personal. Connor Hellebuyck is part of our family until he's not part of our family."

Hellebuyck has played the entirety of his NHL career with the Jets since the team drafted him in 2012. He is under contract through the 2030-31 season on the seven-year, $8.5 million extension he signed in October 2023.

Although Hellebuyck won back-to-back Vezina Trophies over his next two seasons since signing that contract, the Jets didn't get any closer to the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

The team suffered two early-round eliminations before missing out on the postseason altogether last spring.

Hellebuyck has a full no-move clause on his contract through the 2026-27 season, per PuckPedia .

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman previously reported Hellebuyck's list of teams he would be willing to accept a trade to is "much wider than some of the other players who've asked for trades," which could be a nod to Dylan Larkin's reported three-team list of Stanley Cup contenders.

Friedman noted, however, he expects it is unlikely Hellebuyck would approve a trade to another Canadian team.

Cheveldayoff said Thursday that discussing potential trades with teams on Hellebuyck's list has been complicated both by the return the Jets are seeking for a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the relatively limited market for starting goaltenders.

"We're talking about moving Connor Hellebuyck... We expect that a level of return would be commensurate to that," Cheveldayoff said. "There has been nothing that has allowed us to say 'Okay, this works for both parties.'"

Cheveldayoff continued, sayig, "We're talking about a goaltender here, which is different than talking about a center, different than talking about a defenseman. If you're a team that has a bona fide No. 1 goaltender, and he's locked up, and he's yours, you're probably not interested.

"A team might be on the list as an available option, has a No. 1 goaltender, that's a moot point."

For now, the Jets will head into the season with Stuart Skinner, who split last season between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins, as their top option.

Barring a change in Hellebuyck's situation or a trade, Skinner and Thomas Milic of the AHL's Manitoba Moose could be the Jets' tandem when the puck drops on Oct. 2 for the season opener in Winnipeg.