A new favorite to land Connor Hellebuyck emerges!

The 2022-23 NHL season for the Winnipeg Jets came to an unceremonious close earlier this spring against the Vegas Golden Knights, bowing out in a quick five game series. And immediately after their season ended, the sparring between head coach Rick Bowness and former captain Blake Wheeler was made public, giving fans a foreshadowing of what will likely be a summer of major changes. 

One player who is entering the final season of his contract is goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who is arguably the most important figure on the roster. He's already told the Jets in no uncertain terms that he has no interest in being part of a rebuilding team, and it looks as though his time in Winnipeg has come to a close. 

Where will he be playing next season? According to Pierre LeBrun, one team that holds particular interest in Hellebuyck is the New Jersey Devils, despite the fact that they already have Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid under contract for next year. Meanwhile, the often injured MacKenzie Blackwood is set to hit the free agent market. 

LeBrun had the following to say during his recent appearance on TSN's Insider Trading: 

"The New Jersey Devils one of the teams that we understand that Connor Hellebuyck would be interested in signing an extension with in a sign-and-trade."

"New Jersey has investigated it, they’ve had a conversation with Winnipeg but I think what probably would give NJ pause and some other teams is the kind of money that Hellebuyck would want in an extension, we believe that to be in the Vasilevskiy range, $9.5M per year”

Hellebuyck has racked up 238 career NHL wins while also amassing a 2.66 career goals against average, .916 save percentage, and 32 shutouts. 

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