One big question mark

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This article was published 17/01/2017 (3161 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So much is riding on Connor Hellebuyck to be the goalie of now and the future for the Winnipeg Jets.

Did the organization overestimate his ability to be that guy? Does the man himself believe he’s got what it takes to be a bona fide NHL starter for a team that has few options moving forward?

Cornered by reporters and cameras in the Jets dressing room Tuesday, the 23-year-old from Michigan was almost defiant in his assertion his self-confidence hasn’t wavered and he’s got a long and bright future in Winnipeg.

“I know I belong in this league and I know how good I am and I know how good I’m going to become,” said Hellebuyck, who got the hook in his last two starts, surrendering three goals on seven shots against the Montreal Canadiens at home Jan. 11 and allowing three on six shots in Arizona against the Coyotes two nights later.

Winnipeg (20-23-4), riding a four-game winless skid, has turned to veteran Ondrej Pavelec to shake the squad out of its most recent funk, calling up the Czech-born netminder from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

“We can let this — whatever you want to call it — hinder me a little bit, but it’s not going to set me back at all. I’m going to keep pushing forward, keep getting better,” Hellebuyck said. “Like I said, I really like where my game is at right now. I’m going to keep getting better. I know there is room to keep improving, and, if that’s the case, I can really, really take this somewhere.”

But what if he can’t? What if he’s not the solution to the inconsistency that has afflicted the franchise since it relocated from Atlanta prior to the 2011-12 campaign?

The options, beyond the promotion of Pavelec as a short-term fix, seem limited looking a year or two down the road. With no great trust in any of their goaltenders in the system, Toronto made a major move in the off-season, acquiring Frederik Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 second-round pick, then locking him up for five years at US$5 million per season.

The Jets could go the same route and deal for a proven puck-stopper now or in the summer: Marc-André Fleury is likely available and solves the Pittsburgh Penguins’ expansion-draft dilemma (they’ll need to protect either Fleury or Matt Murray). But that would mean sending a talented youngster and/or top prospects the other way — historically not part of Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s repertoire.

Turning to blue-chip goalie prospect Eric Comrie, 21, referred to by one amateur scout recently as the best goaltender in the organization, won’t happen. He’s already facing a trial by fire with the Moose in the AHL and the Jets won’t rush him.

What about signing a veteran goalie on the open market? Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist has been battling to stay healthy. Brian Elliott (Calgary Flames) and Michal Neuvirth (Philadelphia Flyers) also become free agents, but aren’t they simply Pavelec in different jerseys?

One thing is clear, the sub-par work of the masked men — save for a few sensational efforts, including shutouts by both Hellebuyck and backup Michael Hutchinson — isn’t worthy of a playoff-calibre team and has the Jets in a difficult and uncertain spot.

Most interesting, however, is Hellebuyck’s surprising view of his recent work between the pipes.

“That’s your opinion. Like I said, I’m getting better every day and I think I’m 10 times better now than when I first came here (at the start) of the season. I’ve gone through a pretty big learning curve that I haven’t faced in my career,” he said.

“I gripped it a little too tight and made a mistake here and maybe some bad luck here and there. When you put all that together, it ends up getting you pulled. But like I said, I felt good going into the game and long as I have that, I know I’m a good enough goaltender that I can bounce back from anything.”

Hellebuyck was a bit of a diamond in the rough when the Jets chose him in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, but made scouts look like geniuses when he starred the next two seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He was the U.S. college goalie of the year in 2014 and, after leaving school early to ink a pro deal with Winnipeg, had a terrific rookie season in St. John’s of the AHL and was named a league all-star.

He filled in more than capably for the injured Pavelec during the 2015-16 season, going 13-11-1 in 26 games, to demonstrate to the organization his potential as a No. 1 starter. Pavelec’s demotion to the Moose at training camp signalled the big club was headed in that direction.

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Jets head coach Maurice said turning to Pavelec now isn’t a sign team brass misjudged Hellebuyck’s ability to become an established NHL goalie this year, when more seasoning is clearly needed.

“No. We had a really clear idea going in that we had two young goaltenders and a real clear idea that there was a development part that has to happen. We need to get Helley into games. He needs to go through what he’s going through,” Maurice said, likening it to the progression of Montreal Canadiens all-star puck-stopper Carey Price.

“Would you have preferred he take the ball and run with it and away you go? For sure. Go take a look at all the No. 1 guys. The extreme example… Carey Price drops a .905 (save percentage) after his first couple of years and he’s gotta go and (Jaroslav) Halak’s the man who’s gotta stay. The vast majority of them, (they) go through the stretch that Connor’s going through. I want to play him. I still do,” Maurice said.

“The mistake is to say at his age with the work he’s done that he’s not good enough. And that’s not what we’re saying here at all. He’s going through the process he needs to go through to give himself the chance to be a dominant No. 1 goaltender in the league. He’s a Winnipeg Jet today and we expect that to continue.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell