Will he stay or will he go? Separating fact from fiction as Hellebuyck trade rumours swirl By: Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre Posted: 4:58 PM CDT Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 Last Modified: 8:07 PM CDT Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2026 Updates

At this point, only Kevin Cheveldayoff knows for sure if the threat is real — and potentially franchise-altering.

But with social media ablaze over the suggestion that franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck has not only asked to be traded but has supplied his preferred destinations to the Winnipeg Jets general manager, the race to separate fact from fiction is about to accelerate.

Through 15 seasons since the franchise relocated from Atlanta, the Jets have mostly stuck to a policy of not responding to suggestions from the rumour mill.

As it pertains to Hellebuyck, they aren’t willing to make an exception at this time.

Efforts to reach Hellebuyck’s agent Ray Petkau for comment have been unsuccessful, though his silence in this scenario is on brand.

Much like the approach the Jets prefer to take in trying to keep their business out of the public eye, Petkau isn’t one to seek the spotlight or fan the flames.

What’s been obvious since Hellebuyck stepped in front of a group of reporters after his exit interviews in mid-April was that he wasn’t happy with what had just transpired and wasn’t thrilled with his first look into the crystal ball about the future.

A few days later, Cheveldayoff expressed no concern about what was said and actually praised the competitiveness of Hellebuyck, suggesting it merely reinforced his commitment to winning.

Since that time, the storm had seemingly quieted.

The expectation was that the Jets were aware of Hellebuyck’s frustration and they would address some of those concerns this off-season with upgrades to the roster.

Equally important, after sounding the alarm, the thought was that Hellebuyck would be front and centre in the process of trying to put that disappointing season in the rearview mirror.

So, what’s changed?

Nothing officially, other than this recent example of trying to connect the dots, which comes on the heels of another one of Hellebuyck’s gold medal-winning teammates from the United States — Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin — asking for a trade and that request becoming public.

On the heels of Quinn Hughes forcing his way out of the Vancouver Canucks organization in a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Wild last season, there are signs that NHL players are becoming bolder in trying to force their way into their optimal scenarios.

Naturally, observers are trying to predict who the next player to try and change addresses might be.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet acknowledged that there’s a lot of noise surrounding Hellebuyck on Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts and Darren Dreger of TSN said on Wednesday that the Jets were at least listening on Hellebuyck as a way to potentially address other needs.

That doesn’t mean a trade is imminent, but it’s a signal that the vultures are lurking and the prospect must at least be acknowledged.

It’s not a regular occurrence that a goalie of Hellebuyck’s calibre is available, either in free agency or trade. It sounds like teams are trying to gauge what the price tag might eventually be.

Make no mistake, that ask is going to be high and the Jets would appear to at least have some leverage, even if Hellebuyck is the one who has a full no-movement clause and would need to sign off on any deal before it goes through.

Hellebuyck is a franchise pillar and a large haul would be required for the Jets to even consider moving on from him. But with the Jets looking for upgrades, Hellebuyck would qualify as the player who should fetch the biggest return. It would also leave a massive hole between the pipes, unless the Jets got a top-end goalie in return.

So, what comes next for Hellebuyck and the Jets? The relationship status isn’t as complicated as it might seem, at least not yet.

Even if Hellebuyck got to the point of insisting on playing elsewhere, it wouldn’t be the first time the Jets faced that scenario with an important core piece.

There are multiple examples of players who asked for a deal — some on multiple occasions — dating back to Evander Kane, Jacob Trouba, Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Some of those players ended up getting to their preferred destination and others did not.

One of the common themes in each of those scenarios was that the Jets didn’t make a panic move at the first sign of trouble; they held firm until an offer that was appealing enough to them was put forth by another team.

The Kane and Dubois deals brought multiple pieces that brought back talent and stretched out the depth, while the Trouba deal brought back a top-four D-man in Neal Pionk and a first-round pick that became Ville Heinola.

Laine’s move brought a two-way pivot that was supposed to solve the second-centre situation, though Dubois ended up asking to be moved out himself and the position still requires an upgrade.

While it’s true the Jets had to move critical pieces of the puzzle, they’ve never had to deal their Most Valuable Player or the backbone of the team. And, coming off the Olympic gold medal performance, Hellebuyck still has five years remaining on the “lifetime contract” he signed with the Jets.

Given the rising salary cap, his annual average value of US$8.5 million is more than manageable for almost every potential suitor, even if it takes him into his late 30s. And the three weeks the 33-year-old was sidelined with a knee issue this past season represent the only substantial time he’s missed due to injury in more than a decade.

He’s the type of goalie that teams believe can push them over the top. And that’s why Cheveldayoff will hold firm on his asking price.

Now, it’s important to remember that during the off-season — before Hellebuyck and fellow franchise cornerstone Mark Scheifele signed their matching extensions — many observers believed there was little chance either player would finish that season with the Jets.

Not only did they stick around, but they also signed up for seven more after their contracts were set to expire.

So while the prospect of Hellebuyck not finishing out this one could eventually become a reality, moving the guy often referred to by his teammates as “the best goalie in the world” during the next several weeks isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion. Even if those whispers about Hellebuyck’s future seem to be threatening to become a roar.

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