That’s it, back to Winnipeg?

Kevin Cheveldayoff couldn’t help but make light of the situation.

Near the end of the press conference to discuss where things stand with training camp holdout Connor Hellebuyck, the general manager of the Jets was asked if he felt comfortable with the five goalies who were in training camp.

“You know I can’t have five on the roster,” Cheveldayoff quipped.

Only Cheveldayoff knows for sure how he feels about the organizational depth at the position and whether he’s planning to open the campaign with either Dom DiVincentiis or Thomas Milic in the backup role behind Stuart Skinner.

Of the 31 players placed on waivers Wednesday, four of them were goalies, including Pheonix Copley, Spencer Martin and Jonas Johansson (all of whom have NHL experience).

With that in mind, here are several situations to keep an eye on:

Montreal Canadiens

Goalies: Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Samuel Montembeault, Kappo Kahkonen.

The skinny: Fowler bypassed Montembeault on the depth chart down the stretch and into the playoffs, with Montembeault going down to Laval for a stint in the AHL. Since Fowler is exempt from waivers, the Canadiens could buy themselves a bit more time by sending him to Laval.

Montembeault isn’t far removed from being the third stringer for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but his level of play has dipped since then. But might he be viewed as a reclamation project or at least a viable backup option? The 29-year-old is entering the final year of a three-year pact that carries an annual average value of US$3.15 million, which is a little high, though the Jets have the ability to fit it under the salary cap ceiling.

It’s possible the Canadiens would prefer to trade Montembeault than carry three goalies, and keeping Fowler in the minors for an extended period of time doesn’t make a lot of sense either.

Buffalo Sabres

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, Colten Ellis, Matt Villalta, Scott Ratzlaff

The skinny: The Sabres continue to look like a team that has the pieces available to still make a deal for Hellebuyck, but before that occurs, they will likely face a decision about whether or not to carry three goalies on the active roster like they did for most of last season.

Picking up Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues was a smart move and he ended up appearing in the first 16 games of his NHL career.

Lyon can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 but appeared in 36 games for the Sabres last season, compared to 35 for Luukkonen, so it’s clear Lindy Ruff values what he brings to the equation as well.

After trading Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers last summer, it’s possible they roll with three goalies again, at least to start the season — though that’s more difficult now due proximity to the salary cap ceiling.

Carolina Hurricanes

Goalies: Brandon Bussi, Pyotr Kochetkov, Cayden Primeau, Ruslan Khazheyev, Zach Sawchenko

The skinny: The Hurricanes are interesting for a number of reasons, one of which is the fact Bussi was plucked off the waiver wire 12 months ago, then essentially grabbed the No. 1 job and eventually earned the final three wins on the way to claiming the Stanley Cup last June.

The Hurricanes have the cap space to fit Hellebuyck, but haven’t shown much urgency as it pertains to their trade offer.

While Russian blue-liner Alexander Nikishin would be a possible target, the restricted free agent would sign a long-term extension with the Jets (which adds another wrinkle to a complicated process).

Bussi doesn’t have a lengthy NHL resumé (39 regular-season starts) but he has the hardware, while Kochetkov is someone who faced the Moose a lot in the AHL as a member of the Chicago Wolves.

Detroit Red Wings

Goalies: John Gibson, Daniil Tarasov, Michal Postava, Trey Augustine

The skinny: Jets brass got a first-hand look at Postava during the Calder Cup playoffs as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Manitoba Moose in the second round. The Czech netminder made 25 starts during his first season in North America and his numbers were spectacular (1.71 goals-against average and .937 save percentage) and he carried that over into the playoffs as he took the net from prospect Sebastian Cossa, who has since being traded to the Utah Mammoth.

Postava, 24, is exempt from waivers for one more season, so a trade would need to be facilitated for him to arrive in Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, Augustine is entering his first year as a pro and is viewed as a future No. 1, which is why Postava could be an under-the-radar option for the Jets to pursue.

San Jose Sharks

Goalies: Yaroslav Askarov, Alex Nedeljkovic, Eric Comrie, Ilya Samsonov

The skinny: Although the Jets didn’t make a push to keep Comrie in the fold prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent, his familiarity with the organization could make him a consideration if he doesn’t crack the opening-day roster.

Samsonov was originally chosen 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals in 2015 and has 200 NHL games on his resumé. The 29-year-old spent last season in the KHL and his most recent NHL action came with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024-25, when he went 16-9-4 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.

Anaheim Ducks

Goalies: Lukas Dostal, Ville Husso, Laurent Brossoit, Tomas Suchanek

The skinny: If Brossoit doesn’t unseat Husso for the backup job, he could be available for a potential reunion. One would imagine injury concerns may have prevented the Jets from making a bigger push to sign him back in July, but it’s not hard to envision the appeal of a tandem that involves Brossoit and Skinner.

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe