New twist in Hellebuyck saga, suspension ends Friday

Connor Hellebuyck has played the reverse Uno card.

What we don’t know is if he has any intention of coming back to friendly Manitoba or if this is simply the latest attempt to put the Winnipeg Jets feet to the flames in an effort to move him to an American market.

Prior to puck drop on Saturday afternoon, when the Jets were getting set to host the Carolina Hurricanes, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner and one-time Hart Trophy winner informed the organization he wanted to return on Oct. 2 and that his holdout has now shifted to a team-imposed suspension that can officially come to an end Friday.

The Jets were able to extend his suspension (for failing to report to training camp) because of a clause in the collective bargaining agreement, Article 15.13, subsection (c)(v), which reads: “If a player who has not received permission to be absent from training camp returns to the club, he shall be subject to a disciplinary suspension of reasonable length.”

Due to the delicate nature of the subject, the Jets declined to make general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff available for questions on Saturday, while Hellebuyck’s agent, Ray Petkau, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The report from Friedman was revealing, since there had been no public indication that Hellebuyck had taken any steps to end his holdout, which was the first in the NHL in roughly a quarter century.

That’s part of what makes the next steps in this process so blurry.

Resolution in the form of the trade would be the easiest to unravel, though the market to acquire Hellebuyck has been anything but robust to this point.

Might this latest pressure point – even if it’s one the Jets were already aware of – help to expedite a trade prior to next weekend?

Several league sources believe that’s part of the reason Hellebuyck ended his holdout.

Losing close to US $1 million in salary is probably a factor as well, even though Hellebuyck has made plenty during the past decade plus in the NHL.

Could the end of the suspension date going public force one of the interested parties to enhance their offer to make the deal?

Some teams around the NHL are likely searching for an upgrade.

Given the harmonious nature of the Jets’ locker room right now, paying Hellebuyck to stay at home is another option the organization can consider.

The other option, for Hellebuyck to try to return to the group, would probably require some mending of fences – both in terms of a private apology and some explanation about whether or not his position has changed.

If he did that the Jets would need to clear a roster spot and pay his salary. Hellebuyck would be the third goalie until a deal is worked out.

Jets captain Adam Lowry said it was unfair to speculate what could transpire in the coming days, but shared similar sentiments to what Kyle Connor offered on the first day of training camp, when he was asked about Hellebuyck being absent.

“Do I love the decision, do I love the way it’s dragged on? No. But we’ll handle the situation when it comes,” said Lowry. “Obviously we’re disappointed, he’s one of the best goalies in the world. But at the same time, it’s news but it’s unfair to speculate on what’s going to happen between now and Friday.

“If he does show up, there’s going to be conversations. There’s going to have to be one of those water under the bridge things. We keep moving forward. We’re a team, regardless of who’s in the room.”

Connor wasn’t interested in discussing the topic when it was raised on Saturday after the game.

“I’m not going to really comment on that,” said Connor. “We’ll save that stuff for later.”

If Hellebuyck shows up and rescinds his trade request, now that’s another story – though that scenario seems very unlikely at this point and time.

Cameras caught Cheveldayoff chatting with Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky prior to the game, which is noteworthy because the defending Stanley Cup champions are one of the teams that Hellebuyck has been linked to.

There are other suitors, some of whom have yet to reveal their best offer, which only adds to the intrigue.

The Jets have earned praise around the hockey world for their ability to sidestep any potential distractions and a 4-2-2 start has prevented any sense of panic from setting in.

However, it’s also true that as well as the Jets have played, the need to find secondary scoring could be addressed by bringing in a pair of middle-six forwards as part of a Hellebuyck package.

Given the way Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson (who made 34 saves in Saturday) have performed, it’s apparent the Jets no longer need to get a goalie back in a Hellebuyck trade.

So that changes things a little bit, though agreeing on the value of the package the Jets get back in return is a work in progress.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been adamant in his desire to focus on the players he has at his disposal and had zero interest in dealing with something that remains a hypothetical.

“I really don’t care right now on that scenario,” said Arniel. “My focus is we’ve got St. Louis coming up. I’ve got to do some review against Carolina, there are some areas I want to fix. You know what, that part, that falls down on (Cheveldayoff). I know there is stuff that happens. I’m going to face that one when it happens.

“I don’t know what next week is going to look like and at the end of the day for me, I’ve got 23 guys and all they care about is winning hockey games. My preparation, my thoughts are on that. I’m not worried about who is here and who is not here.”

Who is not here is going to continue to be a story, both locally and nationally, for the foreseeable future and you can be sure the Jets would prefer the focus be on the Heritage Classic outdoor game and the alumni event that features the return of Dustin Byfuglien.

But the Jets aren’t going to make a trade this week for the sake of making the noise go away.

The outcome of this is far too important for both the present and future of the franchise.

That’s why Cheveldayoff is likely to continue to wait for a deal that appeals to him before finally pulling the trigger on a trade which will impact the Jets for years to come.

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe