Connor Hellebuyck appears to be getting his wish.
The Winnipeg Jets are working on a trade of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner to the New Jersey Devils, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday.
It is not yet clear what a deal might look like.
The talks come as Hellebuyck’s suspension by the Jets for not reporting to training camp was set to expire on Friday — two days before Winnipeg’s Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at home on Sunday.
Questions and rumours about a potential move swirled around Hellebuyck all summer and into the season. In late August, the 33-year-old confirmed in a statement shared by his agency that he had asked for a trade “several months ago.”
“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck said in the statement. “I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.”
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The end of Hellebuyck's unpaid team suspension — given his public desire to leave Winnipeg — would potentially have caused some awkwardness in the locker room.
"He’s a good friend of mine. Do I love the decision, do I love the way it’s dragged on? No. But we’ll handle the situation when it comes," captain Adam Lowry said. "Obviously, we’re disappointed, he’s one of the best goalies in the world.
"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.”
Hellebuyck has been one of the most accomplished goaltenders of his generation, although playoff success eluded him in Winnipeg. Over his 11-year career, he has three Vezina Trophies, one Hart Trophy and an Olympic gold medal to go with a 345-208-55 record and 45 shutouts. Only Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy has more wins in that time.
Despite that success, the Jets have made just one Western Conference Final appearance with Hellebuyck. Winnipeg won the Presidents' Trophy in 2025 but took a big step back last season, dropping from 116 points to 82.
Hellebuyck is entering the third season of a seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $8.5 million. A Michigan native, Hellebuyck joins a growing trend of American superstars being traded away from Canadian NHL teams. That list includes Matthew Tkachuk going from the Flames to the Panthers in 2022, Quinn Hughes being traded from the Canucks to the Wild last December and, most recently, Brady Tkachuk being moved from the Senators to join his brother in Florida.
