Connor Hellebuyck reportedly wanted another team, but they refused to trade one player

Before Connor Hellebuyck ever landed in New Jersey, another team sat at the top of his wish list.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers were likely his first choice when he asked out of Winnipeg.

The holdup came down to one player.

Friedman says the Jets asked for Anton Lundell and that would have gotten a deal done, but Florida wasn't doing that.

Hellebuyck then widened his list to any team he felt he could win with, and the market got a lot more complicated for Winnipeg from there.

Friedman has since shared what the Panthers actually put on the table.

The package reportedly included Evan Rodrigues, draft picks and another roster player who wasn't Lundell.

Winnipeg passed, reportedly because it also wanted a goalie coming back, and those picks later went to Ottawa in the Brady Tkachuk trade.

Rodrigues also ended up in New Jersey, after Florida sent him to the Devils to land Jacob Markstrom.

The saga wrapped up on Oct. 23, when the Jets sent Hellebuyck to the Devils for Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Daws, the rights to Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

He had been suspended since Sept. 16 for not reporting to camp, a suspension that was set to end that same day.

So far, the move looks good for New Jersey.

Hellebuyck won his debut against Dallas, then stopped 19 of 21 shots in a 5-2 win over Vegas on Friday.

He now carries an $8.5 million cap hit through 2030-31, which means the Devils are now built around him for years.

Florida, meanwhile, moved on with Markstrom in goal.

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