Devils make controversial Connor Hellebuyck decision ahead of emotional Winnipeg return

Connor Hellebuyck will not start Tuesday night in Winnipeg.

The New Jersey Devils announced the decision Sunday, shortly after he made 23 saves in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Jake Allen will get the net against the Jets instead.

It would have been his first game back at Canada Life Centre since the Jets traded him in October, following a trade-request saga that kept him out of training camp and the start of the season.

Hellebuyck made it clear he wanted the start.

General manager Sunny Mehta said starting Hellebuyck would reduce the club's expected win probability.

The record makes that a bold claim: New Jersey is 5-0 when Hellebuyck starts and 6-3 when Allen does.

Coach Sheldon Keefe leaned on workload instead, noting Sunday was Hellebuyck's third start in six nights and that the plan is for him to play both games against the Washington Capitals later this week.

Hellebuyck will still face the Winnipeg media after Tuesday's morning skate, where he has said he will explain why he asked for a trade.

Ray Ferraro added a wrinkle on X.

He noted Allen has lost 11 games in regulation against the Jets, the most against any team in the league for him, while tagging it as not really analytics.

It is a small sample, and Allen's 6-3 record is solid, so the history probably carries less weight than the optics.

The bigger cost is timing. This was the Devils' only trip to Winnipeg this season, so the homecoming Hellebuyck wanted now waits until next year, and the press conference becomes the main event instead of the game.

If Allen delivers a win, Mehta's math looks sharp. If not, the questions will be loud.

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