Connor Hellebuyck trade situation gets worse for Jets after Darren Dreger's latest update

Winnipeg's front office is staring down one of the trickier situations hockey has seen this offseason, and it isn't getting any easier as camp opens.

Connor Hellebuyck made his trade request public on Aug. 27, ending months of quiet talks between him and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Since then, the Jets have been fielding calls from around the league, and according to TSN's Darren Dreger, none of them have been worth taking seriously.

Dreger said flatly on TSN 1050's First Up that the offers coming back have been terrible, and that even with an expanded list of approved destinations, Winnipeg still doesn't have much to work with.

Part of the problem is timing. A lot of contenders already trust their guy in net, so for them Hellebuyck would just be an upgrade rather than a necessity, and upgrades tend to come at a discount in their eyes.

Dreger described what those teams are offering as a bargain basement return, which isn't something a three time Vezina winner should have to settle for.

Then there's geography. Montreal and Edmonton both have real holes in goal and would happily pay up, but both are Canadian teams, and Dreger doesn't believe Hellebuyck will waive his no movement clause to stay north of the border.

Hellebuyck skipped Winnipeg's opening camp activities, which surprised absolutely nobody given how things have unfolded.

Dreger said he isn't certain the goalie shows up at all, adding that people close to him don't expect it either.

Teammate Josh Morrissey addressed the situation this week too, calling it tough on a personal level while insisting his own feelings about the organization haven't changed.

For now, Winnipeg is stuck holding a Vezina caliber goalie that nobody wants to properly pay for, and a player who has already made his exit plans pretty clear.

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