Elliotte Friedman links unexpected team to Connor Hellebuyck after trade talks initially went nowhere

Connor Hellebuyck is still a Winnipeg Jet on paper, but nobody expects that to last.

The 33-year-old goaltender asked for a trade, hasn't reported to camp, and the Jets have suspended him while they wait for an offer that actually moves the needle.

With opening night right around the corner, the market is still stuck.

Elliotte Friedman added a new wrinkle on the latest 32 Thoughts.

He believes the San Jose Sharks should be thinking hard about the former Vezina and Hart winner, even though the best answer he got was that the two sides talked but it never went very far.

The Sharks spent the summer getting ready to win more games.

They added Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba on the back end, and they just finished 39-35-8, their best points total since 2018-19.

Friedman's logic is simple.

Hellebuyck wants a real shot at a Stanley Cup, and at 33 that window is probably the next few years.

San Jose is trending up, and a goalie of his caliber could speed everything along.

It won't be easy. Hellebuyck carries an $8.5 million cap hit through 2030-31 and has full trade protection, so he has to approve any move.

San Jose already has Yaroslav Askarov in net, and the Jets reportedly don't want a futures-heavy package since they still believe they can compete.

The cap math is tight for the Sharks too.

Friedman has also noted that Hellebuyck might not see San Jose as the win-now spot he's looking for.

That's the big question. Is this team close enough to contend?

If Mike Grier believes it is, the phone call practically writes itself.

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