Frank Seravalli says Connor Hellebuyck agreed to trades involving three teams
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Frank Seravalli says Connor Hellebuyck was willing to accept trades to the Sabres, Hurricanes and Panthers as trade talks dragged on since June.
Frank Seravalli offered a new layer of detail on the Connor Hellebuyck trade saga this week, telling the FAN Morning Show that the goaltender's willingness to leave Winnipeg stretched back much further than most fans realized.
According to Seravalli, Hellebuyck was open to joining the Buffalo Sabres, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, along with several other clubs that surfaced in trade conversations dating back to June.
Re Connor Hellebuyck trade request: "I do believe he was willing to go to the Sabres, he was willing to go to the Hurricanes, the Panthers, a number of different teams that had popped up in discussions going back to June."
- Frank Seravalli
- Frank Seravalli
Talks have simmered for months
That timeline lines up with everything that has played out publicly since Hellebuyck's camp confirmed the request in late August.
His agent, Ray Petkau, said the three time Vezina Trophy winner had privately asked for a trade months earlier and only went public with training camp approaching.
The Sabres have been tied to Hellebuyck since the draft, reportedly discussing a package built around Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, while Carolina and Florida have both been floated as landing spots given their cap situations and goaltending needs.
Jets have no obligation to move him
Winnipeg still holds all the leverage here.
Hellebuyck is entering year four of his eight year, $8.5 million deal and carries a full no movement clause until next July, meaning the Jets can wait out the market if the return does not match their asking price.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has acknowledged Hellebuyck's desire for a change but stopped short of promising a trade before puck drop on the 2026-27 season.
With camp opening in a matter of weeks, pressure is mounting on both sides to find a resolution before the situation turns into a full blown standoff.
Buffalo, Carolina and Florida remain the three names to watch, but Seravalli's comments suggest the list of teams Hellebuyck would accept has always been longer than reported.
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