Jets rejected trade offer from team Connor Hellebuyck wanted to play for
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Connor Hellebuyck badly wants his Jets standoff to end, and Elliotte Friedman says Florida was his first target before Winnipeg balked at the Panthers' offer.
Connor Hellebuyck wants this thing over, and the Winnipeg Jets still haven't found a deal they like.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner went public with his trade request on Aug. 27, and the standoff has only gotten stranger since.
Elliotte Friedman reports that Hellebuyck badly wants the situation to end.
Players want to play, and this time of year your body clock is telling you to get off the couch.
That's a tough feeling when the Jets suspended you for skipping training camp.
Florida was the first target
Friedman says Hellebuyck's initial target was the Florida Panthers, but the Jets weren't crazy about what Florida offered.
"Hellebuyck badly wants this to end. Players want to play, and this time of year your body clock is telling you to “get off the couch.” Initially, his target was Florida, but the Jets weren't crazy about the Panthers' offer.”
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
The package reportedly included Evan Rodrigues, another roster player (possibly Eetu Luostarinen) and the draft picks Florida later sent to Ottawa for Brady Tkachuk.
That version of the deal is gone now.
The Panthers used those picks to land Tkachuk, which leaves Winnipeg hunting for a new partner while the calendar keeps moving.
Why Winnipeg isn't rushing
Friedman has made it clear this trade is bigger than Hellebuyck for the Jets.
They'd much rather make no deal than a bad one, and they want NHL roster players back instead of futures.
TSN's Darren Dreger has reported minimal interest around the league.
The money matters too.
Hellebuyck is 33 with four years left at an $8.5 million cap hit, and he's coming off a down year by his standards in a season where Winnipeg missed the playoffs.
The Jets open the regular season at home against the Boston Bruins, so the pressure on general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is only going to grow.
Every day without a resolution makes the noise around this team a little louder, and Hellebuyck clearly knows it.
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