Connor Hellebuyck trade talk sees young Sabres star as the return piece in latest proposal
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Connor Hellebuyck has suddenly become the kind of name that tests Lindy Ruff's Buffalo Sabres plan.
Jeff Marek's line on Sekeres & Price wasn't casual radio noise. It hit the exact pressure point in Buffalo.
The Sabres are no longer a cute rebuild. They finished with 109 points and a +47 goal differential, which changes the standard.
That kind of season creates a different question for management. Not "are they close?" but " what are they willing to lose to go all-in?"
Marek floated Hellebuyck, then named Owen Power as the type of cost. That is where the room gets quiet.
The clip matters because Marek doesn't throw Power's name out as decoration. He frames him as the price of entering the true No. 1 goalie market.
"At what point is a team ready for the big move; if you're the Sabres, do you try to get Connor Hellebuyck, and if so, it's gonna cost you someone like Owen Power."
- Jeff Marek
- Jeff Marek
Buffalo's Hellebuyck question is really about Power
Hellebuyck carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, and that number is workable for a team that just proved it can score and defend at a playoff level.
Winnipeg's side is just as obvious. The Jets finished with 82 points and a -29 goal differential, so moving an elite goalie would not be a soft reset.
That means Buffalo can't build a package around spare parts. If the Jets even listen, they ask for a blue-line pillar, not a middle-six sweetener.
Power is exactly why this debate stings. Trading him would solve one premium position by weakening another, especially on a roster already built around high-end defense.
For Ruff, the appeal is clear. A goalie like Hellebuyck can turn a strong regular-season team into a spring problem overnight.
For Jarmo Kekalainen, the danger is just as clear. Pay the Power price, and Buffalo stops being patient forever.
Marek didn't report a trade. He exposed the line Buffalo may soon have to decide whether it's ready to cross.
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