Pierre LeBrun drops definitive Connor Hellebuyck update for Oilers fans
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Pierre LeBrun says Connor Hellebuyck will not play in Canada, which ends the Edmonton Oilers chatter while the suspended Jets goalie waits on a trade.
Edmonton Oilers fans can stop daydreaming about Connor Hellebuyck.
TSN insider Pierre LeBrun said on TSN 1050's OverDrive that the Winnipeg Jets goalie is not going to play in Canada, and he asked everyone to drop the Edmonton idea for good.
It doesn't get much more direct than that.
As far as LeBrun is concerned, the whole thing is simply not happening.
"People have wondered about Edmonton for Connor Hellebuyck, he's not gonna play in Canada. So, please let's stop with that. That's not happening.”
- Pierre LeBrun
- Pierre LeBrun
Why Canada is off the table
The reason is his no-move clause.
LeBrun reported that Hellebuyck won't waive it for any deal that keeps him north of the border, which wipes out Edmonton and every other Canadian team at once.
Money would be a hurdle anyway.
The 33-year-old carries an $8.5 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season, and Oilers general manager Stan Bowman would have a hard time making that fit.
The standoff itself is far from settled.
Hellebuyck went public with his trade request last month and then skipped Jets training camp.
Winnipeg suspended him without pay, and with the season now underway there is still no deal in sight.
Hurricanes and Sabres lead the way
Carolina and Buffalo remain the best known suitors.
LeBrun added that the Hurricanes are still interested but don't think Winnipeg holds enough leverage to make them pay more, so nobody is rushing to overpay.
There is one path where Hellebuyck lands back in a Canadian rink, and that is ending his holdout and returning to the Jets, who have kept the door open.
Nothing suggests he is anywhere near that point, though.
For Edmonton, that means the hunt for goaltending help has to move on to other names.
Whatever the Oilers do next, it won't involve Hellebuyck, at least for now.
Until a deal gets done or Hellebuyck blinks, this story is not going anywhere.
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