Winnipeg Jets rejected by a second goalie amid Connor Hellebuyck trade talks
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The Winnipeg Jets keep hitting the same wall in their search for a goalie. With Connor Hellebuyck trade talks dragging into training camp, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman says a second netminder on Winnipeg's radar has quietly shut the door.
Friedman believes Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has added the Jets to his no-trade list, and he says the problem goes deeper than one goalie.
I've heard there's at least one other goalie [in addition to Luukkonen] that either the Jets looked at or were offered to them who now has Winnipeg on his no-trade
The goalie has not been named, and no-trade lists are private, so nothing is confirmed.
Why the Jets Want a Goalie Back
Winnipeg has told rival teams it wants a goalie returning in any Hellebuyck deal, not a pile of picks and prospects. That requirement has already shrunk the market, and each no-trade clause shrinks it more.
The Jets finished 35-35-12 last season, 26th overall, but management has shown little appetite for a teardown.
Hellebuyck, 33, is a Hart Trophy winner with five seasons left at $8.5 million per year and a full no-movement clause. He asked for a trade publicly in August and was suspended for skipping camp.
A Shrinking List of Options
Buffalo has been the most active suitor, but talks around the draft stalled when the Jets wanted the fourth overall pick while keeping their own eighth. Luukkonen looked like the natural piece to come back.
Remove him, and Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis may not move the needle in Winnipeg.
Florida moved on after landing Jacob Markstrom, and Friedman reported the Jets cooled on a Carolina framework over signing concerns.
That leaves few clean paths for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who has said he will not force a deal just to make one.
With the season opener approaching, the Jets are running short on both time and goalies willing to come to Winnipeg. Until a workable deal appears, the Hellebuyck standoff drags on.
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