NHL Rumor Mill – August 31, 2026
Would Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck be a good fit with the Sabres or Sharks? Could he stage a holdout to force a trade? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Bill Hoppe looked at whether trading for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would be worth the steep asking price.
Hellebuyck, 33, revealed his trade request last week. The 33-year-old netminder is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2024-25, and backstopped Team USA to Olympic gold earlier this year.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).
The Sabres and Jets reportedly held trade talks about Hellebuyck in late June, but those discussions fell through before the opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Hoppe believes Hellebuyck could be an upgrade in goal for the Sabres. However, he feels the cost of acquiring the veteran netminder and taking on the remaining five years of his contract (with an average annual value of $8.5 million) outweighs the benefits.
Hellebuyck is coming off his worst NHL season, which included missing three weeks in November due to arthroscopic knee surgery. He’s also played more games than any other goalie since his big-league debut in 2015-16, and that wear and tear could be taking a toll.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoppe makes a solid case against acquiring Hellebuyck. Nevertheless, Sabres management didn’t seem concerned about those issues when they held those rumored trade talks with the Jets in June. It’s believed the deal fell through because the Sabres asked for too much, wanting the Jets first-round pick (eighth overall) as part of the return.
At that time, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he believed Hellebuyck would waive his no-movement clause to go to Buffalo. It’ll be interesting to see if he still feels that way, and if the Sabres would be interested.
THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka wondered if the San Jose Sharks should be interested in pursuing Hellebuyck. If they spent the assets necessary to acquire the Jets goalie, it could transform the Sharks from a rebuilding team to one in “win-now” mode.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier has amassed the league’s deepest pool of prospects to draw on for trade bait. Pashelka thinks Grier may have done his due diligence to see what the Jets’ asking price would be.
However, Pashelka also cited the risks for the Sharks, citing many of the issues Hoope did for the Sabres. He also believes the Jets’ asking price would include promising goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like the Sabres, the Sharks are expected to be a competitive playoff team this season regardless of their starting goaltender. It remains to be seen if either club is willing to accept the risks for what could be a significant reward.
TSN: Analyst and former NHL goalie Martin Biron recently raised the possibility of Hellebuyck staging a holdout for perhaps the entire season to force the Jets into trading him.
Biron suggested that Hellebuyck would risk the suspension that would come from that action, that the goalie has made good money and put it away, and would be fine spending the year with his family while awaiting a trade.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck could go that route, but it’s a tactic that could backfire.
By staging a holdout to force a trade, he’d be breaching his contract. The Jets could suspend him without pay, fine him, and toll his contract, meaning he’d still have five years remaining on his deal when he would end the holdout.
Hellebuyck might not miss the paycheque if he’s managed his money properly, but he would miss not playing. Losing a year could adversely affect his performance when he returns, especially now that he’s approaching his mid-thirties.
Holding out could also cause some suitors to have second thoughts. If he’s willing to stage a holdout to force the Jets to trade him, nothing is stopping him from doing it again if things go sour with another club.
Hellebuyck needs to get traded soon. Last year of his nmc. 10 team approved list next year. Detroit finished higher than SJ last season. Need to settle Larkin situation. Said yesterday I don’t see the return on Hellebuyck being outrageous. Many of the reasons listed above.
Utah linked again to Larkin. They have the assets. Dunno if that suits Larks……….the saga continues.
Utah traded for Vincent Trocheck, They’ve no need for Larkin. And besides Larkin and his wife want to remain close to home.
Does greaves and sillinger and a 1st get it done for Helly?
WPG gets goalie young center both cost controlled and a 1st
Helly reunites with werenski team USA buddies
Signal to werenski and marchenko cmb is serious to compete
IHC. I think all 3 Michigan guys (Larkin, Werenski, Helly) end up together. Either Columbus or Detroit.
Makes sense
As I mentioned yesterday, Hellebuyck is not a fit for the Sharks, simply because in the next few years, a lot of the younger players will be looking for raises, and the fact that they have not only Askarov, but also Joshua Ravensbergen in the pipeline. Grier will be patient and not waste money by being on the hook for an expensive, albeit great goaltender who may be past his prime
Agree 100 Rock. They need those guys locked up with term, and that cost has gone up significantly this off season.
SJ is not at the place in their development where this makes sense. They will have a bunch of young guys playing important roles even though they added a couple important vets to their D core.
Young guys make more mistakes then vets, just the way it is and part of the process. They haven’t even experienced playoff hockey yet. Plus they added 3 more 1st rounders with Stenberg and Verhoeff being the 2 most notable, and Stenberg likely plays in the top 6 as soon as this season.
You traded for Askarov, let’s see what he can do as well.
I’m a big believer that you need to keep your window open for as long as possible and take as many cracks at is as you can. You need injury luck to win it all, and that doesn’t happen every year. Ask the Oilers about last season.
Investing in an aging tender at over $8M for 5 years carries risk if he starts to decline in performance, which is entirely possible and it risks making it harder for 5 years.
IMO Carolina makes the most sense, or Utah maybe. As long as they don’t overpay in assets as well.
Whats to complain about Hellebyucks’ contract
Best goalie in the world, great contract, great timeline…in 5 years 1b goalies and backups will be making 8.5m…so get with it with your aging hockey player and bad contract.
Is he the best goalie in the world?
He has been up there over the years for sure.
Sure wasn’t last year though. Average at best.
Stood on his head against Canada, stick tap for that. 100%.
I would go with one of the Russians, Shesterkin or Vasilevskiy as they have both done it in the playoffs as well.
He is aging, he’s 33 and will be 38 when done the deal. SJ won’t compete for a cup next year even if they make the playoffs, probably another 2 IMO. He will be 35 then. Still 3 years left.
This isn’t lawn bowling.
Worth the risk for Carolina if the cost to acquire isn’t too high, as it is still win right now mode for them. But sure wouldn’t do it if I was SJ as that who Rock and I were discussing.
Past his prime? Did you not watch the Olympics?
Did you watch the regular season?
If not for Heelebyuck the only one responsible forusa victory…not Hughesss
not Tkachuk not Werenski just Hellebybuck
If the luminaries had included Sheila and Hyman…the medal for CANADA would be gold
The Olympics are irrelevant in general but particularly in this situation. Teams trading for him have to wonder if he can still hold up and be a top goalie in a long regular season and long playoffs. Completely different animal than the Olympics.
Did you watch him in his last playoff series?
No matter what you can’t have someone especially a guy of Connor’s ability getting more ticked off each and every day I feel for jets fan they have the best goalie in the league in my estimation. I have some friends in Wnp who are more than a litter burned about this some of them are season ticket holders love to see him on the bruins. I don’t like the position he’s put management and fans in but you can’t have that going on the locker room .get rid of the guy.
Sway is equal to helly now and will be better in the years to come.
Indeed he is but with upside not decline
It was doom and gloom When taveres left the Islanders. All they did was goto back to back conference finals.
If you can get a Mercer or McLeod to shore up the centre position and another 1st round pick I say do it. He had a great 2 week Olympic tournament on a team with the best defence. I think that team goes to the final regardless who was in net. Yes he made some greats saves but that was one game. You need more of that in the Stanley Cup playoffs which he has not done.
Jet’s need a bounce back year and I think they can do that without Hellebuyck.
History and data have proven a decline is very likely at 33 years old
3 assets for Hellybuck max. A goalie in return for a platoon with Skinner .I would not include a first and ideally ask for a D and a fwd who could make the lineup
What’s going on with Cutter Gauthier ? Sitting out camp in about two weeks
No first no helly. He is a 3 or 4 piece trade. Top 5 goalie in NHL
Peg should have done a deal with Sabres at draft
Another silly season rumour/scoop/suggestion involving the Habs.
Bolduc for Mercer straight up.
Apparently came out of NJD fan site (pucks&pitchforks) and picked up by a Hab fan site.
Not a chance in hell NJD do this.
No there isn’t
The rumored assets to give up for Buffalo are too much. But then again, Jarmo might want to take the gamble. I wouldn’t do it, the defense in front of UPL has to play better
As much as I’m tired of these trade me demands and this would be up to Larkin accepting to go play with Werenski in Columbus.
To Detroit- Fantilli and Severson
To Columbus- Larkin and Edvinsson
Hey HF30, Stevie Y here.
Ya, still running the show for a little while yet.
As big a whiner as Mr Larkin has been, he scores goals and is on a sweet contract! (he’s not as smart as he thinks he is lol).
Change Severson into Mateychuk and we have a deal!
Eddy ain’t going anywhere ¡!!!!
Larkin,DeBrincat and Chiarot for:
Fantilli, Marchenko and Mateychuk and a 2nd
you are GMBA (Utah for the uninitiated), you can have only 1 or none of Larkin or Helley which 1 and why?
1) Larkin
2) Helley
3) Neither