Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request puts the Jets at a crossroads; the winners and losers from the Cale Makar contract; this season’s top Norris Trophy candidates; six CBA changes you should know; and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle examines how Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request puts the Winnipeg Jets at a crossroads. They must either try to remain competitive with “an older, mediocre roster on the decline,” or begin a painful rebuild like the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Mirtle noted that more players are putting Canadian teams on their no-trade lists, including some that have listed all seven teams. He pointed to the recent departures of several other notable stars from Canadian teams, creating new existential questions north of the border, and how the rising salary cap could make it difficult for smaller-market clubs to retain or attract NHL stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mirtle reminds us that stars like the Tkachuk brothers, Johnny Gaudreau, and Quinn Hughes had different reasons for leaving their Canadian teams. In Hellebuyck’s case, he’s concerned about the Jets’ decline and the difficult task of reversing their fortunes.

Nevertheless, the issue gained more attention after Hellebuyck’s request and Brady Tkachuk’s trade from Ottawa to Florida in June.

However, Hellebuyck didn’t want out a year ago after the Jets won their first Presidents’ Trophy, and Hughes wasn’t forcing a trade when the Canucks seemed a rising force in the Western Conference following their 109-point performance in 2023-24.

Mirtle briefly touched on what he called the “massive season change” the NHL is undergoing, with a rapidly rising salary cap and NHL stars using their considerable leverage for bigger contracts and where they want to play.

Those factors could affect small-market NHL teams in Canada (Winnipeg and Ottawa) and the United States (Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets) that already had issues retaining or attracting star talent. It could also affect other smaller-market teams like the Nashville Predators, Utah Mammoth, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski recently listed the winners and losers of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar’s record-setting eight-year, $163.2 million contract, making him the first NHL player to earn an average annual value of over $20 million ($20.4 million).

Among the winners are New York Islanders promising defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who could join Makar in that rarefied contract air if his sophomore season is as good (or better) than his outstanding rookie campaign.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is among the losers, as it will cost him a lot more to re-sign blueliner Quinn Hughes, though it’ll likely be on a shorter contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link for Wyshynski’s follow list. Another notable winner is the Montreal Canadiens, who got rising star Lane Hutson inked to an eight-year extension last season worth $8.85 million AAV.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of Makar, he’s on Matt Larkin’s recent ranking of his top-10 Norris Trophy candidates for 2026-27. Hughes and Hutson are also on this list, along with 2025-26 Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link for the complete list and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau examines six notable changes to the NHL collective bargaining agreement that begin on Sept. 15.

The reduction in contract term limits tops the list, with the maximum length for re-signing players dropping from eight years to seven, while those for unrestricted free agents drop from seven to six.

Others include an 84-game schedule with a shortened preseason, mandatory neckguards for new players, and stricter qualifications for emergency backup goaltenders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reducing maximum contract lengths won’t affect most NHL players, as such deals are usually reserved for the stars. However, that could also be changing, as the best talent could start pursuing shorter, top-dollar deals enabling them to become UFA-eligible while still in their prime.

SPORTSNET: A group hoping to bring an NHL expansion team to Atlanta said a report claiming their bid was in its final stages was “premature and incomplete”.

Vernon Krause, CEO of Krause Sports and Entertainment, said the league “has made no decisions with respect to our project, and we are not in the expansion application phase.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That doesn’t mean the possibility of another NHL franchise in Atlanta is dead. Krause indicated that the ownership group “has a strong interest in making this vision a reality,” adding that they will continue discussions with the league as the latter sees fit.