NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2026
Check out the latest on Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Red Wings center Dylan Larkin in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently looked at which goaltenders the Winnipeg Jets might target to replace Connor Hellebuyck, who publicly revealed his trade request last week.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).
Pickings are slim in the free-agent market, with the best options being 29-year-old Connor Ingram and 39-year-old Cam Talbot.
Ates also looked at what the Jets could get from several teams suggested as trade destinations for Hellebuyck in the rumor mill. Those clubs include the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, and Utah Mammoth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ingram is the best option in a thin free-agent market, but adding him would give the Jets the same goalie tandem the Edmonton Oilers started last season with, after signing Stuart Skinner in July.
Getting a goalie via trade is the best option. I’m ruling out the Golden Knights because they lack the cap space and tradeable assets to acquire Hellebuyck. The Devils are limited in cap space and goalie depth, carrying a trio of backups in Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich.
The Sabres could offer up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, provided the Jets aren’t on his five-team no-trade list. The Mammoth could propose Karel Vejmelka for Hellebuyck. Still, both have had consistency issues that could hurt their trade value.
Brandon Bussi or Pyotr Kochetkov of the Hurricanes could be tempting. However, we don’t know if Bussi is for real or a one-year wonder, while Kochetkov has struggled to establish himself as a reliable starter. Yaroslav Askarov has the most potential and could interest the Jets most, but the Sharks might not want to part with him.
What do you think, folks? Feel free to weigh in on this topic in the comments section below.
TVA SPORTS: Renaud Lavoie reports Dylan Larkin has not added the Montreal Canadiens to his list of preferred trade destinations.
Lavoie considers this to be “extremely unfortunate.” If Larkin is serious about winning the Stanley Cup, Montreal would be the place to do so. He also pointed out that the Canadiens have the trade capital to make an enticing trade offer to the Red Wings.
It’s believed the Red Wings seek a first-line center in return for Larkin. However, Lavoie believes a trade won’t happen until the Wings lower their asking price and Larkin expands his trade list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin has requested a trade to the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers. The Dallas Stars are also rumored to be on his list.
Based on that, Larkin’s preference seems to be joining a team in the United States. That rules out Montreal or the other six Canadian cities.
If i was Jim Nill, I would figure out how to get Larkin. Maybe offer Roope Hintz as a conversation starter
Roope does possess one of those pesky NMC’s. Why would he waive that to Detroit?????
You assume that Larkin has added Dallas to his list of preferred destinations. At this time, that is only a rumor. Even if he has, we have to ask if Nill can send off enough players to afford both Larkin and Robertson. Don’t forget that Borque was sent to Nashville in a salary dump trade to clear enough cap space to sign Robertson.
Frondell, Mangiapane and the protected Oilers 1st rounder from Chicago to Detroit for Larkin.
The 1st round pick must be an unprotected 1st rounder with the best chance of being a lottery selection.
Frondell isn’t going anywhere
Getting a goaltender back will not be the key for any Jets trade. Simply a position swap for them. Jets will get a 1st rd pick, a prospect, a salary dump and a goalie out of the deal.
UPL or Askarov will do for the goalie swap. UPL helps make the money work. It will be the other pieces that make the deal work for the Jets.
Has to be done before training camp. Can’t have this hanging over the start of the season.
I’ve said before and I’ll say again that Pittsburgh is on prime position to snag Hellebuyck’s services. They have the cap space and can offer an enticing package without subtracting from their core
Enticing such as?
I mean by that, who – outside the Penguins’ core – could be construed as enticing within an organization that ranks 22nd out of 32 in prospects by The Hockey Writers?
Before that, George, remember that Hellebuyck wants out to go to a Cup contender. That’s not the Pens.
Every team is a cup contender (or not), until the games are played.
Yeaaaah …. but the current odds in major sportsbooks on the Penguins going all the way range from 60-1 to 80-1, placing them in the bottom third of the league as hey go through a “re-tooling” of their roster.
I’m kind of on the same vein John. The one thing i feel Chevy will want back is a young signed long term player. Doan fits that square and past history makes him an easy sell to Jets fans.
The team will have a tandem in net for the first time in at least 10 years and fans will have adjust to that reality.
No idea what Buffalo would add to that but I think that would be the focal point
I see Skinner and Ingram (or UPL) as a solid tandem. They were not the problem with the oil, they were more the scapegoats. The Jets did very well with Laurent Broissoit who was chased out of Edmonton and can do alright with these guys too. Edmonton fans have a history of blaming the goalie and piling on when the issue is usually a larger team issue.
The Jets don’t need a goalie back in a trade, lets simplify the parameters of a deal and get the best talent offered up.
2.0 – ingram was fine I dont think many oiler fans will dump on the guy. Skinner is a mixed bag.
He is mentally tough. He doesnt seem to carry any poor performance or games with him as baggage which is great.
My lament is that anything off the rush seemed to be a major challenge and seemed to go in the net. At the end you could pretty much call it when watching it unfold.
The other, and ill admit this is may not be accurate but more of a fan’s feel…but you need your starter to sometimes come up big and rescue a miscue or screw up. If anyone on the ice got beat…it seemed it too was going to be a goal.
Now the playoffs, he had some amazing games and moments….but he also had some of his worse games in those same playoffs.
Mixed bag. And it seemed similar with the pens.
Wish him all the best.
The Jets, and most of the NHL mind you, have been looking for a well rounded big shot, physical dman that can play the right side for years now, actually since big Buff retired. I say bite the bullet and flip Helle for Nikishin and Kochetkov and sign the kid for 6 years at 8 mil per. The tandem of Skinner and Kochetkov would rate in the top third, to half of the league and you can hit training camp trouble free without this hanging over your head and regurgitated in every media interview for all players until its resolved. Two young players who have their best years ahead of themselves for the next decade. If it locks in the deal, i’d even take on the contract of Kotkaniemi as well, as long as they’d toss in one of their various 1st round picks as a sweetener.
Niki is a leftie, but can play the right side as well. But that Cane return should suffice. Even including KK and a 1st would be good for the center depth issue that Winney has.
That’s assuming that Carolina wants any part of a goalie costing $8.5 mil AAV off the cap for 5 more seasons, and at the end of which he’ll be pushing 39 years of age!
Sure there’s a chance that Bussi – as Lyle points out – could turn out to be a one-year wonder … but that applies to every goalie, including Hellebuyck at one time.
However, there’s nothing to suggest in Bussi’s performances to date that that will happen. In 111 AHL gp his average gaa is something like 2.50 while his save % averages out to 0.910. In 39 NHL gp, he has compiled a 2.44gaa and close t a .900 save %, which he exceeded in 4 playoff games in the finals with a 0.931 save % to get his name etched on the Cup..
He is Carolina’s future in the nets. If they do trade Nikishin it will be for a D.
To be fair, Ottawa also thought Hammond was their future, Vegas thought Hill was their future both after one year of great play.
No shortage of goalies who had part of a year of great play in the NHL and used that to secure a good contract then faltered.
Oh for sure, Travis. As I post above, Bussi could indeed be a one year wonder. But at some point a team has to go with what their goalie coaches observe along with detailed analysis of the net-keeper’s performances.
I’m sure Hellebuyck and, before him, the likes of Vasilevsky, Bobrovsky etc., all were at that stage at some point in their careers. And they turned out fine.
But when it comes to Hellebuyck, what Carolina knows for certain is that he would add considerably to their cap for the next 5 seasons, all of which will be centered in his late 30’s … and that they won a Cup with young, cost-controlled Bussi. Who could also turn out to be among the next batch of consistent top goalies.
Those decisions are why GMs and coaches get their big bucks.
I responded late yesterday about being concerned about the Habs not doing any big signings and if I’d trade Guhle.
No I’m not concerned, the core is very young and despite career seasons last year, they are far from peaking, so I expect more from the team.
As for trading Guhle, I found an interesting suggestion on a Flyers site, Broad Street Hockey.
They want Guhle and Dach
Habs get Tippett and Cates.
The reasoning being you have to give to get a top 4 D, and Tippett might do it.
Flyers have too many middle 6 F and need centres.
Dach’s upside for a middle 6 Cates makes it complete.
I’d take that trade in a heartbeat.
OMG! How do we make this happen? To move Dach is addition by subtraction and to add a L shot C in Cates is an improvement alone on Dach. To add Tippett a legit top 6 fwd only 27 signed long term on an excellent deal is gravy.
My concern is that Guhle and Dach might bump into each other in the hallway and put both versions of Mr Glass out for the year.
Unless the Wild have a gentleman s agreement with Quin Hughes, they are getting into no man’s land’s. No other team would be willing to give up good assets and step into the Wilds place. That leaves NJ. If they’re smart they wait. I did read an interesting 3 way trade between NJ, Detroit and Mn that might make everyone happy. Hoping for the gentleman s agreement
If I was interested in CH, I would wait and see how he starts the season since he wasn’t his usual great last season
Sure Helle had an off year but look at the team in front of him. If I was a contender like the hurricanes with solid D Helle would be a great addition. Look at his play with team USA and a real defense in front of him.
He also costs $8.5 mil off the cap and will be pushing 39 when his contract expires in 5 years. Is he going to get better as he hits his mid-30s? NHL history of goalies says “no.”
Just funny with players like Larkin want out so bad, and yet would only go to a few teams. Guess he doesn’t really want out that bad
If I am GMBA I want Larkin over Helley. Nothing wrong with Helley at all but Larkin gets me a few more years in theory due to age and he place a position of need for every team. That team would likely make Veggie a better goalie because he would need to make less saves with the way their lines would look.