Should the Mammoth attempt to acquire Connor Hellebuyck? Will the Flyers consider trading Travis Konecny? Can the Maple Leafs find an impact defenseman? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Michael Amato believes the Utah Mammoth are a goaltender away from being a Stanley Cup contender.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Amato considers Mammoth starting goalie Karel Vejmelka an inconsistent, “league-average” goalie who can’t lift his team when they’re not at their best, unlike Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Hellebuyck could rejoin the Jets when his team-enforced suspension for skipping training camp ends on Friday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he will. They could pay the 33-year-old goalie to stay home, or perhaps trade him before Friday.

Amato believes the Mammoth need an elite goalie if they keep playing at a high level. He felt they could upgrade at that position if they really wanted to. The Jets want a goalie in return, and Vejmelka only has a 10-team no-trade clause while backup Sebastian Cossa lacks no-trade protection.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several factors could derail a Hellebuyck-to-Utah trade.

First, Hellebuyck must be willing to go here. He reportedly has a broad list of potential destinations. It becomes a pointless exercise to make that suggestion if Utah isn’t on his list.

The Mammoth must be willing to pursue Hellebuyck, who needs time to get back into game shape after missing training camp and the first month of the regular season. Even then, there’s no certainty he’ll be the difference-maker they need, at least for this season.

They could be unwilling to pay Winnipeg’s asking price. The Jets reportedly seek a second-line forward (preferably a center) or a top-four right-shot defenseman as part of the return. They’ll also want one of the Mammoth’s top prospects and a first-round draft pick.

If the Jets want a goalie in return, they could prefer Cossa over Vejmelka, assuming they’re not on the latter’s no-trade list.

The Mammoth might not be interested in an expensive acquisition like Hellebuyck. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to upgrade their goaltending, but they could prefer a younger, more affordable option.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James recently addressed a report by Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco citing Flyers sources claiming there’s “a growing sense of frustration” with Travis Konecny within the organization, which could lead to them approaching the 28-year-old winger about waiving his no-movement clause.

James doesn’t buy into it, pointing out that Konecny signed an eight-year, $70-million contract with the Flyers two years ago. He’s also been their leading scorer for six of the last seven years and is among the team’s leadership group.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s plenty of frustration to go around among the Flyers, so it wouldn’t be surprising if that extends to Konecny, who is currently on injured reserve. However, asking him to waive his NMC would be an extreme approach right now. Besides, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun recently observed, there’s no trade out there that can reverse the Flyers’ poor start. Whatever changes they make will likely come from within.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently looked at what trade options could be available for the Toronto Maple Leafs to improve their defense.

Zach Whitecloud of the Calgary Flames, Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, Carson Soucy of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brenden Dillon of the New Jersey Devils, and Nick Perbix of the Nashville Predators are among the serviceable defensemen who might be available. However, Fox believes making a trade for one of them requires real assets.

Real difference-makers, like RFA Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes or RFA Simon Edvinsson of the Detroit Red Wings, will cost millions of dollars to sign and will be more expensive to acquire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox noted that the Maple Leafs face some easier opponents on their upcoming schedule. He believes the best strategy could be to “outscore their issues and hang in the standings race until true sellers drop out.”

That might help if they can pull it off. However, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun thinks it’ll take more than adding one defenseman to improve their blueline corps. The Leafs lack sufficient tradeable assets to bring in more than one rearguard who’ll have a positive impact this season.