NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 28, 2026
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck makes his trade request public, Cale Makar and the Avalanche close in on a contract extension, the latest on the Canucks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE WINNIPEG SUN: Massimo De Luca-Taronno reports Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck released a statement through his agent on Thursday indicating that he requested a trade earlier this year and he still wants to be moved.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).
The request comes after months of speculation over the 33-year-old netminder’s future in Winnipeg. In the statement, Hellebuyck said he’s going public with the request as training camp approaches, believing a trade is the best path forward for himself and his family.
Hellebuyck expressed gratitude for his 14-plus years with the Jets’ organization and his appreciation to the fans who’ve supported him throughout his career. He hopes that a resolution can be reached.
The Jets also released a statement acknowledging Hellebuyck’s openness to a change. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff expressed respect for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner’s accomplishments.
Cheveldayoff said the club would continue to “work through the situation in a thoughtful manner,” but provided no update regarding trade talks.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Ken Wiebe believes Hellebuyck and the Jets remain in the same position they were in following his exit interview and end-of-season media availability in April. What’s changed is that going public is an attempt to force a trade by turning up the heat on Cheveldayoff.
Wiebe pointed out that several Jets have requested trades in the past, but Cheveldayoff moves at his own pace and will set a high asking price for the All-Star goaltender. Hellebuyck could apply additional pressure by withholding his services and not showing up for training camp, but that would be a bold and unconventional move.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staging a holdout could backfire on Hellebuyck. He’d risk breaching his contract, enabling the Jets to suspend him without pay until he ends the holdout or is traded. It also wouldn’t do his reputation any favors.
Hellebuyck is signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $8.5 million. Cheveldayoff doesn’t have to rush to move him, but he will likely feel some pressure to find a suitable deal soon.
THE ATHLETIC’s Chris Johnston believes one key difference with Hellebuyck’s trade request compared to others around the league is that he’s willing to waive his no-movement clause for a variety of teams. He claimed the offers haven’t been to the Jets’ liking yet, “but they’re not totally handcuffed.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “others” Johnston is referring to are Brady Tkachuk, who was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers in June, and Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin. In both cases, the players submitted a small list of preferred destinations.
Tkachuk kept his request quiet, even denying publicly that he wanted to be traded. The Senators were able to accommodate him by shipping him to Florida early in the offseason.
Larkin’s request and his list of destinations were leaked to the media in early June. The Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and the Panthers were his three preferred clubs, though the Dallas Stars are rumored to be a destination. However, those clubs can’t meet the Wings’ asking price, and most lack the cap space to take on his contract. The Wings’ ongoing search for a new general manager puts Larkin’s request in limbo.
I’ll have more about the Hellebuyck trade request in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday that Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche are closing in on a contract extension. No details were provided.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Aarif Deen cited Andy Strickland of the FanDuel Sports Network, who reported that an announcement on Makar’s new contract could be coming on Friday, Aug. 28.
Makar is in the final season of a six-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million. However, with Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini signing new deals this summer worth $18 million and $18.8 million, respectively, Makar’s next AAV could more than double his current cap hit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar could get an eight-year deal worth between $19 million and $20 million. Hopefully, we’ll find out later today what it will be. Whatever he gets will be well-deserved given his impressive career thus far as the league’s top defenseman.
THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Vancouver Canucks GM Ryan Johnson said there is no timetable for Thatcher Demko’s return to action. Injuries limited the 30-year-old goaltender to 23 games in 2024-25 and 20 games last season.
Johnson has no intention of rushing Demko back into the lineup. The netminder has spent the summer in Vancouver rehabbing with specialists and the Canucks’ training staff. He’s been skating since late June to work toward the physical condition he needs to be a successful NHL goalie again.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have Kevin Lankinen as their backup goalie and Nikita Tolopilo as their third-stringer. With Demko’s status unclear, Johnson isn’t taking any chances, signing free agent Chris Driedger to a professional tryout contract.
THE PROVINCE: Former Canucks center J.T. Miller admitted he went into rehab during his final season with the club. He didn’t reveal when he went and why, but Johnston noted that Miller took a leave of absence during November and December 2024, missing 10 games. The rehab was not through the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and was not related to alcohol or substance abuse.
Miller was eventually traded to the New York Rangers in January 2025.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A feud between Miller and center Elias Pettersson destroyed morale among the Canucks, leading to the former’s trade to the Rangers. However, the damage was done, as the club imploded last season, leading to significant changes for the roster, management, and the coaching staff.
SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames will wear a patch on their jerseys to commemorate their final season at the Saddledome. The patch features the years 1983 and 2027 to honor their years in their iconic home arena.
Calgary’s new arena, Scotia Place, is scheduled to open next fall ahead of the 2027-28 season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames needed a new state-of-the-art arena, but it will still be the end of an era as another memorable arena shuts its doors. The Calgary skyline won’t be the same without that saddle-shaped arena.
SPORTSNET: The NHL’s potential return to Atlanta cleared another hurdle as the Alpharetta City Council voted 4-3 to approve zoning changes for a mall that could include an NHL-sized arena.
Alpharetta is one of two Atlanta-area destinations exploring how to attract an NHL team. Forsyth County held a successful arena vote in 2024.
In yesterdays column I responded to George O about US Players returning to the states to finish their careers.The Olympic experience gave the players 2 weeks to do everything together. After evaluating each players career they started to share ways of how they could join each other on certain teams. If it was not for the Olympics I Don t think there would be many players looking to make a move to greener pastures. Unfortunately for the game many of those requests steered players back to US cities!
Sr
The boys of the NBA were the athletes that started the picking and choosing where to play. Personally I don’t think it is a bad thing. If you get a chance to play in the city you want or with the buddy you want. My Ames your work that much more enjoyable. But ISF a player with a NMC demands a trade. His NMC should be void after a trade
August closing out which means hockey is close 🥳
Interesting theory. Here is another. Toward the end of their careers many players have families and earn big bucks as well as look for what their next career might be. Many want to get away from tax h-e-double-sticks and want to raise their kids in a place of their snd their partner’s choosing. For some that is back to Europe or Russia, some Canada and most…the US. Just is what it is and there are more teams in the US to choose from.
I take no issue with a player requesting a trade.
Plenty of potential reasons for doing so as others have noted.
The issue i have is that it seems players/agents think a team should just flip them out regardless of whether the return is seen as adequate or not.
Helle is a top what 3 goalie on all lists with many putting him at 1.
It is not unreasonable for the Jets to expect a trade pkg that they feel make them better today rather than many of the spare part trade pkgs that have been floated around.
You gotta give to get.
You’d have to think the Devils are on the list of teams he is not interested in going to as seems too easy a fit.
Sr
I would point back to the 4 nations tournament the season before last. I predicted back then that Brady T would leave. At the time you had the anthem booing leading up to it. The fights to start the USA/Canada game. Olympics was final straw. They were on a sugar high after, enjoying attention hockey players normally don’t get in the states. The political bs doesn’t help.
So far, when it comes to P.T.O.s, the only other ones besides Dreidger with the Canucks, mentioned above, are 31 y/o G Cal Petersen with Washington, and 28 y/o RW/C Alexander Nylander with Calgary. Real long-shots.
With camps set to open in a couple of weeks, if any among these remaining UFAs were going to be offered contracts you’d think it would have happened by now … unless a few and their agents are still in the “dickering” stage:
https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-remaining-2026-nhl-free-agents-ufas-still-available
Taking the P.T.O. route is often seen as a real come-down bordering on desperation, but over the past 4 training camps some 19 were able to land contracts, albeit one-and-done in most cases:
2022-23 – Sonny Milano (Wash), Jimmy Vesey (NYR), Erik Staal (Florida), Calvin de Haan (Carolina), Scott Harrington (San Jose), Derick Brassard (Ottawa), Anton Stralman (Boston)
2023-24 – Danton Heinen (Boston), Sam Gagner (Edmonton), Noah Gregor (Toronto)
2024-25 – Max Pacioretty (Toronto), Steven Lorentz (Toronto), Tanner Pearson (Vegas), Travis Dermott (Edmonton)
2025-26 – Givani Smith (Carolina), Connor Sheary (NYR), Luke Glendenning (New Jersey), Kevin Rooney (>Utah), Georgii Romanov (New Jersey)
The timing of Helle requesting a trade is probably good for the Jets. He is a great goalie behind a team that since 2016 has played sloppy defensive hockey for all but the Rick Bowness two years and the first half of Arniel’s first year.
Lets add some talent to the defense core and forwards and start looking for the next goalie.