Connor Hellebuyck Traded to New Jersey Devils
AI-generated image · US National Wire · Based on a photo by ajay_suresh (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The three-time Vezina winner joins US teammate Jack Hughes in a blockbuster move that ends a bitter standoff with the Winnipeg Jets.
The New Jersey Devils have acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets, as The Guardian first reported. The trade comes after a months-long dispute that saw the 33-year-old, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2024-25 NHL MVP, suspended by Winnipeg for failing to report to training camp.
To secure the Olympic gold medalist, the Devils sent center Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, prospect Alexander Command, a 2027 seventh-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Jets. Hellebuyck, who spent his entire 11-year career in Winnipeg, joins fellow US Olympic teammate Jack Hughes in New Jersey.
The move addresses a struggling goaltending unit for the Devils; according to The Guardian, goalies Jake Allen and Nico Daws posted a combined .880 save percentage, ranking 23rd in the NHL. Hellebuyck enters the deal with five years remaining on a contract featuring an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million.
Winnipeg's roster now features free-agent signing Stuart Skinner and waiver claim Clay Stevenson, who hold a combined .907 save percentage, the seventh-best in the league, per The Guardian.
Hellebuyck's departure is part of a broader trend of American stars leaving Canada. The Guardian notes that Ottawa recently traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, while the Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last December.