Canadian sports journalist Elliotte Friedman suggests some insights on the rumored trade of Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. During the recent discussion on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman hinted at the possibility of Connor Hellebuyck staying at Winnipeg Jets.
“It’s not impossible Hellebuyck could stay [in Winnipeg]. I’ve just been told, that the word on Hellebuyck is, he has an open mind and is prepared to listen to what they are thinking,” Friedman said.
Also Read: List of NHL Leading Goal-Scorers By Season
Friedman also addressed a recurring problem seen in the Jets’ organization. He notes that a former Jets player has told him that the players desire to have more openness from the management. The same can be linked with the incessant rumors regarding Hellebuyck even as the season opener is almost a month away.
The veteran comes with a $7,500,000 salary and a cap hit of $6,166,666, an amount which can be attributed to Connor’s jaw-dropping performance and consistency. In March, Elliotte Freidman himself said that Connor Hellebuyck was the most important goalie of the season. Hellebuyck’s stats from the past season show how his presence is the reason why the Jets made it at least to the playoffs.
Connor maintained a GA/G of 2.49 and a Save Percentage of .920, ranking him 11th and 4th in the respective areas. During his eight seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, the 2020 Vezina Trophy awardee has helped them into the playoffs on five different occasions.
As the window closes in, the uncertainty over the Winnipeg Jets is the flare of drama in the NHL off-season. In addition to Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele’s trade is also an ambiguous surprise to the Manitoban team fans. The fate of both of them has definitely added to the heat of intrigue circling this season of pucks and rinks.
