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Jets Trade Connor Hellebuyck to Devils

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 2:47 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hellebuyck Traded

The Winnipeg Jets traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
Winnipeg received forwards Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, goalie Nico Daws, plus a 2029 second-round and 2027 seventh-round pick.
Hellebuyck requested the trade in August, was suspended for skipping training camp, and forfeited $925,000 salary.
He remains under a seven-year, $8.5 million cap-hit contract through 2031 and will face Winnipeg on Nov. 10.

Summary

Devils Cap Crunch

The Devils’ salary-cap headroom shrinks, complicating their pursuit of free-agent Quinn Hughes.
Rumors suggest a three-team trade could send Detroit’s Dylan Larkin and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes to New Jersey.
Jonas Hellebuyck led the NHL in quality starts with 28 last season and ranks third in goals-saved-above-expected over five years.
He posted a career-high 47-12-3 record in 2024-25, posting a .925 save percentage and league-best 2.00 GAA.

History

Historical Context

In June 2017 the Pittsburgh Penguins exposed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in the NHL expansion draft, and the Vegas Golden Knights selected him, receiving a 2020 second-round pick to offset his nearly $6 million cap hit. The deal gave Pittsburgh cap relief and gave Vegas a starter for its inaugural season, showing how teams use elite goalies to manage finances.

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Hellebuyck Traded

The Winnipeg Jets traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
Winnipeg received forwards Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, goalie Nico Daws, plus a 2029 second-round and 2027 seventh-round pick.
Hellebuyck requested the trade in August, was suspended for skipping training camp, and forfeited $925,000 salary.
He remains under a seven-year, $8.5 million cap-hit contract through 2031 and will face Winnipeg on Nov. 10.

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