Connor Hellebuyck is now with New Jersey. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) (Darcy Finley via Getty Images) Sean Leahy Contributing writer Fri, October 23, 2026 at 4:25 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Winnipeg Jets have traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils, ending a saga that started at the end of the 2025-26 NHL season.
In exchange for the 33-year-old Hellebuyck, the Devils are sending goaltender Nico Daws, forwards Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Command, as well as and two draft picks -- a seventh-rounder in 2027 and a second-round selection in 2029 — to the Jets.
The timing of the trade comes as Hellebuyck's suspension , which has cost him nearly $930,000, was set to end on Friday. The Jets are also hosting the Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night and did not want the situation to overshadow the outdoor game.
Hellebuyck went public with a trade request in August , releasing a statement confirming he had privately requested a move months earlier and said a move out of Winnipeg is "the best path forward for me and my family."
A trade did not come to fruition during the offseason. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff reportedly did not receive a proposal that would bring a return worthy of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
"My obligation is to the Winnipeg Jets. I just want to get this right," Cheveldayoff told reporters at the start of training camp.
Making the situation tougher was the goaltender's contract, which carries a $8.5 million salary cap hit and runs through the 2030-31 season, featured a full no-move clause, which he had to waive in order to facilitate the trade.
The Jets selected Hellebuyck in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft. The franchise failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and has advanced beyond the second round just once since moving from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.
Along with his three Vezinas, Hellebuyck is a three-time NHL First-team All-Star and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, and he backstopped the United States to a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Jets have started the 2026-27 season with a 5-4-1 record, and Stuart Skinner, who signed with the team in free agency, is the No. 1 goaltender in Hellebuyck's absence. Skinner is 3-1-3 in seven starts and has a .909 even-strength save percentage.
Hellebuyck will face his old team on Nov. 10 when the Devils travel to Winnipeg.
Source: Sports
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