Connor Hellebuyck Has Suddenly Changed the NHL Goalie Market

Connor Hellebuyck asking the Winnipeg Jets to trade him is one of those NHL developments that can prompt many other teams to start making phone calls. The Jets have a problem because they could be losing one of the best goaltenders in the league. But somewhere around the NHL, a bunch of general managers are looking at the same situation and thinking they might have just been handed an opportunity.

Hellebuyck isn’t just any old goalie. He’s one of the NHL’s best.

That's what makes this interesting. Hellebuyck isn't just another goalie who happens to be available. If Winnipeg actually moves him, there could be a pretty good bidding war. And when that happens, the Jets aren't necessarily going to be looking for the team with the most desperate need. They're going to be looking for the best return.

Florida is an obvious team to watch. Bill Zito has never seemed particularly afraid of making a big move, and the Panthers are trying to stay competitive after their recent Stanley Cup success. If Zito believes Hellebuyck gives Florida a better chance to win another one, he'll at least look at the possibility. Whether the Panthers have the right pieces to make Winnipeg happy is another question.

A lot of NHL teams would love to grab Hellebuyck.

Then there are teams like New Jersey, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Jose and Edmonton. Not all of them make equal sense, but that's the point. A goalie of Hellebuyck's calibre can create possibilities where there weren't any before. A team that wasn't necessarily shopping for a goalie yesterday might suddenly decide it has to at least investigate.

And there's another interesting part to this. Hellebuyck is under contract, so Winnipeg isn't being forced to trade him tomorrow morning. The Jets can take their time and see what the market looks like. That's probably the smart thing to do. If three or four teams decide they want the same goaltender, the price gets interesting very quickly.

If the Jets move Hellebuyck, they’re moving the foundation of their team.

The Jets also have to think about what comes next. If Hellebuyck is gone, they're not simply replacing a player. They're replacing a position that has been the foundation of the team for years. That's a much bigger decision than finding another goalie who can stop pucks.

The funny thing about the NHL is that a single trade request can create a ripple effect throughout the league. Hellebuyck's future is obviously Winnipeg's problem right now, but it could become everybody else's opportunity. And somewhere, a few general managers are probably looking at their goalie situation a little differently than they were yesterday.