Report: Connor Hellebuyck has no interest in signing long-term with Jets
Winnipeg will likely look to trade its franchise netminder this summer.
The Winnipeg Jets are trudging through their own "Matthew Tkachuk situation" with several star players.
At the top of that list is franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who reportedly has no interest in signing a long-term deal to stay with the Jets, according to The Athletic's Murat Ates.
"And there should be no confusion about whether Hellebuyck has interest in signing an extension in Winnipeg. That ship has sailed. His next contract will be with a new team," Ates wrote on Saturday.
Hellebuyck, a Vezina Trophy finalist for the third time in six seasons, has one year remaining on his current deal at a $6.16-million cap hit. Though he's eligible to ink a new deal with Winnipeg as of July 1, Hellebuyck is widely considered to be among the league's top trade candidates this offseason, with teams like the Leafs, Kings, Senators, Hurricanes, Devils, Penguins, Golden Knights and others being floated as potential destinations for the elite netminder.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli placed Hellebuyck No. 2 on his Top 25 "trade targets board" a couple weeks ago, tapping him and a trio of star Jets forwards in Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler as some of the most impactful options available via trade this offseason as the Jets look to get younger while shifting to a Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor-led core.
In his story on Saturday, Ates also acknowledged that Dubois, who said he won't be re-signing and has asked for a trade, along with star centre Mark Scheifele, will likely both be dealt.
Winnipeg picked Hellebuyck in the fifth round in 2012 with the 30-year-old holding the starting reigns in the Jets crease since the 2016-17 campaign. He owns a career .916 save percentage and has led the Jets to the Stanley Cup playoffs in five of the past six years while establishing himself as a perennial all-star in the process.
The Golden Knights, who now find themselves just a win away from the franchise's first Stanley Cup after edging the Panthers in Game 4 on Saturday night, knocked the Jets out of the first round of the playoffs this spring.
It's expected Winnipeg will undertake some pretty major roster changes this summer, with several aforementioned stars on the trading block and a few other assets set to depart in free agency.
