Connor Hellebuyck and Lindy Ruff are now tied to Buffalo's biggest summer gamble after trade talks with Winnipeg kept going into this week.
That matters because this is not old draft-floor noise anymore. The latest report says the Sabres and Jets kept talking as recently as Monday, with defense prospect Radim Mrtka included in those discussions.
Mrtka is not filler. Buffalo drafted him 9th overall in 2025, signed him to a 3-year entry-level contract, and the right-shot defender is already 6-foot-6.
That is why this rumor hits harder than the usual goalie chatter. Jarmo Kekäläinen would be weighing a move that costs a premium young piece for a goalie who can still change a season by himself.
Hellebuyck's 2025-26 numbers were lighter than his best years, but he still played 57 games with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. His career line still sits at 625 games, 345 wins, a 2.58 goals-against average, and a .916 save percentage.
For Buffalo, the need is easy to spot. The Sabres' current roster lists Devon Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis in goal, but none brings Hellebuyck's résumé or track record as a No. 1.
The timing matters too. Kekäläinen took over as Buffalo's general manager on Dec. 15, 2025, and a move like this would scream that he is done waiting around the playoff line.
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Connor Hellebuyck's next team may have just been revealed
That is the real angle here.
Hellebuyck is not a project, not a bounce-back swing, and not a second-tier upgrade. He is the kind of goalie a team targets when it thinks the rest of the roster is ready to stop living on excuses.
Ruff's presence sharpens that too. Buffalo did not bring him back to coach another soft middle year, and adding a proven starter would change the feel of the room the second camp opens.
The price is where this gets uncomfortable. If Mrtka is really in the conversation, the Sabres are not shopping from excess. They would be giving up a premium young defenseman for a 33-year-old goalie under a 7-year contract signed in 2023.
From Winnipeg's side, that makes perfect sense. Scott Arniel can only move a goalie like Hellebuyck if the return gives the Jets a real future piece back.
So this is where Buffalo sits now. The Sabres are still in it, the talks are still real enough to include Radim Mrtka, and Connor Hellebuyck remains the one move that could make the entire franchise feel different by October.
Should the Sabres include Radim Mrtka to get Connor Hellebuyck?
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