Connor Hellebuyck's next stop is still an open question, and the Winnipeg Jets haven't closed the book on it either.
Chris Johnston said on his show Friday that he isn't sure Hellebuyck starts next season in Winnipeg.
That's a heavy statement about a goaltender who just posted an .895 save percentage across 57 games.
Hellebuyck carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, the fifth-highest among all NHL goalies.
The Jets finished 35-35-12 this season, good for 82 points and a minus-29 goal differential.
Rank 26 overall isn't where a franchise wants to sit with its franchise goalie's future in question.
Winnipeg also dropped its last four games and needs, according to Johnston, a top six centre more than anything else.
Buffalo's name won't go away in this saga
Johnston said he could still see a world where the Jets circle back to the Sabres on a trade.
Buffalo finished 50-23-9 this year, fourth overall, with a plus-47 goal differential that speaks for itself.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posted a .908 save percentage on a $4,750,000 cap hit, hardly screaming a need for an upgrade.
So why would Buffalo revisit this? Maybe it's less about need and more about depth insurance heading into a long playoff push.
Carolina has also called, per Johnston, but he doesn't see how that trade comes together between the two sides.
The Hurricanes finished 53-22-7, second overall in the league, with a plus-56 differential that's tough to argue with.
A team that good doesn't usually blow up its cap sheet for a goalie it may not even need in net every night.
Hellebuyck signing on for a real answer feels unlikely before training camp, and that's the uncomfortable part for Jets fans.
A $8,500,000 goalie with no clear runway is the hockey equivalent of a car with a full tank and no destination programmed in.
Winnipeg's front office, run by Kevin Cheveldayoff, now has a summer full of noise and not much clarity to show for it.
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Nothing here is settled. Not the Buffalo scenario, not the Carolina fit, and certainly not where Hellebuyck actually plays come October.
Should the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck this summer if the return doesn't include a top six centre?
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