Connor Hellebuyck is almost certainly on his way out of Winnipeg now, according to a new report from the Winnipeg Free Press.
Mike McIntyre laid out the case this week, framing it as a situation where the writing is already on the wall.
His strongest piece of evidence has nothing to do with Hellebuyck directly. It is about who the Jets chose not to bring back this summer.
Winnipeg let backup goalie Eric Comrie walk in free agency on July 1st, passing on a goaltender McIntyre calls Hellebuyck's personal security blanket.
That kind of roster move only makes sense if the front office already expects a very different goaltending picture next season.
Hellebuyck posted an .895 save percentage with 18 wins over 57 games this past season, a quieter year than his usual standard.
He still carries an $8.5 million cap hit, the kind of number that only makes sense for a team planning to build around him or trade him outright.
Letting Eric Comrie walk was the tell
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has already said publicly that any move needs to bring back a package the Jets are genuinely comfortable with.
Buffalo has been floated as a landing spot, though Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon actually outperformed Hellebuyck's save percentage this past season.
Winnipeg finished last season 35-35-12 for 82 points and 26th overall, the kind of result that usually accelerates a rebuild rather than slows one down.
Letting a trusted backup like Comrie leave for nothing is not the move of a team planning to keep its starter long term.
McIntyre's full column through the Winnipeg Free Press lays out the complete case.
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Nothing is finalized yet, but the roster moves around Hellebuyck are starting to speak louder than any direct quote about his future in Winnipeg.
Is Connor Hellebuyck's exit from Winnipeg now basically inevitable?
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