Connor Hellebuyck's trade market with the Winnipeg Jets just got a lot more specific.
Insider David Pagnotta addressed the compensation question directly on Jets @ Noon, and it's not what you'd expect from a rebuilding club.
"I don't believe this is a team that's looking for futures at all as primaries in a deal," Pagnotta said.
That's notable. Teams moving a franchise goaltender usually load up on picks and prospects, not immediate roster help.
Pagnotta expanded on that idea in an earlier appearance on The Sheet, and it paints a clearer picture of what Winnipeg actually wants.
"I think the Jets still wanna check off a few boxes on their list, especially on that 2nd line," Pagnotta said.
"There are other holes on this team, and if they can utilize Connor Hellebuyck in order to do it, that's obviously what they're trying to do," he added.
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Connor Hellebuyck trade return takes surprising turn for Jets
That reasoning only makes sense if Winnipeg trusts what it already has in net, and the numbers suggest it might.
Stuart Skinner posted a .888 save percentage across 50 games last season, a legitimate option if Hellebuyck ever actually leaves.
Winnipeg's real need looks like it sits up front. Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti both play that same second-line mix Pagnotta referenced.
Vilardi posted 30 goals and 39 assists for 69 points last season, while Perfetti managed just 32 points across 68 games.
That gap between those two second-line pieces is exactly the kind of hole an immediate NHL contributor could fix.
Would a contender really hand over a proven top-six forward just to rent a goaltender who wants out anyway?
Winnipeg finished last season 35-35-12, good for 26th overall, a roster that needs impact now more than assets for 2029.
My take: turning a disgruntled goaltender into immediate roster help is a smarter play than hoarding futures on a team already trying to compete.
Nothing about compensation is settled publicly. But for the first time, this rumor has a real shape instead of just vague trade speculation.
Should the Jets prioritize NHL-ready help over draft picks in a Hellebuyck trade?
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