Connor Hellebuyck's blunt comments about Winnipeg from last April are getting fresh attention.
He made them in an end-of-season rant after the Jets missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
"Can you get the pieces that you need? Will the players come? These are always questions that you have in Winnipeg," Hellebuyck said.
"I've made it my home and I like it here, but the majority of the league doesn't feel the same way," he added.
That's a notable thing for a franchise goaltender to say out loud, even about his own team's ability to attract talent.
Hellebuyck requested a trade in June, and he hasn't hidden his frustration with how slowly this whole process has moved since.
He's got five seasons left on his deal at $8,500,000 annually, and a full no-movement clause that converts to a 10-team list in July.
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Connor Hellebuyck's blunt comments about Winnipeg come back to haunt Jets
He's reportedly willing to go to somewhere around 5 to 7 teams total, a real but not unlimited market for a player his caliber.
The Sabres, Hurricanes, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Mammoth and Sharks have all shown the most interest so far, according to reporting.
That lines up with what insider David Pagnotta has said elsewhere, that Winnipeg wants immediate roster help, not futures, in any deal.
Is it fair to ask a player to stay patient in a place he just publicly admitted other players avoid?
Winnipeg needs to get this exactly right. A bad return here could set the organization back years at a moment it can't afford to lose ground.
It's the hockey equivalent of trying to sell a house while telling every buyer the neighborhood has a reputation problem.
My take: comments like these don't force a trade, but they make every day this drags on look worse for Winnipeg publicly.
Camp is close, and Hellebuyck's own words from April are now part of the pressure campaign whether he intended that or not.
Should Connor Hellebuyck have kept those April comments about Winnipeg private?
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