Kyle Connor didn't dodge it Friday. Asked what happens if Connor Hellebuyck simply comes back, the Jets winger said the quiet part out loud.
That's gonna be a pretty tough situation to walk into, to be honest. On camera, at camp, no hedging.
He left a door open too. If the goaltender changed his mind and recommitted, they'd welcome him with open arms.
Put those two sentences side by side and you have the whole story. That room has already moved on in its head.
This isn't a depth forward running his mouth. He scored 39 goals last season and finished with 92 points.
He carries a $7,142,857 cap hit. When that voice talks in Winnipeg, the room listens.
Hellebuyck has a trade request in, and clubs have been reported in on him all week.
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Kyle Connor makes blunt admission about Connor Hellebuyck's Jets future
Skinner is already in that crease after a .888 save percentage across 50 games last season.
He sits on a $2,600,000 cap hit. Thomas Milic is behind him with three NHL appearances to his name.
The man they'd be replacing went .895 over 57 games with no shutouts at all.
That's an $8,500,000 commitment for a season nobody in Manitoba wants framed and hung anywhere.
The Jets finished 35-35-12 and landed 26th overall. The goaltending was one problem among several.
They scored 231 goals. Mark Scheifele put up 103 points and it still wasn't nearly enough.
They closed on four straight losses, capped by a 1-6 night at home against San Jose.
Gabriel Vilardi went public earlier this week saying he made a commitment here and he's riding it out. Two stars, two versions of the same message.
Scott Arniel has to coach through all of it. Kevin Cheveldayoff has to actually solve it.
Josh Morrissey was one of the few who held up, finishing at a +6 across 77 games.
So what happens if nothing moves? A player walking back into a room he asked to leave works like returning to a dinner party after telling the host you had somewhere better to be.
The schedule starts either way. Kyle Connor just described the reception out loud, and not one teammate stepped up to soften it.
Should the Jets welcome Connor Hellebuyck back if no trade happens?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck trade hits major snag as Sabres goalie blocks Winnipeg
