Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors are heating up, and the Winnipeg Jets already shut down one Hurricanes scenario.
Elliotte Friedman dropped the detail on his 32 Thoughts podcast Friday, tied to Hellebuyck and a reported trade request involving Carolina.
Someone floated the idea of the Jets taking defenseman Alexander Nikishin back in a deal and simply flipping him elsewhere for value.
Friedman said that pitch didn't appeal to Winnipeg at all.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Connor Hellebuyck trade request/Hurricanes: Someone said to me, why don't the Jets just take Alexander Nikishin and then flip him? I don't think that appealed to them at all.
That's a notable line. It suggests the Jets have a specific type of return in mind, and a shuffle-the-assets play isn't it.
Hellebuyck carries a cap hit of 8,500,000 dollars, the third-highest among all NHL goaltenders in the league right now.
He's not a throw-in piece in a bigger deal. He's the centerpiece, and Kevin Cheveldayoff knows exactly what that's worth.
Winnipeg's asking price for Hellebuyck is no mystery now
Trading a goalie that expensive for a name you plan to immediately flip is like selling a house and asking to be paid in raffle tickets.
Winnipeg is coming off a 2-5 loss at Edmonton on Saturday and sits on a one-game losing streak heading into tonight against Colorado.
Carolina has its own mess to sort out. The Hurricanes dropped a 3-6 decision at Florida on Sunday and face the Panthers again Tuesday.
So what does Carolina actually have to offer that clears Winnipeg's bar? Nobody outside the two front offices can answer that yet.
Rod Brind'Amour and Eric Tulsky are the ones who'd have to build a real offer, and Friedman is signaling one attempt already fell flat.
Nobody has resolved that tension yet. A goaltender this expensive doesn't move for a consolation piece, and Carolina knows it.
Winnipeg and Carolina are set to meet twice this season, October 17 in Winnipeg and November 1 in Raleigh, with no results yet on the board.
Both of those dates just got a lot more interesting.
Nothing here confirms a deal gets done. It confirms the first offer got laughed out of the room, and that tells you where the real number starts.
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Should the Jets hold firm and refuse anything less than a true return for Connor Hellebuyck?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck reportedly makes trade decision involving the Canadiens
