Connor Hellebuyck now has a live price tag on his absence, and the Winnipeg Jets keep stacking wins without him.
A website called hellebucks.com went viral Thursday night after Gino Hard posted it. The premise is gloriously petty: it tracks the salary the goalie is forfeiting during his suspension, second by second.
The counter in the clip read $381,780.96 gone since the Jets opened their season. It ticks up 45 cents every second, and it never stops.
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Picture a gas pump display spinning at full speed while nobody's tank gets filled. That's the vibe in Winnipeg every time somebody refreshes the page.
And here's the awkward part for Hellebuyck. The Jets are 3-0-1 and riding a three-game win streak without the man carrying an $8,500,000 cap hit.
Only three goalies in the league carry a bigger number. That's elite money sitting idle while the crease belongs to somebody else.
Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson keep the Jets' crease afloat
Stuart Skinner has carried the heavier load. He has two wins and an overtime loss across four appearances, with a .920 save percentage.
Clay Stevenson owns the other win. He's been even sharper in his three appearances, posting a .935 save percentage.
But look closer at the scoreboard. What do the wins over Detroit, Pittsburgh and Colorado have in common?
All three finished 3-2. Winnipeg is living on one-goal margins every single night, and one bad bounce flips the whole streak.
Kyle Connor has been the difference up front. He has five goals already, three on the power play, plus two game-winners.
Cole Perfetti sits right behind him with six points. Four of those came with the man advantage, which tells you where this offense is getting its oxygen.
Here's my problem with the good vibes. Riding backup goaltending and coin-flip finishes is a bad long-term plan, no matter how pretty the standings look in October.
The Jets have already allowed 10 goals in four games. Nobody in that locker room should mistake survival for dominance.
Tonight brings the Anaheim Ducks to town for the first meeting between the clubs this season. Joel Quenneville's group arrives off a 5-2 loss to Edmonton.
Meanwhile, the counter keeps running. Kevin Cheveldayoff and Scott Arniel will eventually face a real decision when Hellebuyck returns to a crease that's been winning without him.
Does a goalie at that price walk straight back into the net? Or does the hot hand earn a longer look?
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Should the Jets keep riding Stuart Skinner even if Connor Hellebuyck returns?
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