The Buffalo Sabres are pushing hard to land Connor Hellebuyck this week, and the path now runs straight through the New York Rangers.
The framework making the rounds Tuesday is a three-way deal. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen heads to New York, Hellebuyck lands in Buffalo, and Winnipeg collects the assets.
So why drag a third team into it? Luukkonen reportedly has the Jets on his five-team no-trade list, and the Rangers apparently aren't on it.
That one detail turns a stalled two-team chase into a sliding tile puzzle. Nothing moves until there's an empty square, and New York happens to be holding it.
The Rangers' crease opened when Igor Shesterkin landed on injured reserve. He's listed out until at least Sep 15, his .927 save percentage parked after six games.
Dylan Garand grabbed the net and ran with it. The 24-year-old sits at .945 with a shutout already on his ledger.
And Joonas Korpisalo isn't due back until at least Nov 9, which leaves New York thin in goal but nowhere near desperate.
Chris Drury holds all the leverage in the Sabres goalie chase
Drury doesn't need this deal. Buffalo does, and everybody at the table knows it.
Luukkonen carries a $4,750,000 cap hit into this conversation. Stack that on top of Shesterkin's $11,567,857 and the Rangers would be paying a lot of money for crease depth.
The early tape doesn't help the pitch either. An .812 save percentage through four appearances is the kind of line that makes pro scouts quietly close their laptops.
Taking UPL without a serious sweetener would be a bad trade for New York, plain and simple. Drury should demand a real asset from Buffalo or walk away.
The Rangers are 4-0-0 at home with a +10 goal differential. Reshuffling the goalie room in the middle of that run is asking for trouble.
Buffalo lives on the other end of the math. The Sabres have allowed 22 goals through six games, good for a -6 differential.
Lindy Ruff hasn't found an answer behind Luukkonen, either. Colten Ellis has no wins in five appearances and an .864 save percentage.
Hellebuyck, meanwhile, carries an $8,500,000 cap hit and a messy exit story. Several Jets have reportedly said it feels like he turned his back on the franchise.
Winnipeg has rolled with Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson in goal. Skinner's .920 save percentage buys Kevin Cheveldayoff a little patience at the table.
The worst outcome might be the one already on the calendar. Hellebuyck may return to Winnipeg at some point this week, and that's an awkward locker room to walk back into.
He's reportedly shown no interest in Montreal or Edmonton, despite both clubs kicking tires. Buffalo, fittingly, plays in Montreal heading into tonight's game.
Carolina and Utah are still lurking if the three-way math falls apart. The Sabres can keep pushing, but the next move belongs to Drury, and he's in no rush.
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Should the Rangers take on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to help the Sabres land Connor Hellebuyck?
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