Connor Hellebuyck's future with the Winnipeg Jets just got a lot murkier, and a trade is now firmly part of the conversation.
A report from The Fourth Period surfaced Sunday night laying out two paths for Winnipeg. Neither one involves the veteran goaltender simply walking back into the crease.
Option one is keeping him away from the club while still paying him. Option two is a conditioning stint in the AHL while the Jets work on a trade.
That's a strange spot for an $8,500,000 goaltender. Among NHL netminders, only Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy carry a bigger cap hit.
And here's the uncomfortable part for Kevin Cheveldayoff. His club has held its own without the big man, sitting 4-2-2 and 14th overall in the league standings.
Stuart Skinner has handled the bulk of the work. He's 3-0-2 across five appearances with a .906 save percentage, solid if unspectacular.
Clay Stevenson has taken the other three games, going 1-2 with an .893 mark. Between them, the pair has accounted for every decision Winnipeg has this season.
Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson hold the Jets crease while trade clock ticks
So why rush any of this? The standings aren't forcing the front office into anything yet.
The trouble is leverage. Every day Hellebuyck sits, the asking price gets harder to defend, because rival GMs can read the same depth chart Winnipeg does.
It's like trying to sell a house you've already moved out of. Buyers know nobody's living there, and they bid accordingly.
Paying a goalie at that number to stay away from the rink is a bad look and worse business. The AHL route at least keeps him sharp and in front of scouts.
The skater side doesn't make patience any easier. Josh Morrissey is out with a wrist injury until at least Nov 1, and Vladislav Namestnikov is sidelined until at least Oct 30.
Kyle Connor has carried the attack with 8 goals in 8 games, half of them on the power play. Strip that away and this lineup looks thin up front.
Winnipeg has dropped two straight, including a 3-2 loss to Carolina on Saturday. The goal differential has slipped to -1, leaving no cushion for a crease controversy to drag on.
Next up is the first meeting of the season with St. Louis on Tuesday night. The Blues are 3-4-1 and riding a two-game skid of their own, with Dallas waiting Thursday.
Scott Arniel can keep riding the tandem he has. The harder question sits upstairs: how long can Winnipeg wait before the market decides it doesn't have to pay full price?
-
Should the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck instead of bringing him back to Winnipeg?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck makes a Los Angeles Kings decision according to Frank Seravalli
