Connor Hellebuyck's standoff with the Jets hits a wall on Friday, and Elliotte Friedman says three teams hold the keys to what happens next.
On 32 Thoughts, Friedman laid out his expectation plainly. If Winnipeg can't trade him by Friday, he believes the Jets will pay him but keep him away.
He doesn't expect to see the goalie around for the Heritage Classic either. “They don't want it completely overshadowed by a Hellebuyck arrival,” Friedman said.
The backstory is new. Around the Oct. 2 opener, Hellebuyck told the Jets he was ready to end his absence and rejoin the team.
Because he'd left without permission, the CBA let Winnipeg suspend him for a reasonable length. The league and the players' association settled on roughly two and a half to three weeks.
That window closes Friday. A team can't refuse to play a player under contract and stop paying him, which is why paying him to stay home is the fallback.
Think of it like a parking meter. Winnipeg fed it for about three weeks, and the time is about to run out.
Kevin Cheveldayoff's phone points to Buffalo first
Buffalo is first on Friedman's list. The Sabres have wanted him, and Hellebuyck is willing to go there.
It's easy to see why. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen sits at .860, and Buffalo has allowed 34 goals.
This is the fit that makes the most sense. A goalie who wants in and a team that badly needs one should be enough for Jarmo Kekalainen to find a way.
The Rangers come second, but not as a buyer. Friedman doesn't see Chris Drury landing him, though whatever New York does after Igor Shesterkin's season-ending knee injury could set off a chain reaction.
Dylan Garand had a rough night against the Devils last week. Friedman pushed back on calls for a panic move, saying the young goalie has generally played well.
Still, he expects the Rangers to do something, especially with how competitive they've been.
Utah is third. The Mammoth have been in and out on Hellebuyck, which Friedman reads as genuine interest.
Karel Vejmelka is off to a rough start by goals saved above expected and sits at .879. Friedman added that Sebastian Cossa has been pretty good.
The catch is that Bill Armstrong's group grinds in trade talks. They chased Vincent Trocheck for at least a year before finally landing him.
Carolina remains interested too. A photo circulated of Eric Tulsky and Kevin Cheveldayoff talking Saturday afternoon after the story broke.
Friedman doesn't see it as an easy deal for those two teams, and he always assumes there are clubs he isn't seeing.
Every suitor has to fit an $8,500,000 cap hit by Friday. If nobody does, the Jets will be paying a Vezina winner to watch them from afar.
Should Connor Hellebuyck end up with the Buffalo Sabres?
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