A Connor Hellebuyck trade suddenly looks a lot bigger Friday, with the Winnipeg Jets now reportedly headed toward a three-team structure.
Mike McIntyre posted late Friday morning that, per a source, the deal is going to involve three teams. He added that he's still working to confirm details.
That's the update that changes the math. Carolina was already the name out front, after Elliotte Friedman reported an offer on the table that has been reworked from an earlier version.
A third club in the middle usually means money or a contract has to land somewhere. Think of a couch that needs a third set of hands to get up the stairs.
Hellebuyck's $8,500,000 cap hit ranks fourth among NHL goaltenders. That's one heavy couch.
So who's the third team? McIntyre didn't say.
But New Jersey deserves a long look as a contender for the Winnipeg netminder, and the numbers make the case on their own.
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Devils' goaltending numbers make Sunny Mehta a natural suitor
The Devils beat Anaheim 4-1 on Thursday night for their second straight win.
They're 6-4-0, good for third in the Metropolitan.
Then you look at the crease. Jake Allen owns an .883 save percentage, and Nicolas Daws sits at .874.
Daws stopped 16 of 17 against the Ducks. One clean night doesn't wash out a season-long sample.
The offense is there. Jack Hughes has 11 points, and Sheldon Keefe's group scores 3.3 goals per game.
If Mehta has any path into this, he should take it. Hughes and Nico Hischier are too good to keep playing in front of sub-.890 goaltending.
Carolina's case hasn't gone anywhere. The Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan at 8-2-2, with Pyotr Kochetkov stuck at .899.
And here's the twist. Carolina and New Jersey share a division, so whichever club lands Hellebuyck makes the other's road a lot steeper.
In Winnipeg, Kevin Cheveldayoff is dealing from an uncomfortable spot. The Jets have dropped four straight and sit sixth in the Central.
Stuart Skinner has absorbed most of the load, posting a .912 save percentage over seven appearances.
The Devils visit Winnipeg on November 10. Nobody knows yet which goaltender either team will be starting that night.
McIntyre is still chasing details. Until somebody names the third team, every fan base in the Metropolitan has a reason to keep refreshing.
Should the Devils outbid Carolina for Connor Hellebuyck even if it means paying a third team to make it work?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck saga nearing end, Friedman says; Johnston points to Hurricanes
