Frank Seravalli just put a blunt label on Connor Hellebuyck's situation with the New Jersey Devils, and it centers on Winnipeg.
The Jets drafted Hellebuyck in the fifth round, 130th overall, in 2012. He now carries 630 regular-season games and 59 playoff games on his résumé, and his name is again the biggest story around the Jets.
Seravalli's post is headlined "Hellebuyck doesn't want to play in Winnipeg."
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That is a take, not a report. The post gives no source, no quote from the goalie and no detail on how Seravalli got there, so it should be read as his read on the situation.
It lands on top of a week of awkward headlines. We looked at the Devils' Connor Hellebuyck statement on Sunday, when the timing of their caution around him raised eyebrows.
On the ice, nothing is wrong. Hellebuyck stopped all 23 shots in a 4-0 win at Toronto on Sunday, his latest shutout in five starts this season.
Why the Hellebuyck story won't go away
Because the sides never line up. A goalie who stops everything in Toronto should be a tidy storyline, and instead the conversation is about where he will and won't be seen.
We also covered Connor Hellebuyck avoiding the spotlight earlier today. The Devils' explanations have kept shifting, and that is how a take like Seravalli's gets traction.
The Jets are not in a spot to shrug it off either. They sit 23rd in the NHL at 7-8-3, though they have won three straight, including a 4-3 win over the Lightning on Sunday with Stuart Skinner in net.
Here's the opinion: if the Devils want this to die down, they need one clear, consistent answer. Every new version, and every insider with a blunt headline, only keeps it alive.
Winnipeg plays at Ottawa on Tuesday, and Hellebuyck's name will follow the Jets there too.
Quick hits
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Mathew Barzal sits out in San Jose tonight, but his knee injury has been upgraded to day-to-day. That's a better outcome than most fans feared.
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NEW YORK RANGERS: Mike Sullivan said today that Alberts Smits was "obviously" dealing with his upper-body injury, per Mollie Walker. A pretty casual admission for a coach.
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OTTAWA SENATORS: The Wild have placed Cam Crotty on waivers, and Bruce Garrioch reports Ottawa has first right to reclaim him. Steve Staios has a decision to make on the blue line.
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Arvid Soderblom has cleared waivers, per Charlie Roumeliotis, which closes the book on the Blackhawks' backup goalie change.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Sammi Silber reports the Stars claimed Remi Poirier off waivers. The Capitals lose a goalie they acquired only a week ago, which is a quick turnaround.
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Should the Devils stop dodging the questions and address the Hellebuyck situation once and for all?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Stars claim 25-year-old goalie they drafted off waivers
