The New Jersey Devils have talked to the Winnipeg Jets about a trade for 2020 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck.
The Devils are one of the teams Hellebuyck would be interested in signing an extension with. This news comes courtesy of TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on the “Insider Trading” podcast.
Hellebuyck, 30, posted a .920 save percentage with a 2.49 goals against average this past season for the Jets. He’s also a nominee for the Vezina Trophy. He’s been among the NHL’s elite goaltenders throughout his career, not posting a save percentage below .910 since the 2016-17 season.
The Jets are undergoing a rebuild, selling off their good players for future assets. Hellebuyck doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding team and that’s why he’s being shopped.
If the Devils were to trade for Connor Hellebuyck, it’d be a mistake. The idea of having a proven elite goaltender on this team is enticing. Vitek Vanecek was dreadful in the playoffs and Akira Schmid is still young. However, Hellebuyck is demanding in the ballpark of $9.5 million AAV on his next contract. The Devils have the room, but it’d be unwise to add that type of cap hit to the payroll.
Tom Fitzgerald is notoriously shrewd with the money he shells out for players. He has made big plays like Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat, but he’s been saving the cap space for extending the forward group. Timo Meier is still due for a large deal and Dawson Mercer is due afterward.
As enticing as Hellebuyck is, financial flexibility is important for this team moving forward if they want to add more players. Furthermore, Akira Schmid showed a lot of promise, especially in the Rangers series. The Devils should see what they have in Schmid before determining they’re a goalie away from a championship.
Stay tuned for more New Jersey Devils and NHL content, including trades, signings, and various updates.
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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