This season, the Winnipeg Jets have fought their way to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but once they’re there, they don’t put up a fight.
After winning their first round opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Jets dropped the next four to lose the series in five games. Now that the team has had a long summer ahead of them, there is conjecture that they may undergo some minor restructuring or mini-rebuild. This season, there are not many high-profile players in the team whose contracts are coming to an end (Pierre-Luc Dubois may be the only one), but in the summer of 2024, players such as Blake Wheeler, Mark Shevell, Nate Schmidt, Neil Bionic, and Conor Helbwick will have the opportunity to negotiate new deals. The Jets are rumored to decide on the future of these players in the off-season in order to avoid losing them for nothing.
Wheeler and Chevelle usually get all the attention, but Hellebuyck’s future is what matters most to me. The player is only a few years away from winning the Vezina Cup, and at the age of 29, he is still having some productive seasons.
Longtime NHL writer Larry Brooks claims that when the Jets make Hellebuyck available, at least four teams will be interested in him in his latest article for The New York Post. The New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings are those teams, in no particular order.
In addition to Brooks:
It seems to me that GM Tom Fitzgerald’s off-season assignment in New Jersey is crystal clear as the Devils try to jump from contender to champion, and that’s the take on the goalie franchise.
And there is likely to be one available in Winnipeg, with perennial Vezina rival Conor Hellebock one year away from free agency and unlikely to sign an extension after seven seasons with the Jets.
The Penguins, who don’t currently have a GM, would be interested. Senators might take a look. The Kings may overtake the Vezina finalist with a $6.2 million cap next season, which will be a turnoff for some.
– Larry Brooks
Brooks goes so far as to propose a hypothetical scenario ending in Hellbwick, New Jersey.
New Jersey can start by offering Jesper Bratt, the 24-year-old winger, to free agency restricted by arbitration rights and a coveted qualifying offer of $5.45 million — and putting out the most disappointing performance of any Devil.
Their first man of 2023 went to San Jose for Timo Meyer – who found the way to make a valuable presence in the playoffs through relentless physical play despite the 40-goal scorer only getting two goals in 11 games.
At this juncture, they only have five forwards, five defenders and two goalkeepers under contract for next season. Vitek Vanicek had a stable year in the net but it was insufficient in the post-season. MacKenzie Blackwood would do well to offer up the Jets in a package for Hellebuyck.
– Larry Brooks
Personally, I’d rather take a chance on Akira Schmid than sign an ailing Hellebuyck to a long-term contract if I were the Devils. In all honesty, I think Hellebuyck is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but Schmid seems to be the real deal and he’s been given a chance to take charge in the jersey.
Hellebuyck makes the most sense for the penguins, senators, and royalty in those cities, especially Los Angeles.
However, NHL analyst Frank Serravalle takes it a step further and says Hellebuyck could attract attention from 7 teams this offseason.
Serravalle claims that the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights are among the teams interested in signing Hellebuyck.