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Hellebuyck Rumors... Carolina and Buffalo Linger as Winnipeg Keeps Winning October 8, 2026 Don't look now, but... The Jets are winning.... The Connor Hellebuyck situation has an interesting new wrinkle ... Winnipeg keeps winning without him. The Jets beat Colorado 3 to 2 Wednesday night, with Stuart Skinner stopping 32 shots. That pushed Winnipeg to three wins, no losses and one overtime loss. Four games are a tiny sample... but they are four games in which the Jets have collected points while their longtime franchise goalie remains away. How much that matters right now is debatable, but at least in the shorty term it gives the Jets the ability to sit back..for now, Hellebuyck wants out, Winnipeg wants a return it can live with. Interested teams want the goalie without surrendering more than they believe is necessary. This is an MVP/Vezina winning goalie. My read today... the Jets’ opening stretch gives them breathing room. It doesn’t settle Hellebuyck’s future, and it doesn’t prove they can replace him over an entire season. But it makes the argument for an immediate, discounted trade considerably harder to sell. Carolina...and the leverage game.. The Hurricanes remain one of the most prominent teams linked to Hellebuyck....Carolina doesn’t believe Winnipeg has the leverage to make it increase its offer. Carolina can look at a player who has requested a trade, missed camp and remains suspended... and see reasons to wait. Winnipeg can look at its own results and see reasons to wait, too. Neither side necessarily feels compelled to blink today. From Carolina’s perspective, the question is what Hellebuyck adds relative to the cost. An elite goalie is appealing. Giving up important pieces to acquire him can create another hole, though... and a contender has to weigh the entire lineup. I would keep the Hurricanes near the top of the watch list. Continued interest tells us the possibility remains alive... it does not tell us either side has moved on price. and it doesn't appear close even though Nikishkin will be likely involved... On Buffalo...(e4) The Sabres remain another prominent name in this story. Their connection to Hellebuyck has been discussed repeatedly, and the appeal is easy to understand... a goalie with his ceiling can alter what a team believes is possible. For Buffalo, I think the important question is how much of its existing team it would sacrifice to make this happen. You can improve the crease and weaken yourself somewhere else. That is why a trade has to be evaluated beyond the biggest name involved. For Winnipeg, a package that excites Sabres fans might not address what the Jets actually need. Both teams have to see something useful on the other side of the deal. So yes... keep watching Buffalo. On San Jose...(e3) Hellebuyck would reportedly consider San Jose, but the discussions between the clubs have not gained significant traction. San Jose has developing goaltending talent, including Yaroslav Askarov, and a roster still taking shape. The question is whether acquiring a veteran goalie fits the team’s competitive timeline... especially when that goalie wants a situation with a realistic chance to contend. My view... the Sharks would need to believe this move accelerates their progress without stripping away too much of the foundation. A recognizable name and a strong start are not enough to answer that. Hellebuyck’s reported willingness to consider San Jose expands the conversation. It does not establish the Sharks as the favorite. Until there is evidence of talks advancing, I would treat this as an intriguing possibility with substantial questions attached. On Edmonton... (e3) The Oilers are always going to come up when a major goalie is discussed. But everything out there pushes back on him joining another Canadian team... specifically including Edmonton. A trade has to work for the player as well as the two clubs. Wanting someone is not the same thing as having a viable path to acquire him. I would therefore move Edmonton well down the list of possibilities based on what is being reported now. Could circumstances change? maybe...but there is no reason to write today’s article as though that change is likely. Winnipeg’s start... patience becomes easier to defend Skinner’s performance against Colorado is the most immediate development here. The Jets got a strong game in goal and another victory... exactly the sort of result that makes waiting less uncomfortable. Clay Stevenson has also contributed, stopping 29 of 31 shots in Winnipeg’s win over Pittsburgh earlier this week. That is encouraging for a team navigating a very unusual situation in its crease. Still... nobody should confuse four games with a full season of answers. Goalies have hot stretches. Skinner especially.. Teams have favorable nights. Injuries and difficult road trips can change the mood quickly. Winnipeg is getting enough goaltending right now to avoid making a trade simply to stop the immediate bleeding... because there is no immediate bleeding in the standings. In my view, that allows management to keep asking whether a proposed return improves the club. The first good offer and the first available offer do not have to be the same thing. NJ's wants tied to Quinn Hughes... There is no question that the Devils need a goalie more now than ever before...They just don't have the pieces to trade fr bth Quinn Hughes and Connor....If Quinn were to re... up in Minnesota that changes really fast... Could he return... possible doesn’t mean probable There is also discussion about whether Hellebuyck could eventually return to Winnipeg if a trade remains out of reach. The Jets have left that door open, and his suspension means he is currently losing pay. I would be cautious about assigning a deadline based on how long anyone thinks a player should tolerate sitting out. We don’t know exactly how he weighs the money, the missed games and the reasons behind his request. What we can say is that the situation carries costs for everyone. Hellebuyck isn’t playing. Winnipeg is managing an unresolved issue. Potential buyers are weighing whether to act or wait. A reconciliation would be a major development... My read today... watch for movement, not repetition Carolina and Buffalo remain the names I would watch most closely. San Jose is interesting, with the important qualification that its discussions have not advanced very far. Edmonton looks far less convincing after the latest reporting. NJ is tied elsewhere...for now The biggest change today is what Winnipeg has done on the ice. Those points give the Jets a stronger argument for patience... even if potential buyers still see reasons to hold their offers steady. For now... the goalie wants out, the Jets want a worthwhile return, and the league is waiting for those priorities to meet. What would you do if you were Winnipeg... hold the price while the team keeps winning, or take the best available package and move forward?