The Winnipeg Jets and goalie Connor Hellebuyck continue to be at a standstill as the 2026-27 NHL season gets underway. Hellebuyck is one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL and he was the gold-medal winning goaltender for the U.S. Team in 2026 Winter Olympics. After returning to the Jets following the conclusion of the Olympics, Hellebuyck made a trade demand to his team.

He did not go public with his demand, but it was clear that Hellebuyck wanted to be moved to a U.S. team as soon as possible. As the summer came to a close and Hellebuyck had still not been moved, he made his demand public and he did not report to training camp with the Jets. The team responded by suspending their goaltender.

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While he has not made a change in his demand, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman raised the issue of a possible trade to the Edmonton Oilers. While that would not satisfy Hellebuyck's demand of being moved to a U.S. team, the Oilers are one of the most talented teams in the league because of the presence of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton's goaltending situation is not a strength, and if they are able to upgrade their play in net, it could possibly help their star-studded lineup reach their long-standing goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

There has been speculation that the Buffalo Sabres could be the US-based team that is most likely to make a move to acquire Hellebuyck. The Sabres returned to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2011, but their goaltending did not stand out. As a result, it seems that Buffalo could become a likely destination if the two teams could work out an acceptable trade.