Rumors have swirled this NHL offseason that the Winnipeg Jets will soon trade goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck has asked to leave the franchise. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, there is one team deeply motivated to make a deal with Winnipeg.
“Right now, Carolina is the most motivated pursuer,” Friedman wrote for Sportsnet.
The Carolina Hurricanes of course are coming off a Stanley Cup championship, entering the 2026-27 campaign. It appears that Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, a restricted free agent, is playing a role in what happens with Hellebuyck.
“If Nikishin wanted to sign in Winnipeg, Hellebuyck would already be in Wolfpack country. There are now some teams with permission to speak to Nikishin (who just changed agents), and the suspicion is it’s because the Hurricanes want to see if there’s a three-way available. I mentioned on Monday’s (podcast) that Nikishin is believed to be looking for a $9 million AAV over five years. I had a few sources reach out to say they think that could be lower in the right situation,” Friedman added.
Article Continues BelowHellebuyck has appeared in 625 career NHL games. He has 345 career victories, with a GAA of 2.58. During the 2025-26 season, the Jets goaltender started 57 games for the team.
“But after announcing August 27 that he had requested a trade away from the Jets “several months ago,” Hellebuyck was suspended for not joining the team for training camp. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the door remains open for Hellebuyck to return; he has five seasons remaining on his contract and Cheveldayoff said September 17 that he remains “part of our family until he’s not part of our family,” NHL.com reported.
Time will tell if Hellebuyck is on the move soon.