The New Jersey Devils have been linked to Connor Hellebuyck over the last few months. New Jersey has solid, albeit questionable, goaltending. They have not significantly addressed the position after trading Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers. It would make since for new general manager Sunny Mehta to pursue Hellebuyck.

However, it does not appear this will be happening. Mehta recently sat down for an interview with NHL.com. During this interview, he was asked about his stance on goaltending. He provided quite the eye-catching take in his response.

“Goaltending has changed dramatically during the past 20 years. Starters and backups are extremely talented, which can make performance difficult to predict. Because there is randomness at the position, I’m reluctant to invest significant assets there instead of in areas where the results may be more predictable,” the Devils general manager said.

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On one hand, this certainly makes sense. It's hard to find consistent goaltending in the NHL right now. Goalies can have wild swings in performances, and the consistently elite goaltenders are difficult to come by.

At the same time, Hellebuyck is one of the exceptions to the trend. He has been in the top four in Vezina Trophy voting five times in the last seven seasons. He has won that award three times overall. And he is a former MVP, winning the Hart Trophy in 2024-25. The Winnipeg Jets star has publicly requested a trade this summer.

Mehta is very particular about his approach to roster building. He isn't going to make a move without weighing the risks. If New Jersey starts strong, there's no reason to change course. But if they don't, it will certainly be worth monitoring to see if the Devils change their tune.