Connor Hellebuyck is now a Devil. The star goalie for the Winnipeg Jets was traded to New Jersey on Friday in exchange for four players and two future draft picks. The Jets receive Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Daws and Alexander Command, plus a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
Hellebuyck formally requested a move in August, saying he had made the request months earlier and tried to keep the situation private. He has spent his entire career with Winnipeg since being drafted by the Jets in 2012 at No. 130 overall. A three-time Vezina Trophy winner, he is widely recognized as one of the best goalies in the league. He also helped carry the United States to its first gold medal at the 2026 Olympics, making key saves against Canada in the final game.
New Jersey has struggled in goal for some time, even after acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames in 2024. Markstrom never fully panned out, and the Devils missed the postseason last year. This season, the Devils ranked 24th in team save percentage at .877, and the duo of Daws and Jake Allen combined to surrender 2.99 goals above average. Hellebuyck led the NHL with 73.42 goals saved above average across the 2023-26 seasons, roughly 20 goals ahead of the next closest netminder.
For Winnipeg, the return offers a rebuild foundation. Mercer, a former first-round pick, is a strong middle-six forward rising into his prime, and Command was a consensus first-round pick last summer. Bjugstad adds veteran presence, and Daws, just 25, could eventually fill Hellebuyck's role. For New Jersey, with a talented young core featuring Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, the Stanley Cup window is wide open.
Source: CBS Sports NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing