It was hardly a secret Connor Hellebuyck wanted a fresh start away from the Winnipeg Jets. However, the gold medal-winning goaltender with Team USA has now made his desire public knowledge with an open letter. Signed to a full no-movement clause (NMC), Hellebuyck can choose his next destination, though it remains to be seen where he’d like to go next.
Hellebuyck’s trade list has yet to be disclosed, but there may be no need for it. According to most reports around the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres have been linked to Hellebuyck for a while. Maybe now is the time a deal actually gets done. However, the Sabres aren’t alone, and there will be other teams all over the 33-year-old netminder, who is under contract through the 2030-31 NHL season.
Carrying a more-than-reasonable $8.5 million cap hit and with a maximum total salary of $10 million in the next five seasons, there are no salary-cap concerns around Hellebuyck. However, most of the teams being linked to him may have to work some magic in order to land the Michigan native. When there’s a will, there’s a way, though, and some of Hellebuyck’s potential suitors have a history of making moves even amid a cap crunch.
Potential suitors for Hellebuyck
Buffalo is the favorite. It possesses the prospects, draft picks, and, most importantly, the cap space to land Hellebuyck. However, with the goalie holding the key to his exit, it may not come down to who has the best offer.
The Sabres saw their magical 2025-26 campaign come to a crushing end, in part because they could never firmly establish their starting goaltender. Hellebuyck would solve that, not only for next season but for five straight years, and perhaps even longer.
In addition to the Sabres, other teams who could be all over Hellebuyck include: the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vegas Golden Knights. Let’s take a closer look at each of these Stanley Cup contenders, and why they could be Hellebuyck’s next destination.
Panthers could add yet another Infinity Stone
The Panthers have been favorites to land Hellebuyck ever since reports broke of the goalie’s frustration in Manitoba. What’s not to like about Florida? Playing for arguably the best team in the NHL when healthy, joining an undeniable Stanley Cup contender, reuniting with fellow Team USA teammates Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and, to top it off, joining a franchise in a no-income-tax state.
From the Panthers’ standpoint, the main deterrent is that they just signed Jacob Markstrom to a two-year, $12 million contract ($6 million cap hit). They could always trade Markstrom to Winnipeg, but that would hinge on whether Markstrom hasn’t included the Jets on his 20-team no-trade list.
The Cats also have less than $35,000 available in cap space, which complicates a move for Hellebuyck. But that doesn’t feel like as big of an issue when they have Bill Zito working his craft behind the scenes. Adding Hellebuyck could be Florida’s best chance at replacing Sergei Bobrovsky and getting back to a Stanley Cup Final next year.
As for Hellebuyck, the Panthers may give him the best chance at winning a Stanley Cup in his NHL career while reuniting him with former head coach Paul Maurice. It just makes too much sense.
Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets.
Hurricanes plus Hellebuyck: Back to back dream
In addition to the suspense around RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin, the reigning Stanley Cup champions face a large, unavoidable question in net. Frederik Andersen left for the Edmonton Oilers, and although Brandon Bussi proved he can hold his ground, the Hurricanes are missing a bona fide elite goaltender to cruise their way through the flagging Metropolitan Division and be firing on all cylinders by the time the postseason starts.
Carolina has roughly $9.8 million available in cap space, via PuckPedia, so that won’t prevent it from going after Hellebuyck. In Raleigh, Hellebuyck could reunite with fellow Team USA member Jaccob Slavin. That seems to be a trend among the gold medalists who asked out of their organizations after the national team provided them with the long-yearned-for feeling of being on a championship team.
Lastly, the Hurricanes own three of their next four first-round picks in the NHL Draft, which could come in handy in negotiations with the Jets. Entering a new season, no team is more favored to win than the reigning champs, and judging by the fact that there have been two back-to-back champions since the turn of the decade, if Hellebuyck wants to win now, Carolina might be his safest bet.
Hellebuyck can become a Golden Knight
Falling just short of the Stanley Cup last season, Vegas isn’t going anywhere. Bruce Cassidy and John Tortorella are gone, Ryan Craig is now in charge, but these are still the same old Golden Knights. If there’s a big name out there making himself available, best believe they will be all over it—and especially a goaltender like Hellebuyck.
However, Vegas has a lot of hurdles in the way. The organization in Sin City is currently $8.6 million over the salary cap, but it could always gain some ground by making timely long-term injured reserve (LTIR) decisions. The Knights could also clear some space by moving Adin Hill, maybe in exchange for Hellebuyck while giving up something more. Hill carries a $6.25 million cap hit. As long as Winnipeg’s name isn’t written on his 10-team no-trade list, the deal could happen.
The Golden Knights can’t trade either of their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, as both have already been dealt on conditional terms. All in all, the Knights face a steep climb to make a trade for Hellebuyck, with battles on several fronts. However, if there’s one thing an organization named the Vegas Golden Knights will never back down from, it’s a fight and a gamble. Making a move for Hellebuyck provides both in perfect measure, so expect the Knights to be a player at this table.
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