Connor Hellebuyck traded to Devils, ending long, messy saga with Jets New York Times (Online) Murat Ates The Winnipeg Jets traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, according to league sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to address private negotiations. The return to the Jets was not immediately available as players were being informed they were part of the deal. Hellebuyck, 33, is in the third year of a seven-year contract extension with an $8.5 million average annual value. He went public with a trade request in a post his agent, Ray Petkau, shared on Aug. 27 and had been suspended by the Jets for failing to report to training camp on Sept. 16. That suspension was lifted just as the trade went down Friday. “Several months ago, I privately requested a trade,” Hellebuyck said in his Aug. 27 statement. “I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.” Hellebuyck missed all of training camp and the first 24 days of the regular season, forfeiting $927,835.05 in salary as a result. The Jets were resolute about not giving up a three-time Vezina Trophy winner for a below-market return just to quiet the noise around the situation. They ended up dealing Hellebuyck just days before hosting the Montreal Canadiens outdoors at Princess Auto Stadium in a Heritage Classic game expected to draw more than 30,000 fans and national media coverage on Sunday. “Unfortunately, this situation is what it is. We've been dealing with it for a period of time now, and just looking to find a resolution that works for both sides,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said on the first day of training camp. Cheveldayoff also addressed reports that the offers he was receiving at the time were “terrible.” “What we have to understand here is that we're talking about moving Connor Hellebuyck. We're talking about moving a player that has been very, very important to this franchise, and is a very good player in the National Hockey League. And we expect that a level of return would be commensurate to that,” he said. Hellebuyck waived his no-movement clause to facilitate the trade. A fifth-round pick of Winnipeg in 2012, he played 11 seasons for the Jets and amassed a record of 345-208-55 in 625 appearances. He also led Team USA to gold at the Milan Olympics in February, only to see Winnipeg fall short of the playoffs a couple of months later. Hellebucyk caught league-wide attention in April after criticizing the Jets' failure to qualify for the postseason in his exit interview. He said that he liked Winnipeg but questioned the Jets' ability to recruit other star players. “Can you get the pieces that you need? Will the players come? These are always questions that you have in Winnipeg. I've made it my home, and I like it here, but the majority of the league doesn't feel the same way,” Hellebuyck said. “For me, it's winning a Stanley Cup. That's my goal, and that's all I have left. How can I get that? How can I get there?” Winnipeg received Hellebuyck trade calls throughout the offseason. The Jets came close to completing a trade with Buffalo before the draft. When that didn't come to fruition, they signed goalie Stuart Skinner to a two-year contract. They then claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers on Sept. 28 and have seen the tandem produce the NHL's seventh-best team save percentage so far this season. A lingering question hung over the Devils' offseason: The skater group was good, but was a Jake Allen-Nico Daws tandem good enough in net? By trading for Hellebuyck, GM Sunny Mehta makes that question moot. New Jersey now has one of the best goalies in the world. Allen will slide nicely into the No. 2 role — likely the right spot for him at 36. Assuming Hellebuyck can come close to his 2024-25 Hart-winning form, the Devils are now a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. They already had encouraging underlying metrics to start the season. With Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt leading the forward group and Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes on the back end, the Devils' roster is potent. Hellebuyck raises its ceiling. This is a massive swing for Mehta, hired over the summer, and sets the tone for how he'll approach his tenure with the Devils. He won't be afraid to take big swings, even if they come with a high acquisition cost. — Baugh This story will be updated