Jets Will Keep Hellebuyck Unless Bidding War Emerges

Connor Hellebuyck remains under contract with the Winnipeg Jets until 2031, yet current offers from interested clubs including the Florida Panthers fall short of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s stated needs.

Offers Remain Below Threshold

Darren Dreger stated on TSN that multiple teams have shown interest but the packages submitted do not meet Winnipeg’s requirements for a No. 2 centre. The Jets also seek a depth centre and possible blue-line reinforcement. Without those pieces, Cheveldayoff has no incentive to move the 32-year-old netminder.

Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million AAV becomes easier to absorb for other clubs as the salary cap rises in coming seasons. Teams that previously avoided high-end goaltender spending now view the contract as efficient value. This shift expands the list of potential suitors beyond traditional big-market clubs.

A return package must include a goaltender with upside because Winnipeg would otherwise enter the season without a proven starter. Dreger noted that trading Hellebuyck without addressing the position leaves the roster exposed. The causal link is direct: insufficient goalie depth equals roster instability.

The Sabres-Blackhawks trade completed on June 23 illustrates how quickly assets can move when value aligns. No comparable movement has occurred for Hellebuyck because the offered assets do not match the Jets’ internal valuation.

Murat Ates observed on X that manufacturing a bidding war is the clearest path to raising the return. Without competition among bidders, the asset price stays suppressed even though Hellebuyck ranks among the NHL’s top goaltenders.

Cap Efficiency Expands Buyer Pool

Teams that relied on tandems last season now calculate that Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million AAV fits inside projected 2026-27 cap space. This calculation was not viable two years earlier when the cap sat lower. The new arithmetic brings additional clubs into serious consideration.

Contrasting the Panthers’ interest with other unnamed suitors shows variation in willingness to part with high picks or young roster players. Florida’s recent Stanley Cup success using tandem goaltending reduces their urgency to overpay. This contrast keeps the current offers modest.

Ates emphasized that Winnipeg cannot expect the best player in any exchange. The realistic target remains a quality second-line centre or a big-minute defenceman. Futures alone may suffice only if the Jets decide to rebuild rather than retool.

The rising cap therefore functions as the mechanism that could trigger a late-week surge in offers. Clubs previously priced out now possess the room to absorb the full $8.5 million without LTIR maneuvering.

Dreger reminded listeners that it is still early in the week and developments remain possible. The same broadcast noted that Hellebuyck’s contract length until 2031 protects the Jets from any fire-sale scenario.

Retaining the Asset Remains Viable

Cheveldayoff’s leverage stems from the simple fact that no package yet replaces Hellebuyck’s production and cap efficiency simultaneously. Keeping the netminder preserves the Jets’ strongest individual asset while they continue to shop for centre help through other avenues.

The absence of a bidding war to date explains why the Jets have not pulled the trigger. Historical precedent shows that elite goaltenders rarely move without multiple teams driving the price above market average. Winnipeg appears content to wait for that dynamic.

Unless offers improve by the July 1, 2026 free-agency period, the Jets will open the 2026-27 season with Hellebuyck in net.