- Kevin Cheveldayoff answered Connor Hellebuyck’s public trade request with a statement of his own Thursday
- The Jets general manager said there is “no update at this time” with camp three weeks out
- Read below for the full statement, the contract math and Winnipeg’s camp dates
The Winnipeg Jets did not let Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request sit out there for long.
Less than two hours after the goaltender went public through his agent Thursday, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff released a statement of his own. It confirmed the ask and settled nothing else.
Cheveldayoff was responding to Hellebuyck saying he wants a move with training camp weeks away.
“Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change. He has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years, and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here. While we will continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time.”
That is the closest the organization has come to saying out loud that its franchise goaltender asked to leave. Cheveldayoff spent the whole summer stopping just short of it.
Reporters pushed him on Hellebuyck’s status before the draft in June, and he would only go as far as admitting the phone was on.
“Certainly, as an organization we’re going to listen. Everyone saw (Hellebuyck’s) press conference at the end of the year. He was passionate. Certainly, in our exit meetings we had some frank conversations as well, but again, what happens in those meetings certainly stays private.”
Catch that full availability:
Hellebuyck’s side came first. His agent, Ray Petkau, posted a signed statement saying the request was made privately several months ago and that nothing about his position has changed.
Money and control are why this has dragged. Hellebuyck is entering the third season of a seven-year, $59.5 million contract with an $8.5 million cap hit, and he holds full trade protection, so he picks the destination.
Buffalo and Carolina have both been linked to him since the spring. A deal with the Sabres fell apart before the draft, and the asking price has been the sticking point ever since.
Last season did not help the market. The 33-year-old went 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 57 games around November knee surgery, the first sub-.900 season of his career.
Then he went 5-0-0 with a .956 save percentage at the Olympics and won gold with the United States. Winnipeg finished 35-35-12, eight points behind the Kings for the second Western wild card.
NHL training camps open Sept. 16. The Jets play their first preseason game Sept. 19 and open the regular season against the Bruins at Canada Life Centre on Oct. 2.
Three weeks from now Hellebuyck reports to a camp he asked to be traded out of, and “no update” is where Winnipeg has left it.
