- Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request has pundits worried about where he wants to go
- Teams from no-income-tax states have reached each of the last seven Stanley Cup Finals
- Read below for the full quote and the seven-year Cup Final trend
Connor Hellebuyck asking out of Winnipeg is one story. Where he is willing to land is turning into a bigger one.
TSN’s Brian Hayes was talking about the Panthers’ interest in the goalie on OverDrive, and he did not soften what a Florida trade would say to the other 31 teams.
“If (Hellebuyck) ends up in Florida, you’ve got a Dodgers situation on your hands all of a sudden. You’ve got a lot of teams in the league being like, ‘Well, what are we supposed to do?’ These players are basically just mandating this is the only place they’re going and teams are capitulating and giving it to them.”
Watch Hayes lay it out:
Florida circling this is not new. The Panthers were attached to Hellebuyck back in June, when Winnipeg first started taking calls on him.
Hellebuyck holds the leverage. He carries a full no-movement clause for 2026-27 and has told the Jets he will waive it for a variety of teams, which widens the market without handing it over.
Winnipeg has said almost nothing publicly since the request went out:
What sits underneath Hayes’ point is not really about one goalie. Florida, Vegas, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa Bay and Seattle all play in states with no income tax, so the same cap hit puts more money in a player’s pocket there than it does in Winnipeg, Toronto or Montreal.
Recent Cup Finals keep making the argument for him. One of those markets has been in each of the last seven, going back to the all-tax-free Tampa Bay-Dallas matchup in 2020.
| Year | Stanley Cup Final | No-Income-Tax Side |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Hurricanes def. Golden Knights | Vegas (Nevada) |
| 2025 | Panthers def. Oilers | Florida |
| 2024 | Panthers def. Oilers | Florida |
| 2023 | Golden Knights def. Panthers | Both |
| 2022 | Avalanche def. Lightning | Tampa Bay (Florida) |
| 2021 | Lightning def. Canadiens | Tampa Bay (Florida) |
| 2020 | Lightning def. Stars | Both |
The Jets will decide what Hellebuyck is worth in a trade. The rest of the league is more interested in the list of teams he says yes to.
