The largest goaltending tale in years would be if Connor Hellebuyck sought to leave Winnipeg. So let’s put the breaks on this first.
Hellebuyck has reportedly asked for a trade and has listed Florida, Tampa Bay, and Vegas as his shortlist of teams he would accept, according to a tweet from the PuckEmpire account.
Here’s the honest warning. The tier-one insiders who typically break news of this magnitude are not the source of this. Assume it’s a rumor until someone more prominent confirms it.
Usually, Friedman or Dreger is the first person a franchise goalie demands to leave. No, this didn’t. That alone justifies doubt.
However, the names on that list are worth looking at since they tell a tale even if the application isn’t approved.
The article presents it as a shortlist with three applicants and nothing else.
Hellebuyck’s short list just has Florida as a clear match.
Let’s begin with the logic. At 33, Hellebuyck has an $8.5 million cap hit and just had a .895 save percentage for a Winnipeg club that placed 26th overall.
A fantastic goalkeeper caught in a failing season. If the request is genuine, the cause is obvious. He wants to win before his best years are over.
Consider the destinations, as there is just one that actually makes sense. With Sergei Bobrovsky, 37, having completed a season with an .876 average, Florida is crying out for an improvement.
Hellebuyck in that crease would immediately change the Panthers’ ceiling. That fit is clean.
The other two are puzzling. Tampa already employs Andrei Vasilevskiy, a $9.5 million starter who posted a .910. Why would the Lightning stack two elite, expensive goalies? It doesn’t add up.
Vegas is crowded too. The Golden Knights rolled a committee to the Stanley Cup Final, with Carter Hart posting a .918 in limited work and Adin Hill in the mix.
So the shortlist reads like a wish, not a plan. It’s like a free agent picking three teams without checking who already plays his position.
Here’s my read: Florida is the trade that makes sense if this is real, and the other two are at best long shots. Well, you were cautioned at the top if it isn’t true.
Somebody in Winnipeg has a phone to answer either way. The Jets are not confirming anything as of right now.
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