TSN’s Hockey Insiders on Connor Hellebuyck’s media availability, how his chase for the Stanley Cup motivated his trade demand, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly meeting with the IIHF regarding Russia, Matvei Michkov’s future in Philadelphia, the Red Wings’ intensifying interest in creative trade options, and Chicago open to almost anything in trade talks.
Hellebuyck faces media in Winnipeg
James Duthie: Your Insiders - Pierre LeBrun in the box below me, and on location in Winnipeg, Chris Johnston and Darren Dreger. Where, C.J., we don’t get to see Hellebuyck face the Jets, but he does face the media. Do we learn anything from all this?
Chris Johnston: I do think we learned a little bit here. Look, he did say definitively that it was some of the threats that were lobbed against his family that pushed him over the edge in terms of wanting to request a trade out of Winnipeg. And that maybe had been alluded to a little bit over time, but I think he was a little clearer in the way he described that situation. He didn’t want to get into the specific nature of the threats, but he did say it went beyond receiving online death threats. So obviously something very significant for Hellebuyck and his family.
And it does, I guess, give a little clarity of how we got here, because this has been one of these stories that’s been draped in a certain amount of mystery, certainly here in Winnipeg. He had not spoken to reporters since April 17th, took questions for 20 odd minutes and didn’t back down from anything. I would mention as well, with so much attention on this game, heavy, heavy security presence around the Devils, much more than would be typical for a road team visiting the city.
Hellebuyck’s chase for Cup motivated trade demand
Darren Dreger: You know, it seems abundantly clear, and look, Connor Hellebuyck establishes that the issues for both he and his family were twofold. Yes, of course, it’s the safety and well-being as a father and a husband. His family has to be top priority, but there’s also a delicate balance in also managing his career.
And Connor Hellebuyck, as we know, has won three Vezinas as a star goaltender of the Winnipeg Jets. He’s got a Hart Trophy, a Jennings, and a gold medal in representing his country, the United States of America. What he doesn’t have is a Stanley Cup, and there are many who believe that heavily motivated his decision to request that trade because Connor Hellebuyck didn’t see the opportunity in front of him to win that in the crease here in Winnipeg.
Bettman, Daly meet with IIHF president on Russia
Duthie: The Hellebuyck situation stealing all the NHL headlines. Internationally, it’s all about Russia. Pierre, Bill Daly and Gary Bettman trying to find out as much as they can about the situation?
Pierre LeBrun: Yeah, that’s right, James. They met with new IIHF president Franz Reindl on Monday. Reindl was in town for the Hockey Hall of Fame induction. I’m sure he enjoyed the job you did there at the Hall of Fame there, James. But the NHL wanted some answers on how the IIHF is handling this very delicate question and then some of the issues that it’s dealing with behind the scenes. Because the NHL itself has a looming decision to make on Russia and that’s for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, a tournament that the league runs with the NHL Players’ Association.
And here’s what I will tell you about Gary Bettman’s comments to us on this day after the GMs meeting. The tone was in stark contrast to what we saw at the Stanley Cup Final where the league was kind of preparing everyone for the eventual return of Russia, perhaps as early as the World Cup of Hockey. That’s not what you heard on this day. In fact, you heard a lot more uncertainty from the NHL, which has paid close attention to the reaction from European hockey federations and countries about not wanting to play with Russia in events. The bottom line is this: the NHL may want its Russian NHL stars in the World Cup, but it can’t have a World Cup if four to five countries say they’re not playing with Russia in it. And that’s the bottom line here.
Michkov future in Philadelphia in question
Duthie: A very prominent Russian player in the NHL, Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers. Is there potential, C.J., that he becomes the next Hellebuyck, [Dylan] Larkin situation? He doesn’t seem too happy.
Johnston: It’s possible it gets there, but what I can tell you at this moment in time, we’re certainly not there yet. In fact, even after a lot of attention on Michkov getting into it with Nick Seeler on the bench, obviously a difficult start for the Flyers this season. But the Flyers themselves have not received a formal trade request in this circumstance.
And this is not a player they’re looking to trade. He’s in the third year of his career, still in his entry-level contract, scoring at half a goal a game. And while it’s been a tough start for the team, they’re not simply going to give up on this kid. If they do ever think to trade him, they’ll be looking for a prize centreman or a quality player coming back the other way. But at this point in time, the Flyers are certainly not focused on moving him.
Red Wings interest in creative trade options intensifies
Dreger: Look, it wouldn’t be Insider Trading without an update on Larkin and [Simon] Edvinsson and the Detroit Red Wings. We know that Kris Draper, who’s the head of pro scouting for the Red Wings, is on a California tour. He was in San Jose on Monday. He’ll see the Sharks again this week, looking at Anaheim, looking at Los Angeles. And we’re told that Shawn Horcoff, the interim general manager, and the group that represents Edvinsson and Larkin, CAA, are at least now working on creatively creating options for Horcoff and the Red Wings. But teams interested in those players say they need a definitive ask from Detroit before they can get this job done.
Blackhawks open to almost anything in trade talks
LeBrun: In the meantime, Dregs, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson, I think, took full advantage of his time in Toronto around the GMs meeting to meet with other GMs. He has been active in trade talks, really open to pretty much almost anything outside of the obvious untouchables. He’s open to moving a lot of his players. He’s also open to moving a lot of his top picks. The Blackhawks have three first-round picks in the June draft, as well as two high second-rounders, including Vancouver’s. And a lot of those picks are in play as the Blackhawks try to give a jolt to their roster. They’re looking for a scoring winger, but honestly, they’re not too picky because it’s hard to make trades this time of year. They’re pretty open-minded in trying to shake up their roster.
Duthie: 4-13-1, the Blackhawks are entering play on Tuesday. That’s already 19 points behind the division leader, Minnesota.