While some have speculated that the Edmonton Oilers could be a suitor for Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun has thrown cold water on the goaltender joining the Oilers or any of Canada’s six other teams.
Hellebuyck remains suspended without pay after he failed to report to Jets training camp after demanding a trade from the franchise.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres are most well-known suitors for the netminder, who LeBrun reports will not be waiving his no-move clause for any deal that keeps him north of the border.
“People have wondered about Edmonton for Connor Hellebuyck, he’s not gonna play in Canada. So, please let’s stop with that. That’s not happening,” LeBrun explained on OverDrive on TSN 1050 Monday.
LeBrun added the Hurricanes continue to have interest in Hellebuyck but don’t feel the Jets have leverage to force them to up their current offer.
Hellebuyck went public with his trade request last month in hopes of spurring a deal before the season, but no such move has materialized.
Winnipeg has been steadfast in their stance that the franchise will not move the netminder until their asking price is met and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has declined to put a timeline on finding a trade.
“Well, in situations like this, you never know,” Cheveldayoff told TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger last week. “You don’t have a crystal ball. When I was first made aware of the situation - the conversations that Connor’s representation and myself had - were very clear and explicit that this could take a while. What ‘a while’ means I guess, is still undefined.”
“What it’ll ultimately be, that’ll be a decision that’ll be made when something presents itself,” Cheveldayoff added of how a return for Hellebuyck will shape the team’s outlook.
The Jets have started strong without Hellebuyck, going 2-0-1 with Stuart Skinner seeing two stars and Clay Stevenson earning a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
Hellebuyck is coming off a down year, but took home the Hart, Vezina and William M. Jennings trophies in 2025.
The 33-year-old netminder appeared in 57 games last season, his lowest total since the 2020-21 season, but also started five games for Team USA at the Olympics en route to winning gold.
Hellebuyck posted the worst save percentage of his career at .895 – the first time he’s fallen below .900 - in 2025-26, to go along with a 2.86 goals-against average and a 23-23-11 record.
The 33-year-old signed a contract extension in October 2023 with an annual cap hit of $8.5 million through the 2030-31 season.
