The Winnipeg Jets shut down a Sabres trade offer built around Connor Hellebuyck, and the fallout was still being discussed Thursday.
Buffalo wanted its 8th overall pick swapped for Winnipeg's 4th overall selection as part of the framework, according to TSN's OverDrive panel.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said no. One word killed one of the more interesting trade threads the league had going before the draft.
Hellebuyck carries a cap hit of $8,500,000 and posted a .895 save percentage with 18 wins across 57 appearances this season.
Analyst Martin Biron broke the deal down on TSN Sportscentre Thursday, and his price tag for Winnipeg's franchise goalie was steep.
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Biron says the Jets need a first round pick, a high end prospect, and two separate impact players back in any Hellebuyck trade.
That number feels aggressive for a 33-year-old rental-type asset. But franchise goalies move like blue moons, rare, and gone fast once somebody finally blinks.
Biron says Jets still need a goalie behind Stuart Skinner
Stuart Skinner posted a .888 save percentage with 17 wins in 50 games this season behind Hellebuyck, and Biron isn't sold on that tandem.
He believes Winnipeg should be shopping for outside goaltending help no matter what happens with Hellebuyck. Call it a vote of no confidence in the current depth chart.
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Winnipeg sits 35-35-12 with 82 points, ranked 26th overall, and has dropped four straight games after going 5-5-0 over its previous 10.
Buffalo sits 50-23-9 with 109 points and ranks 4th overall. The Jets split their season series with the Sabres, winning 4-1 at home and losing 1-5 on the road.
Cheveldayoff already said no once. Whether a better offer shows up before the deadline, from Buffalo or anyone else, is the question nobody in Winnipeg wants to answer yet.
Should the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck this season?
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