Connor Hellebuyck is not expected to report to Winnipeg Jets training camp, and the fallout is already spreading.
The news broke Tuesday evening, first reported by TSN insider Darren Dreger.
According to Dreger, no compelling trade offers have surfaced for Hellebuyck, and around the league, interest "remains minimal" right now.
That's a rough market for a goaltender still holding an $8,500,000 cap hit, with no obvious taker lined up.
It's the hockey version of a landlord refusing to lower the rent while the apartment sits empty for months.
Hellebuyck's numbers from a season ago didn't help his case. He posted a .895 save percentage across 57 appearances, a step back by his own standard.
Winnipeg didn't have much cushion around him either. The Jets finished last season with a minus-29 goal differential, one of the roughest marks in the league.
Home and road splits told two different stories too. Winnipeg went 19-16-6 at home but slipped to 16-19-6 away from the arena.
They also stumbled at the worst time, dropping four straight to close the year, capped by a 6-1 loss to San Jose.
Milic waits in Winnipeg's crease if this holdout drags on
If Hellebuyck stays away, Thomas Milic becomes the answer in net, at least for now.
Milic managed just an .871 save percentage across three appearances last season, hardly a sample that inspires confidence.
Head coach Scott Arniel already had a full plate heading into this camp. Now he may be doing it without his starter walking through the door.
GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is staring down the kind of decision that defines an offseason. Dig in and wait, or find urgency he hasn't needed until now.
Does ownership blink first, or does Hellebuyck? Right now, neither side looks close to moving.
Per Dreger, the Jets plan to address the situation in the coming days, whatever that actually ends up meaning.
Camp opens soon. If Hellebuyck still isn't there when it does, this stops being a rumor and turns into a real problem in Winnipeg.
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Should the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck now, even at a discount?
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