The San Jose Sharks have reportedly kicked tires on a trade for Connor Hellebuyck, and the Winnipeg Jets suddenly have a storyline they didn't ask for.
Elliotte Friedman floated it this week, and the details are thin. Nobody knows yet which side picked up the phone first.
What Friedman did say is that San Jose makes a lot of sense as a landing spot for the netminder.
That alone is enough to rattle a fan base in Winnipeg. The Jets' goaltender carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, and his name doesn't come up in trade talk by accident.
The report hit social media with an eyes emoji attached, the universal signal that somebody knows this could get loud.
-
And it lands at an awkward moment. The Jets open the regular season October 2 at home against Boston.
Mike Grier already has Yaroslav Askarov in the Sharks crease
San Jose isn't exactly empty in goal. Yaroslav Askarov went 65 minutes in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to Vegas and stopped 22 of 23.
So why would Mike Grier want another starter? Friedman tied it to the Sharks' window, and that's where the conversation gets interesting.
The Sharks already have real money committed on the back end. Darnell Nurse carries a $9,250,000 cap hit in San Jose.
Winnipeg's books have their own heavy line. Kyle Connor counts $12,000,000 against the cap.
Trading Hellebuyck now would be a mistake. Kevin Cheveldayoff can't move a goalie like that days before opening night without sinking his own season.
It'd be like swapping out the engine the morning of a cross-country road trip. Maybe the new one runs better, but you don't want to find out on the highway.
Scott Arniel gave the crease to Domenic DiVincentiis on Tuesday. He played 61:26 and stopped 21 of 23 in a 2-1 loss past regulation to Edmonton.
Both clubs keep grinding through camp. The Sharks host Anaheim on Thursday, and the Jets visit Colorado on Friday.
If this goes anywhere, the first look at the fallout comes December 28, when San Jose visits Winnipeg for the first meeting of the season.
For now, it's a rumor with no return and no timeline attached. But once Hellebuyck's name shows up next to the word trade, it rarely goes quiet on its own.
Should the Jets actually listen on Connor Hellebuyck if the Sharks come calling?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
34 players placed on NHL waivers on Wednesday including 6 goaltenders
