Connor Hellebuyck isn't buying what the Jets are selling, and Frank Seravalli saw it coming before the goalie ever skipped camp.
"I think [Winnipeg] were kinda hoping against hope that if [a trade] didn't materialize, they'd be able to put the toothpaste back in the tube," Seravalli said on Oilers Now.
The idea was to "convince him that they had a... chance to win." His verdict: "obviously he's not buying it."
Seravalli said that on September 15. Two days later, the Jets suspended their goalie when he didn't report to training camp.
There's still no deal, and Elliotte Friedman isn't expecting him to report for the start of the season.
He carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, and only two NHL goalies carry a bigger one.
So what exactly did the Jets think would change his mind?
Frank Seravalli: Re Connor Hellebuyck: I think [Winnipeg] were kinda hoping against hope that if [a trade] didn't materialize, they'd be able to put the toothpaste back in the tube...convince him that they had a...chance to win; obviously he's not buying it - Oilers Now (9/15)
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Connor Hellebuyck trade saga reaches breaking point before season opener
After last season, the goalie questioned whether Winnipeg can land the players it needs to contend.
Moving on, he said when he went public in August, was "the best path forward for me and my family."
The toothpaste line nails it. Once a franchise goalie goes public in August, no September sales pitch was ever going to fix it.
It's like trying to win back an ex by redecorating the apartment. The couch looks great, but the problem was never the furniture.
Stuart Skinner is the likely starter. He made 28 saves on 32 shots in the Jets' 5-2 preseason loss at Colorado.
The regular season opens Tuesday, and from then on a suspended player forfeits his pay for every day he's out.
Buffalo, Utah and San Jose continue to monitor the situation, according to Nick Kypreos, while Friedman has linked Carolina.
Hellebuyck also won't waive his no-movement clause for another Canadian team, which shrinks the market before a single call is made.
The Jets open October 2 at home against Boston, then host Montreal outdoors at the Heritage Classic on October 25.
Seravalli called it on September 15. Nearly two weeks later, the only thing that's changed is how much this standoff is about to cost.
Should the Jets stop trying to win back Connor Hellebuyck and trade him now?
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