The Jets' plan for Connor Hellebuyck just went public, and it's going to rub plenty of people the wrong way.
On Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman laid out what could happen if Winnipeg doesn't find a trade by Friday.
“I think there's a... very legitimate chance if they don't have this done by Friday, that Winnipeg says we'll pay you, but you don't have to come,” Friedman said.
In other words, the suspended goalie gets his money and a seat at home.
Friedman's read carries weight, and it paints a front office that's done waiting for the right phone call.
He carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, and Kevin Cheveldayoff would be paying it to keep him away from the rink.
That's a bad idea. A Hart and Vezina winner sitting idle doesn't gain trade value, and every week off the ice gives buyers one more reason to lowball.
Clay Stevenson's 34 saves weren't enough as the Jets slip again
It's like paying rent on an apartment you already moved out of, just so nobody else can move in.
The Jets dropped a 3-2 decision to Carolina at home Saturday afternoon, their second straight loss.
Kyle Connor was held without a point in 20:12 of ice time. He still leads the team with eight goals.
Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo scored for Winnipeg, and Adam Lowry picked up an assist.
The Jets are now 4-2-2 with a -1 goal differential.
The blue line is thinner too. Josh Morrissey is day-to-day with a wrist injury and isn't expected back until at least Nov. 1.
So who blinks first? Hellebuyck can wait it out with a paycheck, while the Jets keep riding Stuart Skinner and Stevenson.
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That won't sit well with fans who wanted a resolution. It might sit even worse in a locker room watching a teammate get paid to stay away.
The schedule gives Cheveldayoff a short runway. Winnipeg visits St. Louis on Tuesday and Dallas on Thursday before that Friday line arrives.
If no GM bites by then, Winnipeg is about to find out how expensive holding firm can get.
Should the Jets pay Connor Hellebuyck to stay home if no trade is done by Friday?
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