Jets GM listening to Hellebuyck offers, won’t say if star goalie requested trade

Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has confirmed that the team is actively listening to trade offers for their star goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. However, Cheveldayoff remained tight-lipped when asked if the three-time Vezina Trophy winner has requested a trade, stating only that "what happens in those meetings certainly stays private." He acknowledged that the team's performance last season, which saw them miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy the year prior, was "unacceptable."

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Everybody is talking about ways to improve their team or different things like that. Certainly, as an organization we’re gonna listen.

Hellebuyck, who possesses a full no-movement clause and has five years left on his contract with an annual average value of $8.5 million, had previously expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's direction. In April, he stated, "Where do we go from here and what's the next step?" Hellebuyck has an impressive resume, including winning the 2025 Hart Trophy as league MVP and his third Vezina Trophy. He also backstopped the United States to an Olympic gold medal, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his performance.

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Everyone saw Helly’s press conference at the end of the year. He was passionate. Certainly in our exit meetings we had some frank conversations as well, but, again, what happens in those meetings certainly stays private.

Cheveldayoff emphasized that as an organization, they are "going to listen" to ways to improve the team. He noted that both the team and Hellebuyck committed to a long-term extension, acknowledging the inherent risks for both parties. "It's incumbent upon me to listen, and that's kind of what I've done up until this point," Cheveldayoff said, adding that "what I've been hearing hasn't made me act." The Jets hold the eighth overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft.

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What we did this year was unacceptable and no one wants to be a part of that. Where do we go from here and what’s the next step?