- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The New Jersey Devils are in advanced negotiations to acquire goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets, according to multiple reports.
Talks accelerated significantly Thursday night, sources told ESPN, Sportsnet and The Athletic. Winnipeg had found prior trade proposals unsatisfactory as of last weekend. The club, which will stage the Heritage Classic on Sunday, seeks to avoid distraction from the outdoor showcase.
Hellebuyck, 33, asked for a move this summer, stating it would serve him and his family best. The league penalty he incurred by not arriving at training camp concludes Friday. He has five years remaining on a seven-year deal signed with the Jets.
Selected 130th overall in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft by Winnipeg, Hellebuyck has played exclusively for that franchise since debuting in 2015-16. He captured the Vezina Trophy three times, including in 2024-25 when he also became the first netminder to earn the Hart Memorial Trophy since Carey Price in 2015. That campaign saw him go 47-12-3 with a .925 save percentage, 2.00 goals-against average and eight shutouts, tops in the league.
Hellebuyck also tended goal for gold medal-winning Team USA at the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Winnipeg holds a 4-3-3 record, has dropped four straight and ranks sixth in the Central Division.
Source: ESPN (also reported by Daily Faceoff) - Fri Oct 23, 11:36 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).