The New Jersey Devils completed one of the biggest goaltending trades in recent memory on Friday, acquiring three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets. The deal was announced on the same day Hellebuyck's suspension for failing to report to training camp was set to expire, closing a saga that had dragged on for months.
The NHL world had been watching closely since August, when the goaltender went public with a trade request he said he had actually made privately months earlier. That request eventually hardened into a standoff that cost him a chunk of his salary once the Jets suspended him for skipping camp.
A Trade Years in the Making
According to multiple reports, Hellebuyck first expressed frustration with the direction of the franchise back in April before formally requesting a move over the summer. TSN reported that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff kept his focus on finding a trade rather than bringing the goaltender back into the fold.
This move comes as the 33-year-old's suspension by the Jets ends after he failed to report to training camp ahead of the season, with Hellebuyck forfeiting $927,835.05 in salary over his 24-day suspension. His contract carries an $8.5 million salary cap hit and runs through the 2030-31 season, and it included a full no-move clause that he had to waive to facilitate the deal.
What the Devils Are Getting at Vezina Level
Hellebuyck has been one of the game's most dominant netminders, winning three Vezina Trophies, a Hart Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He now joins a Devils team looking to upgrade a goaltending tandem that had been splitting time between veterans all season.
Career Numbers in Winnipeg
In 625 NHL career games, Hellebuyck has a record of 345-208-55, with 45 shutouts, a 2.58 goals-against average, and a .916 save percentage. He spent his entire career with the Jets' organization after they selected him with the No. 130 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
A Rough Final Season
Hellebuyck was coming off a down year by his standards, posting a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage in 57 games, as the Jets missed the playoffs for just the second time in the last nine seasons. That slide reportedly convinced the Michigan native he needed a fresh start.
What the Jets Get in Return
In return, the Jets receive three forwards -- Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Command -- as well as goalie Nico Daws, a seventh-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-round selection in 2029.
Dawson Mercer Headlines the Package
Mercer, 24, was the No. 18 pick in 2020 and scored 20 goals last season, carrying a $4 million cap hit while headed for restricted free agency in July. He had played his entire career with the Devils after being taken 18th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Nico Daws and the Futures
Command, 18, was the Devils' first-round pick at the past June's draft, taken with the 12th overall selection, and is currently playing in the Swedish Elite League without a point through six games this season. Daws, a third-round pick of the Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft, had put together an .897 save percentage in 59 NHL games across five seasons since his 2021-22 debut.
A Reunion Already Circled on Calendars
Hellebuyck will face his old team on Nov. 10 when the Devils travel to Winnipeg, a date that instantly became one of the most anticipated of the early NHL schedule. The matchup will offer an immediate measuring stick for both sides of the trade.
What Comes Next for Both Teams
The Jets have started the 2026-27 season with a 5-4-1 record, with Stuart Skinner serving as the No. 1 goaltender in Hellebuyck's absence, posting a 3-1-3 mark in seven starts. Winnipeg will now lean on that tandem for the long haul after cashing in its former franchise cornerstone.
For New Jersey, the move represents a clear bid to upgrade in net for a playoff push. It is unclear exactly when Hellebuyck will make his Devils debut, but the team's performance so far this season, much like the rest of the league's goaltending carousel, will be tracked closely alongside other storylines around the opening weeks of the NHL season.
The deal immediately reshapes the goaltending landscape in the Eastern Conference and gives New Jersey a true No. 1 between the pipes heading into the stretch run toward the playoffs.