Jets listening – Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says the team is fielding trade offers for Connor Hellebuyck and won’t rule anything out, even as the star goalie remains under a seven-year extension with five seasons left at $8.5 million annually. Cheveldayof
Connor Hellebuyck’s future became a live wire in Winnipeg on Friday, with Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff refusing to give a clear answer on whether the star goalie requested a trade.
Asked directly whether Hellebuyck had requested a trade, Cheveldayoff did not offer a definitive response. What he did make unmistakably clear was that the Jets are listening. “At the end of the day, we both chose to sign a seven-year extension. There’s risk on both sides,” Cheveldayoff said. “As an organization, it’s incumbent on you to listen, and that’s what we’ve done to this point. … What I’ve been hearing hasn’t made me act. The best answer is I’m still listening.”.
The numbers put context behind the uncertainty. Hellebuyck has five more seasons left on his deal, worth $8.5 million annually. He is also coming off a difficult season with the Jets, posting a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
Yet Cheveldayoff’s comments land in the middle of an important counterpoint to the Jets’ 2024-25 struggles: Hellebuyck starred for Team USA in a golden effort at the Milano-Cortina Olympics. And that contrast—regular-season turbulence versus major tournament brilliance—only sharpens the question of what value the Jets are willing to keep and what they might consider trading.
On the ice, the Jets still face the reality of contracts and business timelines. Cheveldayoff framed the situation the way he framed everything: as a trade marketplace meeting a signed commitment. “We’re living in different times. … I think this situation is probably different than other situations where players moving forward expressed that they weren’t going to sign. ” he said. later adding: “We have a contract for five years. and that’s the reality of the business world.”.
His remarks came with another familiar reference from within the team’s orbit. Brady Tkachuk has recently requested a trade out of a Canadian market to join his brother, Matthew, in Florida.
Whether the Hellebuyck chatter will become a transaction the way the Tkachuk situation might remains the dividing line. Cheveldayoff acknowledged private conversations with Hellebuyck but wouldn’t provide details. “I have had private talks with Hellebuyck but refused to offer details. ” the Jets GM said. adding: “Those are conversations that I have with a player. I don’t have to talk about every conversation I have with a player.”.
There is also no sense the Jets are acting under external pressure. Hellebuyck appeared on Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos’ trade board, but Kypreos said the Jets did not feel pressure to move their star goalie.
That makes Cheveldayoff’s central message land harder: the Jets are open to offers. but they’re not treating the situation like an urgent fire drill. “What I’ve been hearing hasn’t made me act. ” he said. keeping the door open while insisting the next step depends on what comes through the mailroom—and what the Jets can justify in return.
Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets Kevin Cheveldayoff NHL trade trade offers 2026 NHL Draft Hart Trophy Vezina Trophy Milano-Cortina Olympics Brady Tkachuk Matthew Tkachuk