The San Jose Sharks have had a busy offseason. After cleaning up at the 2026 NHL Draft, the club has had an active free-agent season.
But they might not be done. And if one stunning trade rumor proves correct, the Sharks could come away as the hands-down winners of the offseason.
According to a piece in the Winnipeg Free Press, the San Jose could be a candidate to land Jets all-world goalie Connor Hellebuyck .
In the piece, Mike McIntyre makes an interesting link between the Sharks and Hellebuyck, hinging on one interesting piece: Eric Comrie . Comrie, who served as Hellebuyck's backup in Winnipeg, is now in San Jose.
And that's the piece that could help tip the scales in the Sharks' favor.
"I still believe Buffalo is the most logical landing spot, but I also keep coming back to San Jose as a suitable destination — and that was before they went and inked Comrie, which no doubt would make the sales pitch to Hellebuyck even easier."
Yes, the Sabres looked like the preferred destination. But the Sharks do seem like a compelling destination. They're an up-and-coming team that might just be seeing their competitive window open.
If the Sharks can get the sort of goaltending Hellebuyck is famous for, they could skyrocket into the Western Conference playoff race.
The Comrie connection is an interesting one. McIntyre calls the veteran backup Hellebuyck's "personal security blanket." Without him in Winnipeg, it's unclear who that security blanket would be.
The Jets signed Stuart Skinner in free agency. But judging from the prevailing rhetoric, Skinner doesn't seem keen on being a backup, especially after signing a two-year, $7.5 million contract. The book on Skinner is that he believes he's a starting goalie and isn't quite ready to accept a lesser role.
If that's the case, riding the bench behind Hellebuyck makes no sense. The move also adds credence to the thesis that Hellebuyck is on the move. The Sharks, of course, could be there to pounce.
But there could be another moving piece here.
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By signing Comrie, the Sharks have three goalies in their depth chart. Last season, Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaroslav Askarov shared the crease. The 24-year-old Askarov was once considered the best goalie prospect in the NHL. However, he hasn't really proven he's ready for NHL prime time.
Even if Hellebuyck joins the fold, the Sharks would have time to help Askarov continue building his skills.
That situation makes Nedeljkovic the likely candidate to go. The 30-year-old has a three-team no-trade clause. Unless the Jets happen to be on that list, he would be the easiest to move.
With Nedeljkovic out of the picture, the Sharks would have Hellebuyck and Comrie, with Askarov waiting in the wings. That depth chart would look a heck of a lot better than Nedeljkovic, Askarov, and Comrie.
Ultimately, the Sabres figure to be the top destination for Hellebuyck. But there's been a significant hold-up for some reason. That holdup might buy the Sharks just enough time to pull off a late-summer stunner.
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