The Winnipeg Jets are seemingly stuck between a rock and a hard place with Connor Hellebuyck. But that's just an illusion.
The Jets may actually have far more leverage in a Connor Hellebuyck trade than everyone thinks. And judging from the recent comments by insider Frank Seravalli, that may just be the case.
Seravalli discussed, during a recent column published on Casino.org, how Hellebuyck's willingness to widen his list of potential trade destinations has given the team much more flexibility, as compared to the Detroit Red Wings and Dylan Larkin.
"Unlike Larkin, sources indicate Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has shown greater flexibility regarding potential trade destinations. While that openness theoretically expands Winnipeg's options, it has yet to produce a suitable deal—even after Hellebuyck went public with his request last week to apply pressure on the front office."
The comments signal that the Jets could very well take their time as they're not handcuffed the way the Red Wings were.
Despite Hellebuyck's overtures to pressure the team, the fact of the matter is that Winnipeg could use the relative abundance of options to extract the best possible return for the gold-medal winning goalie.
This is where the Hellebuyck situation becomes very different from what is happening with Larkin.
Larkin initially limited his preferred destinations to three teams: the Florida Panthers , Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights. He later expanded that list to include the Dallas Stars, but a deal still hasn't materialized.
That puts Detroit in a difficult position.
The Red Wings can negotiate all they want, but if Larkin isn't willing to go to most of the teams calling, Detroit has a limited pool of potential buyers.
The Jets don't have the same problem.
As Seravalli noted, Hellebuyck has been more willing to consider different destinations. That potentially gives Winnipeg several teams to work with rather than forcing the organization to negotiate with one or two clubs.
And that matters when you're trying to maximize the return for a three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
The Jets can find a team willing to meet their asking price, put together the best possible package and then take it to Hellebuyck for his consideration.
That's a much better negotiating position.
Winnipeg doesn't necessarily have to find Hellebuyck's perfect destination first. It can find the best hockey deal first and then see whether Hellebuyck is willing to make it work.
That's leverage.
And considering the Jets have already been listening to offers for Hellebuyck for months, there's little reason to believe they're going to suddenly give him away just because he made his trade request public.
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The other important factor is timing.
Hellebuyck clearly wants this resolved before the season begins. He specifically cited the approaching training camp when he decided to make his trade request public, with NHL camps scheduled to open Sept. 16.
From his perspective, that makes perfect sense.
He doesn't want to report to Winnipeg, go through training camp and start another season with a team he has already decided he wants to leave.
But the Jets don't necessarily have the same urgency.
That's because they have already done something Detroit hasn't: they added an experienced alternative in goal.
Winnipeg signed Stuart Skinner to a two-year contract worth $3.75 million annually this summer.
That doesn't mean the Jets would suddenly be better off without Hellebuyck. They wouldn't.
But it does give them a little insurance.
If Hellebuyck threatens to hold out, Winnipeg isn't completely scrambling to find a starting goaltender. Skinner has NHL experience and was brought in with the expectation that he could compete for the crease.
That changes the negotiating dynamics.
The Jets can tell Hellebuyck they want to find a solution, but they don't have to accept the first offer that comes along simply because he wants out before training camp.
Could this situation become uncomfortable? Absolutely.
Could Hellebuyck actually hold out? It's possible.
But Winnipeg has already created some protection against that scenario. And that may be the biggest reason the Jets can afford to wait. If another team eventually decides that adding an elite goaltender is worth paying a premium, Winnipeg can listen.
If the offers aren't good enough, the Jets can wait.
Hellebuyck may want the situation resolved quickly. The Jets don't have to. That could give Winnipeg considerably more leverage than it appears to have right now.
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