r/winnipegjets

Buffalo has been reported to have expressed interest in Helle or been connected to him in trade talks multiple times these last few days or weeks. With the Byram trade they now have the 4OA pick this friday. A Buffalo reporter said today that he thinks they are working on something to deal away that pick, a large portion of their team is young and have no trade protection (something that has always hampered the Jets trade attempts according to reports), multiple lower class goalie projects to send back (UPL or Levi), and a lot of draft capital outside of this year's 4OA. Chevy also clearly has an existing trade history with Buffalo, or more directly with Jarmo. They seem to like making deals with each other.

Full disclosure, I'm on the 'Don't Trade Helle' train. Grew up wanting to be a goalie, he's the GOAT of this generation IMO, he's my favorite player on the team. I don't want him to go. But if the time has come, then it is what it is. And if that's the case, seems to me that IF Chevy is going to move Helle, AND IF Helle agrees to go to Buffalo, then that's probably the team to give us the best return. Can't see a team with a better ability to put together a package now that Florida did the Brady deal.

In fairness, let’s hear from the other side.

You know, if the Jets didn't have Connor Hellebuyck and someone offered them a world-class goaltender signed at $8.5 million AAV through 2030-31, we’d be partying at Portage and Main.

Well, here we are and that’s what we have. 

Now, last season was a disappointment, yes.  No question.  But trading one of the top players in the league isn’t necessarily going to turn that around.

Hellebuyck's "big and boring" style works best when the team in front of him commits to a structured, defensively responsible game. Imagine if the Jets actually bought into that approach again.

You know, the one that got them a President's Trophy. 

And how did Hellebuyck fare when he backed a team capable of pulling that off that President's Trophy run?  Hart Trophy.  Well, how about that.  Let’s  throw the two Jennings and three Vezinas in there for good measure.

Trading Hellebuyck is treating the symptom instead of the disease. Improve other areas of the roster and get back to the disciplined, detail-oriented hockey they've already shown they can play.  That should be the focus.

The Rangers went from Presidents' Trophy winners to missing the playoffs, then got even worse, convincing themselves that swapping out personnel was the answer. Hopefully the Jets recognize that talent matters, but deployment, structure, and (especially) coaching matter just as much.

I know all the arguments for making a trade and addressing needs and yadda yadda.  There's a whole other thread discussing that. I read it and still feel trading him at this point is a bad move.

You don’t know what you got till its gone, but right now we have a Hall of Fame bound goaltender. One who is under (a very reasonable) contract for a while yet, and I want to watch him play and win here in Winnipeg.