Let us get this out of the way first. At first hearing the news that Connor Hellebuyck was not starting against the Winnipeg Jets, the first thought was that it was completely soft and the wrong decision. That was the knee-jerk reaction. One should learn to not tweet while emotional.
After some thought, the New Jersey Devils have absolutely made the right decision not to start Hellebuyck on Tuesday night.
While as a fan of the sport, it might not be agreed that it is the right call, as a fan of the Devils, it is. First things first, the Winnipeg Jets are a non-conference opponent at the end of a three-game road trip. The Jets are also not the best team in the NHL by any standards.
The case against starting Connor Hellebuyck
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe saying that they would rather have Hellebuyck play against the Washington Capitals is also the right thing to say. The Devils are most likely going to play the Capitals if those two teams make the playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes seem to have the top spot in the Metro Division as the defending champions, which leaves the two other spots for the playoffs.
The Rangers will surely fall off without Igor Shesterkin, while the Blue Jackets, Flyers, and Penguins continue to falter. The Islanders are a wild card in the division. If the Devils want to play their best goalie against a division rival in the first game after a road trip, they are well within their rights, too.
One of the biggest points other fan bases are making is that players like John Tavares and Brady Tkachuk all answered the bell and returned to their former market. Every player someone brings up who faced their former team has one thing in common: none of them are goalies.
None of the other players play the full 60 minutes. Not saying Hellebuyck is weak-minded; he just backstopped Team USA to a Gold Medal. Even great goalies are prone to one bad night. In a loud environment, who is to say Jake Allen would not have come in anyway after a few goals allowed by Hellebuyck? The Devils, famously, do not play well in Winnipeg anyway. It is more than okay for the Devils to see this as a throwaway game and not take the chance to tank Hellebuyck's confidence with his new team.
One question that is popping up is: what do the Devils players in the room think of Hellebuyck not starting? Do they not support it, and what does that do to a dressing room? That is absolutely none of the business of the public. Hellebuyck has said nothing, but the team has been supportive since he walked in the door.
Why would that change if he didn't start against the Winnipeg Jets? The team's core is fighting to get to the playoffs for the third time in the last decade. If the team stops supporting their All-World goalie because he does not play in Winnipeg, there are a lot more questions about the character in the room than everyone realizes.
Another key thing other fans and media members are bringing up is that Sunny Mehta is taking the opportunity from the Jets fans away from letting their voices be heard.
One thing needs to be crystal clear: Sunny Mehta and the New Jersey Devils do not owe you anything.
Sunny Mehta is the General Manager of the New Jersey Devils. He is not the gatekeeper of what Jets fans, Canadian media, or anyone else wants. He is responsible for his team and his team alone. To this point, he has always said that winning is the most important thing. At 13-5-0, Mehta has followed through. If starting Hellebuyck against Washington makes him think the Devils' win total goes up, that is what he will do.
Hellebuyck will speak prior to the game, where it is believed he will address why he requested his trade out of Winnipeg. Once he reveals the answers, the Jets fans can still voice their opinions with chants. Hellebuyck will be in the building. He will hear them.
The only thing that Mehta should be held accountable for is the way the Devils handled the situation. The statement did not need to be released immediately after the Devils shut out the Maple Leafs on Sunday night. It could have waited or not been released at all. It could have been revealed after morning practice.
The Devils have set themselves up to be joked about and memed until the end of time. The Devils now need to back up their goalie Tuesday night in Jake Allen and handle their business.
However, the one thing that is clear with this statement and whole situation is that Mehta is serious about winning. If the Devils can shut out the noise and handle business, there is no saying where this team can go.
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