The New Jersey Devils are in a lot of rumors right now. Truthfully, there are only two, but they are two of the three biggest rumors in the league. There are three players with a microscope on them going into training camp: Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, and now Connor Hellebuyck.
Two of the three have gone public with their trade requests, and the third has yet to sign an extension with the Minnesota Wild. With Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes solidly at the center position, especially with Hischier’s ink now dry on his five-year extension, the Devils are out on Larkin (even if we believe it makes sense for him to make it work).
Hellebuyck makes sense on paper. He’s currently one of the best goalies in the history of the league, and he just helped the United States win the gold medal in Italy. He’s a former league MVP and multiple-time Vezina Trophy winner.
The Devils, on the other hand, have Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich in net next season. Allen hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2018, Daws struggled in the AHL last season, and Rittich had one of the worst second halves of the season last year of any player in the league.
The connection between Hellebuyck and the Devils is strong. However, the reasons why a deal hasn’t happened are the same as to why it didn’t happen in 2023.
Just three years ago, the Devils could have acquired and signed a 30-year-old goalie who needed a contract. There were reports they knew what the Jets wanted, but Tom Fitzgerald just didn’t want to match their ask. Nobody did, and the Jets eventually re-signed Hellebuyck to a massive deal.
Now that Hellebuyck has made it clear he wants this situation to end as quickly as possible, the Devils are looking into their options. They did the same thing in 2023, and they came out with Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek as their two goalie options.
Questions about age and contract are still worrisome for Connor Hellebuyck
The Jets are asking for a superstar return for Hellebuyck, and they should. Losing him, even after signing Stuart Skinner, would put them near the bottom of the standings. They still have some talent, including Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, but it’s not enough to compete in the Central Division.
However, the Devils don’t want to match that trade ask and take all of the risk with the contract. Hellebuyck is going to make $8.5 million per season until the 2030-31 season. He will be 38 years old at the end of that contract. It’s just too big a risk for Sunny Mehta to make right now.
The Devils can’t risk it on Hellebuyck. If an injury turns him into Cory Schneider, then it might be the last straw to end this era of Devils hockey and force them to start over. Sunny Mehta didn’t come to New Jersey to start over.
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