Player Discussion: 2023 Vezina Finalist Connor Hellebuyck

[MelikeJets]

With each passing day it sure looks like Helle will be our starter for this season. I don't mind this at all and honestly don't think it will effect his play. Come TDL though and if we are out of the playoffs then hopefully we can at least get decent futures for him as worst case scenario. If we are in the playoffs then let's ride him into the sunset and go for it.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Exactly. They don't trade away their best defensive RHD signed at a great contract for 4 more years. They're a contending team so they use futures to acquire Hellebucyk or they move on. They likely give Schmid more starts next year and see if his .922 (in 18 games only), and .921 in the playoffs can be something he can maintain (maybe not .920, but say .915 ish).

I'm fine with that. I was never among those who thought NJ was the best or most likely trading partner to begin with. I'm just looking at what I would want in return.

 

[Flair Hay]

No. That still leaves them without a goalie. And no way Nemec is going to be a 3rd pair D for very long.

They might have the best D corps in the league but with lottery team goaltending.

A couple of teams have good PO runs with weak goalies who got hot for the PO and all of a sudden goaltending doesn't matter anymore.
Planning on your goalie getting hot at just the right time is not very good planning in my book.

What if having Hamilton-Marino-Nemec *and* Hellebuyck is an option... cause it likely is for them

 

[DRW204]

Jets aren't trading Hellebucyk if they
aren't rebuilding imo

I don't see another goalie coming and providing Helle-like quality for us and that's what it seems like it ultimately boils down to form the org.

The Jets finished with the 9th best sv%, and 95 pts. The average team point totals of the top-10 sv% teams was 106, with a low of 92 (NSH).

NJD who apparently needs to trade multiple high pieces or a recent 2nd overall for Helle was 11th in team-sv%.

 

[10Ducky10]

Say what you want but Jersey, with Helle, become instant contenders and one of the favorites to win it all.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

What if having Hamilton-Marino-Nemec *and* Hellebuyck is an option... cause it likely is for them

You mean they wait a year and sign him?

Could happen. Difficult thing to plan on though. That's what Habs fans had planned for PLD.

 

[Flair Hay]

You mean they wait a year and sign him?

Could happen. Difficult thing to plan on though. That's what Habs fans had planned for PLD.

No, sorry. I'm talking about them trading for Hellebuyck without giving up Marino. At that point they would have Hamilton-Marino-Nemec. Maybe I missed an earlier part of the conversation.

They have plenty of options to give up value wise without giving up a solid 2nd pair D on a good deal. Unfortunately for us.

I could see them moving Colin Miller who is going into the 2nd year of a 2 year deal with no trade protection at $1.8M. Not sure he does anything for us though.

 

[Elvis P]

https://thehockeynews.com/news/connor-hellebuyck-could-return-with-the-winnipeg-jets

 

[Jets4Life]

Depends which of the 2 Helle is playing for. If it is Buffalo, I bet on them. If it is neither, all bets are off. Can't pick a winner.

Yes you can.

If Helle plays for the Jets, Winnipeg will finish higher in the standings than Buffalo.

 

[Jets4Life]

I do agree I don’t think Chevy will want it to come to that but if the trade value isn’t there who knoknows

The trade value is not there, and we don't have anyone to replace Hellebuyck with. Therefore, he stays put, and the Jets hope for the best in resigning him.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

No, sorry. I'm talking about them trading for Hellebuyck without giving up Marino. At that point they would have Hamilton-Marino-Nemec. Maybe I missed an earlier part of the conversation.

They have plenty of options to give up value wise without giving up a solid 2nd pair D on a good deal. Unfortunately for us.

I could see them moving Colin Miller who is going into the 2nd year of a 2 year deal with no trade protection at $1.8M. Not sure he does anything for us though.

No, you didn't miss. It just wasn't clear to me what you meant. There has also been some discussion of Vanecek, Holtz, + from NJD. It isn't anything I would want but if it was the best offer we got, I would take it.

Regardless of how good he may or may not be, Holtz is not anything that we need. Vanecek would be a stopgap in net for us no matter who else came with him. He is more cap relief for NJ than he is an asset for us.

There were also NJD fans wanting to give us a bunch of B/C level prospects along with Vanecek. I would just as soon keep Helle for a year and let him walk as accept any of those offers. I wouldn't even mind Miller as a piece IF we could move Pionk or Schmidt.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Yes you can.

If Helle plays for the Jets, Winnipeg will finish higher in the standings than Buffalo.

That's more or less what I said. I said I can't pick a winner if Helle is playing for neither Wpg nor Buffalo.

You can disagree all you want, but I think Buffalo is closer to contending than the Jets are. All they are missing is a goalie. We have a goalie but only for 1 more year. We are also missing several other pieces, 2 top 4 Dmen just to start.

 

[Jets4Life]

That's more or less what I said. I said I can't pick a winner if Helle is playing for neither Wpg nor Buffalo.

You can disagree all you want, but I think Buffalo is closer to contending than the Jets are. All they are missing is a goalie. We have a goalie but only for 1 more year. We are also missing several other pieces, 2 top 4 Dmen just to start.

That means nothing literally. It's like saying which country is closer to becoming the richest in the World: Sudan or Ethiopia.

Neither the Jets or Sabres are even close to becoming a Stanley Cup contender.

 

[Flair Hay]

No, you didn't miss. It just wasn't clear to me what you meant. There has also been some discussion of Vanecek, Holtz, + from NJD. It isn't anything I would want but if it was the best offer we got, I would take it.

Regardless of how good he may or may not be, Holtz is not anything that we need. Vanecek would be a stopgap in net for us no matter who else came with him. He is more cap relief for NJ than he is an asset for us.

There were also NJD fans wanting to give us a bunch of B/C level prospects along with Vanecek. I would just as soon keep Helle for a year and let him walk as accept any of those offers. I wouldn't even mind Miller as a piece IF we could move Pionk or Schmidt.

All good, we are on the same page with all of these thoughts

 

[DRW204]

if acquiring marino good luck trying to dump one of schmdit, or pionk. it'll may have to be demelo who is a v similar same player to marino.

 

[ps241]

The trade value is not there, and we don't have anyone to replace Hellebuyck with. Therefore, he stays put, and the Jets hope for the best in resigning him.

They certainly don’t have a deal in place yet. Not sure if it will remain that way through the summer and for the balance of the upcoming season or not.

Time will tell.

 

[Gil Fisher]

Need a C, not Konecny. Value is ok.

How about Scheifele?

edit: need a goalie

 

[Jet]

Buffalo are not contenders.



It's actually NJ > Winnipeg > Buffalo.

Buffalo ahead of Winnipeg in cup potential lol. Thanks for the laugh.

This is a hot take, probably based on points and not org strength.

If Buffalo had Helle between the pipes last year, they contend for conference title.

They have an embarrassment of riches and they're all young and coming into their own. They are extremely strong in all positions and play styles but goaltending killed them last year.

That, and experience are all they are missing.

 

[Jet]

The rub with Hellebuyck is he really does not perform well coming off rest. It seems to take him a couple of games to get back in a groove.

The problem with that, along with him apparently making the call as to when he plays, is that when they playoffs come around, he has very little left in the tank.

I think that's why we lost to Vegas in 18 (We might have had the cup). He just could not match Fleurys performance.

I don't even think it's physical. Being at that extreme level of focus with those expectations every second night through an entire season has to be mentally exhausting.

So, what do you do? I think you need a strong enough team defensively that you can play 37 55 or 60 games a season, abs still be able to win with your backup or helle not at his best.

I think we're in a better spot to do that this year both with Bro being back, and our stronger defensive forward core.

Question is, will the coaches step up and take the responsibility of managing his playing time? Will the team play well enough that we aren't in a dogfight for the wc for the last 3 months of the season?

 

[10Ducky10]

This is a hot take, probably based on points and not org strength.

If Buffalo had Helle between the pipes last year, they contend for conference title.

They have an embarrassment of riches and they're all young and coming into their own. They are extremely strong in all positions and play styles but goaltending killed them last year.

That, and experience are all they are missing.

Their D were horrible last year.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

How about Scheifele?

edit: need a goalie

Traded Scheifele for a goalie, now need a C.
Or
Traded Helle for a C, now need a goalie.

Chicken or egg.

Neither way leaves us needing Konecny, or any other winger.

If we trade Hellebuyck and keep Scheifele we don't need a C but we do need a goalie. We aren't getting a top goalie in exchange for Helle. Who does that?

 

[Jet]

Their D were horrible last year.

I don't expect that to continue

 

[10Ducky10]

I don't expect that to continue

That remains to be seen but last year with Helle in front of that D and it is such a young team, who knows what might have happened.
I think they are a team of the future though for sure.
They were horrible and picked up two first overall draft picks while drafting 11 first round picks in the last 7 drafts!!!
If they have goaltending and do something with the right side of their D, they will be contenders.
Their GM pulled off some Chevyesque contracts like Thompson 7 x 7.143 (same as KFC's deal) and Cozens 7 x 7.1m.
I wouldn't think twice about including Levi in a Helle trade if Helle re-signed. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I were Buffalo.

 

[Whileee]

This is a hot take, probably based on points and not org strength.

If Buffalo had Helle between the pipes last year, they contend for conference title.

They have an embarrassment of riches and they're all young and coming into their own. They are extremely strong in all positions and play styles but goaltending killed them last year.

That, and experience are all they are missing.

Interestingly, the Sabres' top forwards are really bad defensively (quite a bit worse overall than the Jets', now). Basically, several of their top forwards play like Scheifele and Connor, but with less consistent offensive predigrees. They have a lot of talent on the rise, and I expect them to improve. Solid goaltending would make them much better, but they need to improve team defense substantially, too.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Their D were horrible last year.

Every team's D looks horrible in front of that kind of goaltending.