Confirmed with Link: Jets sign Hellebuyck to 1 year $2.25M contract

[Gm0ney]

It sounds like Hellebuyck found himself an actual guru...

 

[Unholy goalie]

Guess I'm chop liver
Let get started on my diagrams in paint!

Ive taken a break from the boards that I somehow didn't keep up with this thread. I have read the last few pages only but really should read more. I wanted to chime in. I think you guys are getting it all wrong on Helly. Helly saw success in every league up until last season. He was a goalie that lost confidence due to having the pressure of playing every game and having no vet backup to push him. He lost his confidence and players in this league will expose that and torch you. He saw what it took to play in this league and made the proper adjustments like any good goalie does during the summer. You don't change technique mid season, he wasn't too lazy to change his style but instead waited till the summer to make adjustments. @unholygoalie I don't agree with you as I just don't see him using the Lundqvist hybrid style much like you describe, he used it once this season, I think he may have added it to his repitoire but it's not his go to. He still plays similarly to last season and goes down in the butterfly but with is glove far higher than last season. His biggest change was changing his glove position, he had his glove lower than any goalie I have ever seen last season and it's clear this season that he carries it higher and in front, that is the biggest change to his technique. I will also challenge that he wasn't a slow moving goalie last season, but he is quicker this season and he alluded to that being his focus in the offseason. His balance is better and that means he improved core strength. The biggest thing for me is that he is playing with confidence again, he was always a goalie that stopped many pucks but lost confidence last season big time. He has his swagger back, he is tracking pucks well, and along with his confidence is playing higher in his crease, his rebound control is better, again confidence, and he is moving quickly in his crease. I believe he always had these tools minus the confidence, and that his only change is where he is holding his glove. Flats' job is to put him thru drills to maintain confidence, that's what goalie coaches are supposed to do. They sat him down for a period last year at some point to change his technique and that was a big no no mid season, you can't do that as you'll end up having a goalie second guess himself and in the National Hockey League where players can pick corners that spells trouble.
Anyway, long winded post but I don't agree with everything that I have read and think that Helly has the tools to be a number one and I think he is ready. Along with regaining his confidence he needed a vet to push him along to take some pressure off. These things have come true and voila he looks great. I wrote this same stuff all summer long with not many agreeing and saying he's not an NHL goalie and that we should give up on him. I know it's early in the season, but the tweak of the glove hand position and other small adjustments that were needed after seeing NHL shooters for a year and the confidence he's playing with he will continue this trend.
I should add @unholygoalie that your detailed post was a fun read, although I disagree with the hybrid part I do agree with the active hand very much, Helly has made the necessary change there, and part of that is adjusting to the best shooters in the world. I have played with and practiced with many pro and NHL players and the biggest difference from any pro players to NHL players is shot release and accuracy along with patience (notice Helly's patience, NHLers are so smart and patient, Helly learned and is now more patient and I see him outhinking opposing players more often), I really feel that Helly needed last year to learn and grow, that these players can pick a freakin corner.

I obviously don't think we're getting it all wrong, but I also don't think that you really think that either. Let's dig into some points and hopefully you'll see what I mean.

Point 1: It was really a confidence problem/Got torched as an inexperienced starter

I think we all agree here that Helle's confidence was problematic last year, and started early in the season when things were clear that the team was having issues. I would also agree that it took NHL quality talent to take advantage of a technical weakness he had in his game (note: not to expose it.. it was already clear). I'm not sure if you are suggesting that this was at the heart of his performance problem last year, but if so I would disagree. Confidence can of course have a drastic effect on performance, but if we're going down a causal rabbit hole I don't think it stops with Helle's confidence as a player. Again, I'm not saying you think that, but I've been clear in my position that the coaching staff did Helle a real disservice by not addressing some technique early after his drafting, throwing him in starter role thinking it'll all shake out, and then scrambling to try and fix the problem mid-season: the first allowed him to become overconfident, the second was an unfair gamble, and the third crushed him at a time he needed support. For me, his confidence issues last season did not make a good situation go bad, but rather took a problematic situation and made it worse.

Point 2: Hybrid style

I haven't argued that Helle is now playing with a hybrid style. Last season when I was sharing some thoughts on his glove position I referenced other top goalies in the league and how they use their gloves. Lundqvist was the only one in that list who maintained a low glove position and compensated with a hybrid butterfly in situations where he was more likely to make a high glove save. This season I saw that in Helle's play during the Vancouver game and got excited about it as it was a sign that he was beginning to compensate for his traditionally low glove position. He has made more than one save like that, and to me it seems like something he is doing more for high danger scoring chances (though not regularly).. but I didn't really want to make that pronouncement outright yet because like you I haven't seen enough of it. Certainly not to the extent that Lundqvist uses it.

We agree that in full butterfly he keeps his glove higher which is helping greatly.

I disagree that he is faster this year. I have always liked his lateral movement, and have never thought him to be sluggish. What has been the big difference for me is how Helle has become much more efficient in his movement (both in save response and recovery). I noticed that up until this season he would mostly drop into a full butterfly no matter what and then move in accordance with his read. Now he is not so quick to do that, especially for shots that are farther out or that he has a good look at. He is still getting to pucks at the same speed, but he's doing so without having to try and move his whole frame into the way. A large part of this is the active hands we agree on, but also things like his position on the posts. I agree that he has gotten stronger, and that it is a good thing for him to have worked on his core. I do think, though, that those were not necessary for him to employ the technical changes we are seeing. I can't read the Athletic article that Aavy posted because I don't have a sub yet (which is killing me right now), but the quote he provided I hope supports what I'm getting at which is that his movements are now about a fluid series of parts that happen in sequence, and he has more options for how he moves. This means he can be more efficient, saving some time and energy in making saves. This is in contrast to the constant drop like a sack of wet potatoes and then move... which to his credit worked for a long time.

Point 3: Flats' job

I've talked a lot about this already, but the gist is that he should be responding to Helle in ways that help him maximize his strengths and improve on his weaknesses. I don't think he's done that well, and it hurt Helle especially last season.

I agree Mason has been good for him.

I can't humblebrag to the same extent about the QoC I've faced, but I definitely welcome the discussion and disagreement. We probably agree on most things. I'm also happy to have you (or anyone else) keep things in check if I'm getting too ahead of myself. I'm just glad it was you and not the hockey professor..

I'm sad to not have included any paint diagrams.. but soon.. maybe it'll be a collage of hybrid saves.

 

[antiqueslivers]

*leans back anticipating the education on goalies*
have learned a lot about goal tending from reading unholy's and stoppa's posts!

 

[puck stoppa]

I obviously don't think we're getting it all wrong, but I also don't think that you really think that either. Let's dig into some points and hopefully you'll see what I mean.

Point 1: It was really a confidence problem/Got torched as an inexperienced starter

I think we all agree here that Helle's confidence was problematic last year, and started early in the season when things were clear that the team was having issues. I would also agree that it took NHL quality talent to take advantage of a technical weakness he had in his game (note: not to expose it.. it was already clear). I'm not sure if you are suggesting that this was at the heart of his performance problem last year, but if so I would disagree. Confidence can of course have a drastic effect on performance, but if we're going down a causal rabbit hole I don't think it stops with Helle's confidence as a player. Again, I'm not saying you think that, but I've been clear in my position that the coaching staff did Helle a real disservice by not addressing some technique early after his drafting, throwing him in starter role thinking it'll all shake out, and then scrambling to try and fix the problem mid-season: the first allowed him to become overconfident, the second was an unfair gamble, and the third crushed him at a time he needed support. For me, his confidence issues last season did not make a good situation go bad, but rather took a problematic situation and made it worse.

Point 2: Hybrid style

I haven't argued that Helle is now playing with a hybrid style. Last season when I was sharing some thoughts on his glove position I referenced other top goalies in the league and how they use their gloves. Lundqvist was the only one in that list who maintained a low glove position and compensated with a hybrid butterfly in situations where he was more likely to make a high glove save. This season I saw that in Helle's play during the Vancouver game and got excited about it as it was a sign that he was beginning to compensate for his traditionally low glove position. He has made more than one save like that, and to me it seems like something he is doing more for high danger scoring chances (though not regularly).. but I didn't really want to make that pronouncement outright yet because like you I haven't seen enough of it. Certainly not to the extent that Lundqvist uses it.

We agree that in full butterfly he keeps his glove higher which is helping greatly.

I disagree that he is faster this year. I have always liked his lateral movement, and have never thought him to be sluggish. What has been the big difference for me is how Helle has become much more efficient in his movement (both in save response and recovery). I noticed that up until this season he would mostly drop into a full butterfly no matter what and then move in accordance with his read. Now he is not so quick to do that, especially for shots that are farther out or that he has a good look at. He is still getting to pucks at the same speed, but he's doing so without having to try and move his whole frame into the way. A large part of this is the active hands we agree on, but also things like his position on the posts. I agree that he has gotten stronger, and that it is a good thing for him to have worked on his core. I do think, though, that those were not necessary for him to employ the technical changes we are seeing. I can't read the Athletic article that Aavy posted because I don't have a sub yet (which is killing me right now), but the quote he provided I hope supports what I'm getting at which is that his movements are now about a fluid series of parts that happen in sequence, and he has more options for how he moves. This means he can be more efficient, saving some time and energy in making saves. This is in contrast to the constant drop like a sack of wet potatoes and then move... which to his credit worked for a long time.

Point 3: Flats' job

I've talked a lot about this already, but the gist is that he should be responding to Helle in ways that help him maximize his strengths and improve on his weaknesses. I don't think he's done that well, and it hurt Helle especially last season.

I agree Mason has been good for him.

I can't humblebrag to the same extent about the QoC I've faced, but I definitely welcome the discussion and disagreement. We probably agree on most things. I'm also happy to have you (or anyone else) keep things in check if I'm getting too ahead of myself. I'm just glad it was you and not the hockey professor..

I'm sad to not have included any paint diagrams.. but soon.. maybe it'll be a collage of hybrid saves.

Can you shorten your posts a bit, my wife will not like the amount of time this will take to respond lol

Point 1 I am a huge believer in confidence, as I feel this position is 80% mental I think that it's most crucial especially at this level of hockey. But his confidence was not lost cause of a few technical issues only but was compounded with how he was handled. I apologize as I did not read your post closely enough, I thought you said Flats should have fixed him mid season last year, now I realize you meant that they should have fixed his game the years after he got drafted. Gotcha, and agree there.

Point 2 I am a bit old school so forgive me here. I always preferred to play with my glove a bit lower than most, but I still had it out in front of my body quite a bit. I have no problem with lower glove position so to speak, but Helly held his glove lower than any goalie I have seen in a very long time. He has made adjustments to this positioning this year and I credit him for that.
I 100% agree that recovery has improved much this season, although I never found him slow (in fact I thought he moved very well in the crease) I find him more efficient in his movement and feel he is more patient. I do chalk this up to confidence and I also feel he is out waiting his opponent. His core strength has improved and he looks balanced hence not flopping as you say.

Point 3 I have always thought that goalie coaches thru out the season are there to instill confidence. They need to create drills that have repitition and allow you to feel good about your game. They are not there to change your game, I had a goalie coach that tried to do that once and it killed my confidence as I was second guessing myself and did not allow my instincts to kick in. I think we agree that Flats is there to give Helly confidence but I feel that he is not doing this, personal connections are very important with goalie coaches which is why I was open to change here in the summer.

Lastly, I dont know who the hockey professor is but I keep hearing about him. I by no means proclaim myself to be an expert but one thing I will say for sure:
Goalies tend to be a different breed to deal with mentally, and I feel that with your posts you are bang on and get that part of it, many coaches even at the NHL level aren't sure how to handle them. We agree on most things and I appreciate the insight.

 

[puck stoppa]

The new normal: How Connor Hellebuyck re-wired his brain to get better in goal

At 5-0-1, Hellebuyck is off to a strong start to the season. The goaltender credits his performance to his “good off-season” which started last year with a switch in representation to Ray Petkau of Alpha Hockey INC., who introduced Hellebuyck to goalie guru Adam Francilia.
Francilia’s sport of choice was football. He has no institutionalized education and is mostly self-taught, but for 20 years Francilia has earned the trust of athletes to change their entire thinking about how they play. He helps them create what he describes as a new normal: “Teaching how to access the nervous system through the brain much more efficiently.”
What does that mean?
“My movements now generate from my core,” Hellebuyck said.

More here.....

https://theathletic.com/141708/2017...yck-re-wired-his-brain-to-get-better-in-goal/

Didn't get to read the whole thing, wish I could. One thing is for sure, some of the best goalies I have worked with as a goalie coach had incredible balance and their core strength allowed them to excel. Also, it allowed them to play quieter.
I see this with Helly, he also seems to have done some work with head trajectory, although I don't know this for a fact other than a hunch, some things hint at this. He is tracking the puck very well this year and the evidence is there that his balance has improved and this has helped with recovery. Is this what the article was about?

 

[Aavco Cup]

Didn't get to read the whole thing, wish I could. One thing is for sure, some of the best goalies I have worked with as a goalie coach had incredible balance and their core strength allowed them to excel. Also, it allowed them to play quieter.
I see this with Helly, he also seems to have done some work with head trajectory, although I don't know this for a fact other than a hunch, some things hint at this. He is tracking the puck very well this year and the evidence is there that his balance has improved and this has helped with recovery. Is this what the article was about?

The Athletic is fantastic. Find one of the 30% off offers and subscribe for the whole year. I think it cost me $40 It's been great so far. Here's a little bit more for you.

“For Connor, it was teaching him how the core and how the oblique structure actually have to work to tie it together,” Francilia said. “Goaltending is so unnatural. We’re not created to move that way. When we run, walk, sprint or skate we have a locomotion to us and there is a rotation that we have. In goaltending, in a number of cases, we want to counter our natural rotary system. It's a series of exercises which I call counter rotation.”

Through thousands of repetitions, Francilia can rewire the brains of his clients and achieve new movement patterns. Hellebuyck has completely embraced Francilia’s philosophy.
“Having him has absolutely changed my game,” Hellebuyck said. “He taught me how the body should move and react. I’m way more in control and look the same when I’m moving as when I’m set. My hands aren’t flopping around, I’m not diving for pucks because I know I’m going to get there to make the save. I’m just waiting for the play to happen.”
[snip]

“Where it has helped me not to have an institutionalized education is we can’t program out the humanity. I think sport is as much art as it is science,” Francilia said. “To understand and get the most out of this human being, who is an athlete, who has a craft, is to understand the artistic side of that person as opposed to the analytic and science side…That approach helps you get to know the person and you don’t just look at them like a machine that comes in.”
Francilia’s marriage of science and art along with Hellebuyck’s dedication to his craft, have allowed the goaltender to achieve a standard of play he has been searching for.

 

[Whileee]

The new normal: How Connor Hellebuyck re-wired his brain to get better in goal

At 5-0-1, Hellebuyck is off to a strong start to the season. The goaltender credits his performance to his “good off-season” which started last year with a switch in representation to Ray Petkau of Alpha Hockey INC., who introduced Hellebuyck to goalie guru Adam Francilia.
Francilia’s sport of choice was football. He has no institutionalized education and is mostly self-taught, but for 20 years Francilia has earned the trust of athletes to change their entire thinking about how they play. He helps them create what he describes as a new normal: “Teaching how to access the nervous system through the brain much more efficiently.”
What does that mean?
“My movements now generate from my core,” Hellebuyck said.

More here.....

https://theathletic.com/141708/2017...yck-re-wired-his-brain-to-get-better-in-goal/

Rewired his brain, or learned how to catch a puck?

 

[KingBogo]

The Athletic is fantastic. Find one of the 30% off offers and subscribe for the whole year. I think it cost me $40 It's been great so far. Here's a little bit more for you.

“For Connor, it was teaching him how the core and how the oblique structure actually have to work to tie it together,” Francilia said. “Goaltending is so unnatural. We’re not created to move that way. When we run, walk, sprint or skate we have a locomotion to us and there is a rotation that we have. In goaltending, in a number of cases, we want to counter our natural rotary system. It's a series of exercises which I call counter rotation.”

Through thousands of repetitions, Francilia can rewire the brains of his clients and achieve new movement patterns. Hellebuyck has completely embraced Francilia’s philosophy.
“Having him has absolutely changed my game,” Hellebuyck said. “He taught me how the body should move and react. I’m way more in control and look the same when I’m moving as when I’m set. My hands aren’t flopping around, I’m not diving for pucks because I know I’m going to get there to make the save. I’m just waiting for the play to happen.”
[snip]

“Where it has helped me not to have an institutionalized education is we can’t program out the humanity. I think sport is as much art as it is science,” Francilia said. “To understand and get the most out of this human being, who is an athlete, who has a craft, is to understand the artistic side of that person as opposed to the analytic and science side…That approach helps you get to know the person and you don’t just look at them like a machine that comes in.”
Francilia’s marriage of science and art along with Hellebuyck’s dedication to his craft, have allowed the goaltender to achieve a standard of play he has been searching for.

Very interesting post. Also want to say thanks to Puck and Unholy for taking the time to post their thoughts. I've found this thread to be very informative.

 

[Unholy goalie]

Can you shorten your posts a bit, my wife will not like the amount of time this will take to respond lol

Point 1 I am a huge believer in confidence, as I feel this position is 80% mental I think that it's most crucial especially at this level of hockey. But his confidence was not lost cause of a few technical issues only but was compounded with how he was handled. I apologize as I did not read your post closely enough, I thought you said Flats should have fixed him mid season last year, now I realize you meant that they should have fixed his game the years after he got drafted. Gotcha, and agree there.

Point 2 I am a bit old school so forgive me here. I always preferred to play with my glove a bit lower than most, but I still had it out in front of my body quite a bit. I have no problem with lower glove position so to speak, but Helly held his glove lower than any goalie I have seen in a very long time. He has made adjustments to this positioning this year and I credit him for that.
I 100% agree that recovery has improved much this season, although I never found him slow (in fact I thought he moved very well in the crease) I find him more efficient in his movement and feel he is more patient. I do chalk this up to confidence and I also feel he is out waiting his opponent. His core strength has improved and he looks balanced hence not flopping as you say.

Point 3 I have always thought that goalie coaches thru out the season are there to instill confidence. They need to create drills that have repitition and allow you to feel good about your game. They are not there to change your game, I had a goalie coach that tried to do that once and it killed my confidence as I was second guessing myself and did not allow my instincts to kick in. I think we agree that Flats is there to give Helly confidence but I feel that he is not doing this, personal connections are very important with goalie coaches which is why I was open to change here in the summer.

Lastly, I dont know who the hockey professor is but I keep hearing about him. I by no means proclaim myself to be an expert but one thing I will say for sure:
Goalies tend to be a different breed to deal with mentally, and I feel that with your posts you are bang on and get that part of it, many coaches even at the NHL level aren't sure how to handle them. We agree on most things and I appreciate the insight.

lol your wife been talkin' to mine?

I think we agree about the confidence part, although maybe I feel that a lack of confidence has less of an effect on your game when counterbalanced with determination and some form of healthy detachment (the clichéd highs not too high, lows not to low). I think that's part of what Mason has been bringing. The guy has been hung out to dry over his starts and yet has played pretty consistently throughout.

I think we agree about Flats specifically, and goalie coaching more generally. I would just add that for me the confidence generated through drills and reps is more of a byproduct, or a positive sign, that things are working rather than the ultimate focus of that work in practice. I could make a goalie feel really confident by drilling him in ways that don't challenge his technique or ability.. I don't mean to say that they should feel frustrated or overly exposed during practice, but they should be stretching their game to the limit so they know what those limits are. Then the offseason is for working on changing those limits. After all, goaltending is suffering, so you have to find a way to be comfortable in that space.

The hockey professor aka avgard is.... a unique account here. I can't tell if it's a novelty or someone who is super excited about the jets and still learning english. I was just making a joke about him getting on my case instead of you.

Also, don't sell yourself short with the traditional thing.. you are probably the most experienced and knowledgeable poster about goalies we have. We all learn more when you share your thoughts.

If anyone truly wants old school, I direct you to this beauty I dug up the other day. Takes me back.

 

[PhilJets]

CONNOR HELLYBUYCK

is making the JETS coaching staff look good




#forthevezina

 

[PhilJets]

 

[Adam da bomb]

Now that Helle has arrived do you trade Mason to one of these poor goaltending teams for their goalie plus their next 2 first overall picks?

 

[puck stoppa]

Rewired his brain, or learned how to catch a puck?

Learned how to track a puck better.

 

[puck stoppa]

Now that Helle has arrived do you trade Mason to one of these poor goaltending teams for their goalie plus their next 2 first overall picks?

Never. We will still need Mason. Long season. We can't afford to have Hutch here, he's not too good. Ups and downs will happen and injuries too. Mason will be a big part of our team's success.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Someone pointed out that Dubnyk played 68 games so for the 17 games you can throw in the goalie you picked up as part of the trade. There are lots of back up goalies playing as starters right now.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Now that Helle has arrived do you trade Mason to one of these poor goaltending teams for their goalie plus their next 2 first overall picks?

Well first of all, you would never get two 1st for Mason. Hell I'd be shocked if you could get 1st Round pick for him. Right now who would trade for him? Everyone is going to give "their guy" more than a month to try to figure it out.

This year I don't think you make a move. If Hellebuyck finishes the year with a .918+ in 50+ games, at the draft you can look at moving Mason.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Okay, I just see lots of teams complaining about losing because they have no goalie. Take Las Vegas for example. They also need to win right now to keep their fans interested. If you wait till the draft their guys are healthy so they don't need him anymore.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Is there any player you would give two firsts for? Other than Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin or Connor McD

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Okay, I just see lots of teams complaining about losing because they have no goalie. Take Las Vegas for example. They also need to win right now to keep their fans interested. If you wait till the draft their guys are healthy so they don't need him anymore.

Vegas does not need to win to keep their fans interested. They are an expansion team, what they are doing is insane and unexpected. And Oscar Dansk right now is #2 goalie in league, Subban is top 10, and Fleury has been great as well. Small sample sizes, but they are not trading picks for a goalie. Vegas expected to be near bottom of league this year, they are not sacrificing future for a stopgap.

No team is right now. Coyotes have not even had a chance to see if they have the answer in Raanta as he's been hurt. Coyotes are already basically dead this year, why would they sacrifice futures for a stopgap?

No team is giving up significant assets for a stopgap goalie right now. Maybe at the deadline if say a Murray goes down for the year Pittburgh will get desperate and give up a late first for a Mason (if Jarry/DeSmith aren't working), but that's about it. At the draft you might get a 2nd for Mason for a team looking for a guy for the next year. That's about as good a value as you will get.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Is there any player you would give two firsts for? Other than Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin or Connor McD

No goalie has ever returned 2 1st as far as I know. Last time two first were dealt, it was part of the Phil Kessel trade, IIRC. And he was a point per game player. So yes there are some times that 2 first are given up. It's rare though, and will mostly only be in off-season for franchise like pieces. And not goaltenders. Even Schneider only returned one first, albeit it was a #9 overall.

 

[Gm0ney]

Okay, I just see lots of teams complaining about losing because they have no goalie. Take Las Vegas for example. They also need to win right now to keep their fans interested. If you wait till the draft their guys are healthy so they don't need him anymore.

Nah, it's the first season in Vegas - honeymoon. No one cares too much how they do. Winning is icing on the cake, but the novelty will keep people coming for this year at least. It wouldn't make sense for them to take on another $4M+ starting goalie...and seems like Mason would be a tough sell with his shakey start and a pretty mainstream low opinion of him.

Is there any player you would give two firsts for? Other than Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin or Connor McD

Hell, half the teams in the league have a guy I'd give up 2 firsts for. Matthews, Karlsson, Tarasenko, Seguin, Kucherov, OEL, Barkov, Hedman, etc...

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Mason started badly. So did the rest of the team. He was good last game. He will be good on the season. How much he plays will depend on how long Bucky can continue to be lights-out. He is a bit expensive for a backup but he may yet be the starter before the year is over. If not it means that Bucky continues to play well and we are getting VG goaltending for ~ 6.5 mil.

 

[Adam da bomb]

How do you keep all the players next year, however, if you have that much money tied into 2 very good goalies?

 

[jets2020champs]

I’m wondering what kind of numbers will it take to resign this guy. It’s still early in the season, but after last year’s inconsistent performance the Jets still signed him to a big contract knowing he would be used as a backup. Also, how many more years before he becomes UFA?

 

[Holden Caulfield]

I’m wondering what kind of numbers will it take to resign this guy. It’s still early in the season, but after last year’s inconsistent performance the Jets still signed him to a big contract knowing he would be used as a backup. Also, how many more years before he becomes UFA?

1 year 2.25 million is not a big contract. He still has 2 years past this one before he is UFA eligible.

Hard to say what the Jets will do. If he keeps up his good play (.918+ over 50+ games) I think they have two options. One is a 3.5-4 million dollar one year deal to tandem with Mason again. It will put the Jets up in ~8 million range for goalie, but most teams with strong goaltending have 7-9 million committed in those two spots. It will leave Hellebuyck one year from UFA status, but providing he proves again in 18-19 he is a starter the team could be comfortable going long term on a big money deal. Risk factor there is Hellebuyck might wait out UFA status at that point as he'd be just a year away (arbitration eligible). Other option is to sign Hellebuyck long term this off-season. In this case you'd likely get him cheaper, but with only this year to show he is ready for a starter role it involves more risk on the long deal. You'd likely have to trade Mason in the off-season then and sign a cheaper backup.

Of course if Hellebuyck regresses, well this all changes. If Hellebuyck struggles down to .910 in 30-40 games, you re-up him at 2.25ish and do it all over again next year with Hellebuyck and Mason. If Hellebuyck regresses down to .900 or lower, well I think you move on from him.