Connor Hellebuyck Traded From the Jets to the Devils

The Winnipeg Jets have traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. The deal was made on October 23, 2026, and it sends one of the NHL's most decorated goalies to a new team.

A goaltender is the player who guards the net, and a strong one can decide a close game on his own. Hellebuyck is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy, the award for the league's top goalie. He spent his entire 11-year NHL career in Winnipeg. In February 2026, he was the starting goalie for the United States when it won Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Winnipeg is sending him away and getting a group of players and picks in return. The Devils are giving up Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad. The Jets also receive a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Draft picks are chances to select young players, and a second-round pick usually comes early in the second tier of selections, while a seventh-rounder is a late-round choice.

According to The Guardian, Hellebuyck has five seasons left on a seven-year contract. His salary cap hit is $8.5 million a year. The cap hit is the amount a contract counts against the league's spending limit, the salary cap, no matter what the player is actually paid in a given season.

The move followed a stormy stretch. The Jets suspended Hellebuyck after he did not report to training camp, the preseason period when teams gather to get ready for the season. He had made a public request to be traded first. Back in June, NHL.com reported that the Jets were listening to offers for him, with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff leading those talks.

For casual fans, the headline is simple. A three-time award winner and Olympic champion has changed teams after 11 seasons in one city. Both franchises now have a new roster to build around, and the first real test will come on the ice, one game at a time.