Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey?

In a rather interesting turn of events with the goaltender carousel, the Winnipeg Jets and the New Jersey Devils have entered the realm of possibilities where Connor Hellebuyck may end up.

The 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner as the league’s best goaltender has certainly been an anchor in the net for the Jets. With New Jersey being on his list of destinations of teams Hellebuyck is interested in signing with, the question is, what does an extension look like?

Connor Hellebuyck will likely be looking for a similar contract to Tampa Bay Lightning star goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky. Vasilevsky currently makes $9.5 million per season and is in year four of his eight-year contract.

The difference between the two players is Hellebuyck will be 31 when he gets his new contract. Vasilevsky will be 33 when he is an unrestricted free agent.

There has been a debate for some time now that you should play players to perform and not pay them for their past successes. While it does ring true for players like Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, players like Blake Wheeler, Joe Pavelski, and Alex Ovechkin have proven that players can be great even into the later stages of their careers.

The Winnipeg Jets could certainly benefit from a trade with the New Jersey Devils, and the Devils could benefit from Hellebuyck’s veteran experience and workhorse mentality. As talks intensify around Connor Hellebuyck, New Jersey is the most likely destination that he ends up in.