Reckless if the Buffalo Sabres traded high-end prospects for Hellebuyck

There are a few trade packages swirling about the online world regarding a potential move for Connor Hellebuyck involving the Buffalo Sabres. 

I am a big fan of Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, but he would lose a lot of credibility in my eyes if he made a reckless trade for Winnipeg Jets goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Last week, we had the fans weigh in on a potential trade for the longtime netminder, and I even laid out my pros and cons for making such a trade. And if you read the article, the cons far outweighed any pros.

One reason is that Hellebuyck could be nothing more than a one-year rental. While his presence could turn the Blue and Gold into a legitimate championship contender next season, especially with the potential declines of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, along with the disarray in Toronto, such a blockbuster trade could dramatically shorten the Sabres window of success.

And when I looked at Brevin Monroe’s three potential trade packages involving Hellebuyck, I cringed and said to myself, “There is NO WAY Kevyn Adams makes any of these trades.” Let’s hope not, anyway.

Buffalo Sabres would be irresponsible to mortgage long-term assets in trade

So what did these three potential packages comprise? I won’t lay them out, but instead, I’ll give you a list of players and prospects involved, as each trade contains a combo of two to three of the following players and assets.

• 13th overall pick
• Isak Rosen
• Matt Savoie
• 2024 1st round pick
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

It would be foolish to move any of the above for a potential one-year rental piece. No, I wouldn’t even trade Luukkonen, who I believe could seriously contend for the 1B job in Buffalo next season.

If Hellebuyck had three or more years remaining on his contract, then maybe I’d consider, as it would almost guarantee he’d be around for a longer period. But with a year left on his deal, if Adams even considered making the trade involving any of the above, my opinion of him would change in about two seconds, and you’d likely be reading an article castigating the move.

Fortunately for us, Adams showed restraint during the 2023 trade deadline, when it was implied the Arizona Coyotes wanted a similar combo of players and picks for blueliner Jakob Chychrun. That said, there is a 99.9% chance Adams does not pull off this trade.

Source: Potential Buffalo Sabres Trades for Connor Hellebuyck by Brevin Monroe, TheHockeyWriters.com