While it has been assumed for some time now that Connor Hellebuyck wanted to be traded, nothing had been stated publicly by the player. That all changed in a statement shared by his agent that made it clear that the Jets' goalie made a request a few months ago, but he also didn't want to wait around any longer.
This is likely not new to front offices around the NHL, but it does put some pressure on the Jets and, in turn, takes away some leverage they might have in trade discussions. In the end, Hellebuyck is the one who can make the final decision, as he has a no-movement clause within his contract.
Fortunately for the Buffalo Sabres, it has already been reported that he would waive that clause to come to Western New York. If that remains the case, the Sabres certainly have an advantage, as it clears the biggest hurdle for the Jets.
However, they probably aren't the only team that would be appealing for Hellebuyck, and there are a few other teams that would give him a chance to chase a Stanley Cup right now.
Carolina Hurricanes
The biggest threat to the Sabres getting Connor Hellebuyck would likely be the Carolina Hurricanes, who are coming off winning the Stanley Cup. They also have a pretty big need at the position with Frederik Andersen leaving in free agency to sign with the Edmonton Oilers.
Going into this season, the Hurricanes are expected to lean on Brandon Bussi as their starter. He was excellent in the regular season, going 31-6-2, but made some big starts in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
While the Hurricanes are probably confident in Bussi, he is no Connor Hellebuyck. If they add the former Vezina Trophy winner, they will remain one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup once again.
Florida Panthers
Another team that could be appealing to Hellebuyck is the Florida Panthers, who won consecutive Stanley Cups but saw their pursuit of three come to an end very early in the season due to injuries. They are back to being healthy and made one of the bigger trades of the summer by adding Brady Tkachuk.
The Panthers did lose Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency to the Toronto Maple Leafs but traded for Jacob Markstrom. He has spent the past two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, but even with him on the roster, it shouldn't stop them from pursuing a player like Hellebuyck.
For the Panthers, their biggest challenge will be creating the necessary cap space to add Hellebuyck and his contract. The current deal has an AAV of $8.5 million, and according to Puckpedia, the Panthers have only $34,000 in cap space.
If they are able to get a deal in place for Hellebuyck, they would need to make additional moves to be cap compliant, but for a player of his caliber, teams will find a way.
New Jersey Devils
It was a season that the New Jersey Devils will want to forget after finishing seventh in their division but they easily could become a playoff team with improved play in net. They sent Markstrom to the Florida Panthers and are expected to go into this season with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and veteran David Rittich.
The Devils are led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, with the hope that they will also add Jack's brother, Quinn, in the near future. The Team USA connection to the Hughes brothers would be the Devils' biggest selling point because they haven't had much playoff success recently. The Devils have only three playoff appearances in 13 seasons, and only one of those went past the first round.
This team is probably last among the teams to compete with the Buffalo Sabres for Connor Hellebuyck but is likely a team that he would consider.
San Jose Sharks
One team that surprisingly might be in a position to get a Connor Hellebuyck trade done is the San Jose Sharks. They are clearly a team loaded with young talent and look to be on the rise with superstar Macklin Celebrini.
The Sharks need help in net, with Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic from last season returning and the addition of Eric Comrie in free agency. The signing of Comrie is notable because he has been Hellebuyck's backup for a few seasons, and the two have a great relationship.
This is a team that hasn't had the same level of success as the Hurricanes, Panthers, or even the Sabres. However, it is not hard to envision this team moving up the Western Conference standings quickly, especially if Hellebuyck is in net for them.
There are a lot of moving parts with trade discussions like these, and the first is that Hellebuyck needs to decide which teams he is willing to be traded to. The Sabres have reportedly already been one of those teams, but it would make sense for these three teams also to be high on Hellebuyck's list and probably Buffalo's toughest competition.
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