The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets weren't able to push a blockbuster Connor Hellebuyck trade across the finish line before the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night, but the conversations remain active.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported the latest on the high-stakes negotiations on Monday's edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
"Now, I thought when the fourth overall pick in the first round was done, any hope of a Buffalo-Winnipeg deal was over," Friedman said. "I don't know what the likelihood is, I'm not going to put a percentage on it, but I heard it wasn't over. … I think they're still talking about it."
The NHL insider also discussed the three-time Vezina Trophy winner's willingness to waive his no-movement clause to potentially join the Sabres.
"I'd heard on Friday he was willing to waive to go to Buffalo," Friedman said. "I don't know if that was ever formally submitted, but I'm 100 percent convinced he was willing to waive to go to Buffalo."
The Sabres' changing place in the NHL hierarchy was also a point of discussion, with the club finally able to shed its laughingstock status by returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
"By the way, that's a big win for the Sabres," Friedman said. "Like, imagine a year ago, American hero Connor Hellebuyck saying, 'Yeah, I can see the Sabres being a consistent contender over the next three years, I'll go there.' Like, the Sabres and their fans should be feeling really good about that."
Buffalo finished with the fourth-best record in the NHL during the 2025-26 season (50-23-9) and reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before getting eliminated with a Game 7 loss to the Atlantic Division rival Montreal Canadiens.
The Sabres are now seeking roster upgrades after watching two key players from their memorable turnaround season, Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, depart in separate trades.
Connor Hellebuyck trade becomes a lot more palatable for the Buffalo Sabres following the 2026 NHL Draft
By all accounts, the Jets were focused on getting the No. 4 overall pick from the Sabres in any Hellebuyck trade, but they weren't willing to include a swap with the No. 8 selection to move up. That's why Round 1 of the draft came and went without an agreement.
Now the conversation resets with this year's draft in the rearview mirror.
Buffalo stood pat in the first round, drafting defenseman Daxon Rudolph and center Ilia Morozov, and still have all of their main trade chips, led by prized prospect Radim Mrtka and young players like Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich.
The draft picks now shift to the future, though. Instead, of giving up an immediate No. 4 pick, the Sabres would be including a future first-rounder, likely in 2027 or 2028, and the front office will be hopeful those selections will be late in the opening round.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen may have to include an extra asset or two because of the difference in value between a top-five choice and a non-lottery pick, but that's fine from Buffalo's perspective. It's entering what it hopes will become a contention window.
Hellebuyck is coming off a down year by his remarkably high standards (.895 save percentage in 57 games), but his tremendous track record puts him on a clear path toward the Hockey Hall of Fame, including a sparkling .916 career SV%.
The 2026 Olympic gold medalist, joining the Sabres' Tage Thompson on Team USA's championship roster at this year's Winter Games, would almost surely represent an upgrade over the team's current trio of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis between the pipes.
UPL and Lyon both struggled during the club's postseason run, which left head coach Lindy Ruff to make a tricky goaltending decision pretty much every game. Having one goalie to lean on in the playoffs would be a welcome change, though critics would point to Hellebuyck's more modest .903 SV% in 58 playoff games.
Ultimately, Kekalainen made the right decision to pass on the Jets' demands of getting No. 4 without giving up No. 8 in Friday night's draft, and the fact the Hellebuyck trade discussions remain active are further evidence he played his cards correctly.
Now the question is whether he can land the 2025 Hart Trophy winner as other teams may become more active in the pursuit as the draft picks involved move to future years.
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