Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen checked on the availability of All-Star goalie Connor Hellebuyck ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft but walked away from those discussions amid speculation the Winnipeg Jets wanted winger Zach Benson or the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
Now, after Hellebuyck formally went public with his trade request ahead of the new season, there are questions about whether the Sabres would circle back for a new round of talks with the Jets.
The answer will be no if Winnipeg's demands are anything close to a mock trade offer created by Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet, who suggested Buffalo may need to include Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as a baseline package.
"Reasonable-case scenario is you're getting a good second-liner (Helenius) and fantastic third-liner (Kulich) to buttress a secondary scoring crew that already has Cole Perfetti in the mix and [Viggo] Bjorck coming this season or next," Dixon wrote. "Best case is you snagged two guys who can play somewhere on the first two lines, but because they haven't done that yet, Buffalo was willing to part with them."
If that's the Jets' asking price, Kekalainen is hanging up the phone and never calling back.
Helenius should be completely off limits in trade talks. The 2024 first-round pick scored 63 points (21 goals and 42 assists) in 63 AHL games with the Rochester Americans last season, and he was one of Buffalo's most dangerous forwards after jumping in the club's playoff lineup in the second round.
The Sabres may not have a true first-line center currently in the organization but, if they do, it's the 20-year-old Finnish rising star. He's not going anywhere.
Adding assets beyond Helenius, especially ones as valuable as a high-upside offensive forward like Kulich, a solid netminder like UPL and possibly one more piece like a first-round selection, is simply way, way too much from Buffalo's perspective.
Yes, Hellebuyck has a tremendous track record and will one day be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He could be a legitimate difference-maker for the Sabres if he returns to peak form.
But it's also important to note the Olympic gold medalist is 33 years old, coming off the worst season of his career (.895 save percentage in 57 games) and struggled in his three most recent playoff trips with the Jets (.870 SV% across 23 appearances).
In addition, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner carries an $8.5 million salary-cap hit through 2031, creating substantial downside risk if last season marked the start of his age-related decline.
All told, the Sabres should still consider the Hellebuyck option after watching the tandem of Luukkonen and Alex Lyon falter in the team's long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It must be a far more sensible proposal for Buffalo to move forward with a deal, though.
Sabres beat writer suggests Buffalo should pass on Connor Hellebuyck
It's easy to forget because of the postseason struggles, but the Sabres' three-goalie rotation of UPL, Lyon and Colten Ellis combined to rank third in the NHL in team save percentage in 2025-26. The trio was actually one of the main reasons for the club's remarkable in-season turnaround.
Hellebuyck is obviously a more decorated option, but would running it back with the same group of goaltenders be the worst idea? Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald doesn't think so.
"That would be a steep price for a goalie who could beginning an inevitable decline," Hoppe wrote in response to the Jets' rumored asking price. "The Sabres would be better off running it back with the same goalies in the upcoming season."
It's hard to argue with that assessment.
Luukkonen has struggled with consistency but he's posted starter-level numbers in two of the past three years (.910 SV% in 2023-24 and a .909 mark in 2025-26). Lyon is a battle-tested veteran who kept the Sabres afloat early last season while UPL was sidelined with injury. And Ellis flashed potential as a rookie despite often going extended stretches without a start.
Buffalo could stick with the rotation early in the campaign and, if Kekalainen feels the team's play between the pipes is a singular issue holding it back, then he can refocus on a potential trade acquisition, even if Hellebuyck is no longer available by that point.
The bottom line remains the same: This isn't a situation where the Sabres should pay a king's ransom to land the longtime Winnipeg superstar.
Between his concerning recent numbers, his contract and the trade request, it's just hard to imagine a scenario where the Jets can hold out for a package of three or four prime assets. That's just never been the market for aging goaltenders on the NHL trade market.
It'll be interesting to see whether the impending arrival of training camp puts more pressure on Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to lower his demands to a more palatable level, or if he's going to play hardball with Hellebuyck until the bitter end.
Kekalainen appears willing to walk away unless it's the former, and that's the right approach for Buffalo despite the lack of a blockbuster addition so far this summer.
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