The trade rumors around Connor Hellebuyck have continued to drag on and the latest update is why, even as we approach training camp, there is still a chance for the Buffalo Sabres to make a splash. Recently, Murat Ates and Jesse Granger with The Athletic wrote that "it's believed Hellebuyck is still keen to be moved."
While Hellebuyck never reportedly came out and clearly stated he wanted to be traded, like Detroit Red Wings' Dylan Larkin this summer, there has been enough reporting that he would be open to it. One of the indications was that Hellebuyck would waive his no-movement clause for a trade to the Buffalo Sabres.
Sabres and Jets might need to start fresh on trade discussions with pieces no longer available
The rumors were at their peak around the NHL Draft and, since then, have quieted. This could be due to teams typically taking a break in the month of August, and now, with training camp around the corner, those rumors could pick back up.
However, there may be challenges from the Sabres' perspective in getting a trade done now rather than at the end of June. The first, and what was the ultimate hold-up, is that the Jets wanted the Sabres' fourth overall pick, but if the Sabres included that, then they wanted the eighth in return as part of the package. The Jets were unwilling to do that, and now Buffalo doesn't have that trade asset after making the pick.
Another potential hurdle is that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (who almost certainly would be included in the trade) now has a five-team no-trade clause that began on July 1st. If the Jets are one of those teams, the Sabres would need him to waive it, and that is not guaranteed.
One prospect who might have been included is defenseman Adam Kleber, according to Chad DeDominicis. While DeDominicis states he doesn't know that 100%, he was a player who was discussed. Kleber was a second-round pick by the Sabres in the 2024 NHL Draft and it would make sense for the Sabres to be willing to part with him.
Connor Hellebuyck certainly comes with risk for the Buffalo Sabres
The article by Ates and Granger certainly raises a big concern that the Buffalo Sabres likely are taking into account but isn't stated enough. That is, Hellebuyck is coming off the worst season of his career, and at 33 years old, it raises the question if this was a one-time occurrence or the beginning of the tail end of his career.
While the Sabres' goalies were a concern in the playoffs, the trio of Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis was excellent in the regular season. Meanwhile, Hellebuyck missed time due to a knee injury and had a save percentage below .900 for the first time in his 11-year career.
Now the production on the ice can't be blamed entirely on Hellebuyck because the Jets were really bad last season, and it's one of the reasons Hellebuyck seemingly asked for a trade without explicitly saying so.
This is not anything new, and the Sabres certainly have already taken some of these things into account. If they believed he couldn't return to his Vezina Trophy level of performance, they wouldn't have even had discussion in June. For that reason, it wouldn't be surprising to see both teams give it one more try before training camp to see if they can reach an agreement on a trade.
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