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Connor Hellebuyck Traded to Devils: What the Jets Get and What Comes Next

Winnipeg receives four players or player rights and two draft picks. The trade ends Hellebuyck’s suspension dispute, but his Devils debut remains unannounced.

By The Sporting Page Editorial Staff
Connor Hellebuyck in a Winnipeg Jets jersey, shown in an archival photograph.
Connor Hellebuyck in a Winnipeg Jets uniform in an archival photograph. The Jets traded him to New Jersey on October 23, 2026. · Credit: Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images, via NHL.com.

Connor Hellebuyck is a New Jersey Devil. The Devils and Winnipeg Jets confirmed the trade Friday, ending a dispute that kept the three-time Vezina Trophy winner out of Winnipeg’s lineup to begin the season.

The Jets receive forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, the rights to unsigned prospect Alexander Command, New Jersey’s second-round pick in 2029 and its seventh-round pick in 2027. Both clubs announced the same package.

What Winnipeg gets

The return combines an established young NHL forward, another goaltender and assets whose contribution will take longer to determine. Mercer, 24, has four assists through 10 games this season. He has played 420 consecutive regular-season games since entering the NHL and scored at least 20 goals in three of his first five seasons.

Command represents the prospect investment. New Jersey selected the 18-year-old 12th overall in June’s draft. He has appeared in six games for Orebro’s senior team in Sweden and six for its junior team this season, recording 12 points in the junior games. Winnipeg acquired his rights, so his inclusion does not itself add a signed player to the NHL lineup.

Daws, 25, brings 59 games of NHL experience and a 2-2-0 record in four appearances this season. Bjugstad, 34, is recovering from surgery, the Jets said. His presence in the return should not be read as confirmation that he can play immediately. Neither acquired draft pick is a first-round selection.

Why the timing matters

Friday was the scheduled end of Hellebuyck’s suspension, which began September 16 after he did not report to training camp. NHL.com reported that he had been expected to report to Winnipeg that day. Instead, the trade resolves his destination before that return.

Hellebuyck publicly confirmed his trade request August 27, saying he had privately sought a move months earlier. The completed deal ends that uncertainty; its timing alone does not establish what changed in the negotiations.

New Jersey’s commitment extends through 2031

The Devils acquire the remainder of Hellebuyck’s existing seven-year, $59.5 million contract. He is in its third season, with an $8.5 million annual cap hit and a term running through 2030-31. That gives New Jersey a commitment covering this season and four more.

At 33, Hellebuyck brings three Vezina Trophies and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy. His most recent NHL season was less successful: he went 23-23-11 with an .895 save percentage as Winnipeg missed the playoffs. New Jersey is buying both his established record and the opportunity for a rebound.

The next decisions are in goal

Hellebuyck’s Devils debut remains unannounced. New Jersey had been using Jake Allen alongside Daws, while Winnipeg began the season with Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson. The trade changes both clubs’ goaltending options, but it does not confirm their next starters or how the workload will be divided.

Sources and notes