Does it really make sense for the Buffalo Sabres to continue pursuing Connor Hellebuyck?
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News: The Winnipeg Jets have lost leverage with Connor Hellebuyck, and he’s getting impatient as training camp nears. The Sabres were close to landing him at the draft, but the Jets wouldn’t give the Sabres the No. 8 pick.
Is it a good thing for the Sabres? In the playoffs, Hellebuyck has a career record of 23-24 with a 2.90 GAA and .903 SV%. In the past three years, he’s 8-15 with a 3.60 GAA and .870 SV% and has been awful. Is that an upgrade for the Sabres? He’s 10 straight road games with a 5.97 GAA and .836 SV%.
The Sabres had the third best save percentage last year. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen now has a five-team no-trade list, and may have Winnipeg on it now. To become cap compliant by the start of the season, they’d likely need to include either Ryan McLeod or Jack Quinn. They’re offense already took a hit this offseason with the loss of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram.
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GM Jarmo Kekelainen shouldn’t be looking to complete this trade.
Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat: Connor Hellebucyk definitely wants out of Winnipeg soon.
“My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family,” he said. “… (I) hope a resolution can be reached soon.”
It’s possible that the Sabres and Jets continue talks this offseason after they couldn’t finalize their deal at the draft. Maybe Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has moved on. The idea of the Sabres adding Hellebucyk is definitely intriguing, but the cost to acquire him and the size of his contract outweigh what he’d bring to the team.
Yes, he won a Gold medal, but it was a short tournament with a stacked team. He did have knee surgery earlier in the year, but numbers weren’t good last year. He’s played a lot of games during his career, more than any other goalie since he’s been in the league and maybe the wear and tear is catching up with him.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen still has some upside and could get better. The Sabres combined cap hit for three goalies is $7.1 million, which is $1.4 million less than Hellebuyck’s cap hit.
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The Sabres would have to give up a notable roster player, and a combination of a high prospect and draft picks. That could be a high price for a goaltender who may be on the decline.
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