Last Thursday, when the news broke that Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, the conversation about American players on Canadian teams came back up. On TSN Radio in Toronto, Bryan Hayes asked NHL Analyst Martin Biron whether Canadian teams should avoid drafting American players.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Why the Trade Request from Connor Hellebuyck Differs from Dylan Larkin
Bryan Hayes: “In the last handful of years, Matthew Tkachuk told Calgary, “I’m not staying here.” Got traded. Quinn Hughes basically told Vancouver, “I’m not staying here.” Got traded. Brady Tkachuk said, “I want out.” They traded him. Now Connor Hellebuyck. Those are the four most important players on each respective team, including in Calgary.
Maybe it was Gaudreau, but Johnny left as a free agent. A little bit of a different scenario. And I think I’m not convinced he really wanted to leave. I think that was a little bit, there was some communication issues. I think on both sides. Nevertheless, four of the most important players, if not the most important players, all of them Americans, all on Canadian teams, all out.
In Hellebuyck’s case, he wants out. If you’re an owner of one of the seven Canadian teams, what are you supposed to make of this?”
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Martin Biron: “I mean, we had that conversation with Auston Matthews in Toronto. I think that the one team that doesn’t have to worry about it is Cole Caulfield with the Montreal Canadiens. I don’t think Cole Caulfield’s going anywhere. I think he loves it. I think it fits perfectly there, but you never know what that’s going to be like in two, three, four years down the road.
It was Emily Kaplan, ESPN, that reported after the Olympics that the conversation around that locker room was there could be some players on Team USA that play on Canadian teams that may want to move south of the border. And she was absolutely right, and that’s concerning. That’s concerning if you’re the seven Canadian teams. That’s concerning if you’re drafting American players.
Which, we look at the Americans, and they’re getting to be superstars. There is some amazing talent south of the border. So I think it’s going to be a problem. Now, can you work around that? Can you find talent? Can you even maybe build a team in this way that you’re going to retain those players? Absolutely.
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If the Winnipeg Jets, the year that they won the Presidents’ Trophy, don’t you know they had to go to Game Seven in a very miraculous way to win and whatever. Like if they win the Cup that year, you don’t have that problem. I don’t think you have that problem at all. So I think it’s about winning number one.
And then number two, you have to make sure that you kind of look at all the files. Is this a player that maybe is a player that would want to play down south? I think Ottawa knew that with Brady Tkachuk when his brother went to Florida.
I think there’s other players that you had to see this coming. And I think Connor Hellebuyck was probably one of them as well when he won gold at the Olympics, and Winnipeg didn’t make the playoffs.
He’s getting older. You had to see that type of situation coming.”
NHLRumors.com Note: Every situation is different. The Flames should have seen the Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau situation coming, especially with Tkachuk. He made it clear he wasn’t extending in Calgary. Plus, that was right after COVID-19, which messed with a lot of players’ heads. Gaudreau and the Flames couldn’t get the money to work, and he left.
What happened between the Ottawa Senators and Brady Tkachuk?
However, Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa was different: there were rumblings, and he put on a game face, but behind the scenes and in the locker room, it was different. He was Captain America, and it rubbed many the wrong way.
As for Hellebuyck, he wants to win and cement his legacy. He has done it all individually and needs a Stanley Cup for his legacy. He has no ill will toward the city and no desire not to be there; he feels he can’t win in Winnipeg with the way the Jets roster is currently constructed.
The Montreal Canadiens are building a winning team, keeping Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. Jake Sanderson is still on the Ottawa Senators. Players want to win. If they feel the current team’s time is up, they will look for a new one.
However, it doesn’t mean GMs on Canadian teams won’t draft differently. We have seen it with KHL players.
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