Training camps are about to open, and the Connor Hellebuyck situation continues for the Winnipeg Jets
Sportsnet 590 The FAN: Frank Seravalli, on the future of Connor Hellebuyck with the Winnipeg Jets, and if Hellebuyck will start the season with the Jets. Could he consider holding out?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Justin Cuthbert: “Frank or Fiction, Connor Hellebuyck will start the season with the Winnipeg Jets”
Seravalli: “Oh man, you guys are! I know you gave me a couple softballs to warm up. This is like this is legit, and I don’t have much wiggle room here. I can’t couch this.
Right now, I’m gonna say Frank. And the reason for that is, as much as Connor Hellebuyck wants to move on, making it abundantly clear by issuing a statement as things are beginning to ramp up here to try and turn up the heat on the Winnipeg Jets. The truth is, as a franchise icon player and the best goalie of his generation, that the Jets want significant value to deal off a piece like this from their team.
And Kevin Cheveldayoff is certainly patient. He’ll wait. And the problem with that for Connor Hellebuyck is that I just don’t see (a) that many chairs that are left available, and (b) as much as he’s such a tremendous goalie, I just don’t know which team has the assets to then trade for the goalie that has that spot available to then appease the Winnipeg Jets and make it happen.
So as much as he would like to move on, I see the Winnipeg Jets here holding firm and saying, ‘Look, you’ve got to honor your contract.’
Ailish Forfar: “Would this be? This is not being asked as a Frank or fiction. I don’t know how to word it this way, but could you see maybe okay, Frank or Fiction, Connor Hellebuyck could be a potential training camp holdout person?”
Seravalli: “I mean, could I see the potentiality of it? Yes, but I think when it comes to a place where your teammates are counting on you, which I think the one thing that I’ve learned is that the Winnipeg Jets don’t their players don’t appear to have any ill will towards Conner Hellebuyck. They’re counting on him one.
And speaking of counting, when you begin to miss paychecks, you know, I know that he’s not one of those players that’s totally dollar-driven, but when you begin to miss paychecks that you realize will never come back, that’s a tough thing.
So he’s a competitor. He wants to win. I just, I don’t, I don’t necessarily see him being that guy that’s going to say, yeah, you know what, I’m not going to show up.”
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