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Predicting Sabres' final trade offer for Jets' Connor Hellebuyck

Sabre Noise · Jul 21, 2026 14:00 · 4 min read

Predicting Sabres' final trade offer for Jets' Connor Hellebuyck — Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets have discussed a Connor Hellebuyck trade for much of the offseason, but will a blockbuster deal actually get done?

The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets have seemingly reached a stalemate in trade talks surrounding goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, with few signs of progress since last month's 2026 NHL Draft. It's raised questions about the deal's viability ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Buffalo still makes the most sense as a landing spot for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner — it could still use a bona fide No. 1 goalie and has the assets to make a strong offer — but the club's front office appears wary of severely overpaying for a 33-year-old netminder coming off the worst season of his decorated career (.895 save percentage in 57 games).

It's been speculated Winnipeg wants two roster forwards, along with a few other assets, in exchange for Hellebuyck. Based on those rumors, here's what the Sabres could realistically put on the table:

A few notes about the proposal:

Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recently had a five-team no-trade clause go into effect. If the Jets are on UPL's list, the Sabres would likely need to add another meaningful asset along with one of their other goaltenders, Alex Lyon or Colten Ellis.

The conditional second-round draft pick could be upgraded to a 2027 or 2028 first-round selection if the Sabres reach the Eastern Conference Final in either season before the trade is finalized.

It's hard to imagine Winnipeg will receive a more complete offer than that this offseason, especially if Hellebuyck is softly trying to leverage his way to another organization.

Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn are both proven middle-six contributors, Luukkonen is coming off a strong campaign between the pipes in Buffalo (.909 SV% in 35 appearances) and there's a decent chance the pick ultimately becomes a first-rounder.

From the Sabres' perspective, they receive an unquestioned starting goaltender — their most success in recent decades came with Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller manning the crease on a full-time basis — and do so while dealing from a position of strength.

As it stands, Buffalo is set to have at least 15 forwards battling for 13 roster spots in training camp. Making this trade would clear out the top-nine logjam, create a spot for a potential high-profile Patrick Kane signing and leave Justin Danforth to compete with Tyson Kozak for the reserve role.

You could argue the Jets aren't receiving a true superstar in the trade, but it doesn't seem like that type of player will be available to Winnipeg in the ongoing discussions. For example, the Carolina Hurricanes' rumored offer centered around defenseman Alexander Nikishin and a first-round pick.

So, getting four rock-solid assets from Buffalo may be the best the Jets can do, unless Hellebuyck is willing to stand down and spend another season with the franchise.

What if Winnipeg wants prospect Radim Mrtka instead of a draft pick from Buffalo?

Since it doesn't appear the Jets want to head down the road of a full-scale rebuild even if they trade Hellebuyck, they may want a prospect nearing NHL readiness rather than a draft pick as the final piece of the Sabres' offer.

Adding Mrtka would increase the amount of risk for Buffalo. The 19-year-old defenseman was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. He possesses a hulking 6-foot-6, 218-pound frame, brings a physical presence and moves around the ice well for a player of his size.

Yet, the Czech native didn't take the step forward offensively the Sabres were hoping for in his first post-draft season (34 points in 43 WHL games) and there may not be a clear fit for him in Western New York moving forward.

Buffalo has four defensemen under contract for at least three years: Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger. It also hopes Louis Crevier, an impending RFA, can prove worthy of a long-term contract extension this season.

The Sabres also just used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 draft, which they acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Bowen Byram trade, on blueliner Daxon Rudolph, who's aiming to make the NHL jump next year after a season at the University of Denver.

They also have a solid stable of secondary defensive prospects, led by Adam Kleber, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, Luke Osburn and Noah Laberge, among others. They're all aiming to compete for NHL opportunities in the coming years.

So, while on paper giving up Mrtka is a jump from a second- (or maybe first-) round pick, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen may be willing to take that chance. The arrival of Rudolph to the prospect pool made Mrtka a clear trade candidate this summer.

Buffalo probably won't go any higher up the totem pole in their farm system, though. Players like Rudolph and Konsta Helenius will be off limits in these scenarios.

Ultimately, it's wouldn't be a surprise if the Sabres and Jets circle back for one more round of trade talks in the near future, especially since Buffalo is probably pushing to finalize its roster soon amid the rumors about potentially signing Kane.

The question is whether Winnipeg, whose asking price has been sky high all along, is willing to drop it slightly in order to finalize an agreement before the new season arrives.