The saga is over: the Winnipeg Jets have traded three-time Vezina Trophy winner and Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils in a blockbuster deal ahead of the Heritage Classic.
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New Jersey Devils Acquire Connor Hellebuyck
#njdevils #gojetsgo https://t.co/gAMy69WQlM
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) October 23, 2026
The New Jersey Devils never stopped pursuing Connor Hellebuyck. The Devils wanted him three years ago but couldn’t get anything across the finish line. Hellebuyck signed a seven-year deal at $8.5 million a season. However, when the Jets submitted the trade request at season’s end, the Devils were always in the mix. Goaltending was a must.
Been on this story for weeks. The Devils and Jets talked. Hellebuyck wants to win. And needs to be convinced he can in New Jersey. He wants to win next three years.
Devils always had the parts for Winnipeg. Again let’s see where this goes.
Devils tried for him a couple of years ago #njdevils #gojetsgo
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) June 30, 2026
However, the acquisition comes with a price. As they say, you have to give up something to get something. The Devils traded Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, a 2027 7th-round pick and a 2029 2nd-round pick.
The New Jersey Devils sending Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alex Command, Nick Bjugstad, and two draft picks to Winnipeg for Connor Hellebuyck.
Devils get a guy they have Been after for three years and Cheveldayoff gets his price #gojetsgo #njdevils
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) October 23, 2026
Dawson Mercer being in this deal is not a surprise. He has been rumoured in a potential Hellebuyck deal for a couple of years now. Mercer has been in trade rumors going back the last couple of seasons. If the Devils had acquired Juuse Saros or Ryan O’Reilly, he would have gone the other way.
To make the money work, Nico Daws is going to Winnipeg. As one source indicated, the Devils were playing him a lot to showcase his abilities at the NHL level as New Jersey and Winnipeg re-engaged in trade talks this week. The Jets had been scouting the Devils a lot recently. In addition, Nick Bjugstad is heading to Winnipeg along with Alex Command, whom the Devils selected in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
One way or another, this was coming to an end, as Full Press Media had documented. The Jets were up against a deadline, with the pending suspension lifting on October 23rd and the Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens on October 25th.
Remember, the Jets suspended Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp. However, he told the team before the season opened that he wanted to return. They suspended him for a reasonable period without pay. But the clock was ticking. The Jets could only pay him so long to keep him away from the team. So if a trade wasn’t done, he was coming back after the weekend.
Word had been that nobody in the Winnipeg Jets, from the owner to the players to the General Manager, wanted him back after making his trade request so public. Connor Hellebuyck didn’t want to return to Winnipeg. Since the trade request hadn’t been fulfilled, the agent and player used it as pressure to get something done. He also publicly released a statement making his trade request at the end of the season, ahead of training camp.
Despite comments made by Devils GM Sunny Mehta about goaltending, New Jersey had been connected from the start and never left the discussion. Mehta has been playing poker since the day he arrived in the NHL.
The New Jersey Devils have a franchise goalie, something they had been missing since Martin Brodeur left. It will be interesting to see what else the New Jersey Devils have up their sleeve moving forward.
As for the Winnipeg Jets, Kevin Cheveldayoff gets his price and moves out a distraction and a player who didn’t want to be there. Now the Jets can focus on their season and the upcoming Heritage Classic game.
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