Story Summary
Buffalo could return to the Connor Hellebuyck conversation if Winnipeg’s price falls, according to Elliotte Friedman, who said the Sabres had previously shown interest and came close to acquiring the Jets goaltender.
Friedman also said Hellebuyck would waive to join Buffalo, but stopped well short of reporting a renewed bid or an agreed trade. His point was conditional: if Buffalo decides its current goaltending is not strong enough, it could be the club that elects to move again.
The reported dynamic is being shaped by Winnipeg’s start without Hellebuyck. Friedman said the Jets had opened 3-1-1, having initially been 3-0-1, and argued that those results leave Winnipeg without extra urgency to force a resolution. He suggested a further potential change in the market: if the Jets conclude they can manage with Skinner and Clay Stevenson, they may no longer need to receive a goaltender in any Hellebuyck return.
That remains a possibility rather than a completed development. No fresh Buffalo offer, trade package or timetable was detailed.
Key Facts
- Elliotte Friedman suggested Buffalo could re-enter the Connor Hellebuyck market if Winnipeg’s price drops.
- Friedman said Buffalo had been interested in Hellebuyck and had previously come close to acquiring him.
- According to Friedman, Hellebuyck would waive to go to Buffalo.
- Friedman said Winnipeg had started 3-1-1 without Hellebuyck after first opening 3-0-1.
- Friedman said the Jets do not feel added urgency around the situation.
- He suggested Winnipeg could reassess its need to acquire a goaltender in a Hellebuyck trade if it believes Skinner and Clay Stevenson can make the situation work.
- Friedman noted that Stevenson had already earned a win, including in a difficult back-to-back in Pittsburgh.
IHM Discussion
The important distinction is between Buffalo’s known previous interest and a new transaction. Friedman connected the Sabres to the situation because of that earlier pursuit, Hellebuyck’s reported willingness to waive for Buffalo, and the pressure surrounding what he described as a big year for the club. None of that establishes that Buffalo has returned with an offer.
Winnipeg’s position is equally conditional. A strong opening without Hellebuyck does not itself settle a trade question, but it can alter the club’s practical choices. Friedman pointed to the possibility that the Jets may feel more comfortable with Skinner and Stevenson than they did at the outset. If that comfort grows, a return centred on an immediate replacement in goal may become less essential from Winnipeg’s perspective.
That is the potential logjam Friedman identified. The discussion is not simply about whether Buffalo wants Hellebuyck; it is also about what Winnipeg believes it requires in return and whether its early results change that requirement. Until either side makes a move, the only firm development is the reported framework around the decision.
Why It Matters
Hellebuyck’s reported willingness to waive to Buffalo gives the Sabres a plausible route back into the conversation, rather than merely an outside link. For Winnipeg, the ability to keep winning while using other goaltenders could affect the type of return it seeks.
Friedman’s suggestion does not make a deal more certain. It does, however, identify the key condition to watch: whether Winnipeg’s internal assessment of Skinner and Stevenson changes its preference for receiving a goalie as part of any trade. That would affect the shape of a potential negotiation, not just the number of interested clubs.
IHM Market Outlook
The market signal is about flexibility, not momentum towards a completed trade. Friedman said Winnipeg does not feel extra urgency, a position supported in his view by the club’s 3-1-1 start without Hellebuyck. That reduces any need to portray Buffalo as having a deadline-driven advantage.
Buffalo’s link remains conditional on both price and internal evaluation. Friedman asked whether the Sabres have sufficiently strong goaltending and whether they might decide to act. Those are open questions, not reported decisions. Likewise, the notion of Winnipeg accepting a return without a goalie depends on its confidence in Skinner and Stevenson, rather than being an established change in trade demands.
Mini Q&A
Has Buffalo made a new offer for Connor Hellebuyck?
No new Buffalo offer, trade package or completed deal was detailed. Friedman raised Buffalo as a possible club to revisit the situation if the price drops.
Why might Winnipeg’s asking price structure change?
Friedman suggested the Jets could become less insistent on receiving a goaltender in return if they decide Skinner and Clay Stevenson can make the situation work.
Would Hellebuyck waive for Buffalo?
Friedman said Hellebuyck would waive to go to Buffalo.
Coach Mark Comment
The early Winnipeg results matter most because they give the club a chance to evaluate its goaltending from within rather than making an immediate reactionary decision. If the Jets believe Skinner and Stevenson can provide workable coverage, they can discuss any Hellebuyck return on broader terms. That is a roster-management consideration before it becomes a tactical one.
IHM Final View
Buffalo remains a credible reported possibility because it had been interested before and Hellebuyck would reportedly waive for the Sabres. But there is no new offer or trade to announce. The central question is whether Winnipeg’s confidence in Skinner and Clay Stevenson changes what it needs in return; only then would the reported Buffalo connection take on a clearer practical shape.