Connor Hellebuyck would make the Buffalo Sabres STANLEY CUP FAVORITES

Connor Hellebuyck would make the Buffalo Sabres STANLEY CUP FAVORITES

May 29, 2026



Connor Hellebuyck would make the Buffalo Sabres STANLEY CUP FAVORITES

There are going to be big trade ideas for the Buffalo Sabres in the summer of 2026, but none will be bigger than trading for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. There is plenty of reason to believe Hellebuyck wants to be done in Winnipeg and wants to go somewhere where he can win the Stanley Cup. The Sabres should be one of the teams on the list. Sneaky Joe believes if Hellebuyck were to be acquired by the Sabres, they would be Stanley Cup favorites, in at least the Eastern Conference. Despite three Vezina Trophies and a Hart Trophy, there is some doubt as to whether Hellebuyck is still the player he once was, after a down year. Joe breaks down his 2025-26 season and historical data of goalies at his age to show that you should believe he is still in the middle of his prime.

What would the trade cost? Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen would almost certainly have to be in the deal going back to the Jets. Pairing Hellebuyck with Alex Lyon could create the perfect environment not to exhaust Hellebuyck, and get the most out of him come playoff time.

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View Comments (23)

  1. Here’s my thing, yes goaltending let us down in the playoffs but it should never even get to that point, there are multiple holes in the roster that need filling before we sell the farm for Helly. I think you could swing hard for the fences on the kyrou or Thomas trade by dealing Norris a 1st and a krebs type player, kesselring too. IMO I love Norris but the injury proneness and 7 mill a year just can’t happen, Greenway too, that’s 4 mill that needs to be gone !!

  8. Hellebuyck just described the Sabres. If the stumble, who is coming to save them? I suspect, like every other above-average player, that the Sabres still top his no-trade list.

  10. Get the fk outta here keep what we have and run it back with as much of the team from last year. Dude was trash last year. What because he won a gold medal he is the best. Get out of here. Waste time and talk about our team.

  11. Sabres lost in game 7 cuz they only scored 2 goals and needed 3. They won 50 games with the rotation they had so what’s the problem. Nobody wins because of who their goalie is anymore.

  14. I think he hardly moves the needle at all. UPL and Lyon were great, fans just are looking at the playoff performances under a microscope right now, where both were shaky at times. They played well enough for the Sabres to win that series.

  22. HASEK was the BEST at cutting of Angles from shooter's.All the slinky stuff was cool but if you rewatch im in his prime he just knew how to take a shot lane away based in his Angle

  23. I'm a Jets fan in Winnipeg. Dude, you're crazy! To get the best goalie in the NHL, for 5 more seasons at a great cap hit, that's peanuts! Any trade needs to start with Helenius. Also, there's cap implications on your side. Benson needs a new contract. Will Zucker by himself be enough to shed?

    Let's take a look at the Panthers. Bill Zito is aggressive. On the Jets end, we'd need something like: their 9th overall pick, Mackie Sameskavich and maybe their 2nd. Something along those lines. I don't think Zito would balk at that at all.

    I'm just pushing back as a Jets fan in Winnipeg.

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