The Edmonton Oilers have allowed 14 goals in three games and are without Frederik Andersen, which has been enough for a certain amount of wishful thinking about the best goaltender currently sitting at home. Pierre LeBrun would like that conversation to end.
“People have wondered about Edmonton for Connor Hellebuyck. He’s not gonna play in Canada,” LeBrun said on OverDrive, per TSN. “So please, let’s stop with that. That’s not happening.”
LeBrun’s understanding is that Connor Hellebuyck will not waive his no-move clause for any deal that keeps him north of the border, which rules out all seven Canadian clubs rather than just Edmonton.
Which teams are interested in Connor Hellebuyck?
Carolina and Buffalo remain the names attached to this, and LeBrun says the Hurricanes are still interested without feeling any pressure to improve what they’ve already put on the table. Their read is that the Winnipeg Jets have no leverage to force them higher.
That matches how Kevin Cheveldayoff has described the situation. Asked for a timeline, the Jets general manager wouldn’t offer one.
“You don’t have a crystal ball. When I was first made aware of the situation, the conversations that Connor’s representation and myself had were very clear and explicit that this could take a while,” Cheveldayoff said. “What ‘a while’ means, I guess, is still undefined.”
READ MORE: The latest Hellebuyck update has made fans even angrier
The awkward part for Edmonton is who is currently thriving in the net Hellebuyck vacated. Stuart Skinner, the goaltender the Oilers sent to Pittsburgh last December in the deal that brought Tristan Jarry the other way, has collected two stars for Winnipeg as the Jets have gone 2-0-1 without their starter. Edmonton is also 2-0-1, having leaned on Jarry and Devon Levi while conceding at nearly five goals a game.
Hellebuyck remains suspended without pay for failing to report to camp. He won the Hart, Vezina and Jennings trophies in 2025 before posting the worst numbers of his career last season, finishing 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage, the first time he has ever dipped below .900. His contract runs through 2030-31 at $8.5 million a season.
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