The Forward Carolina Wouldn’t Trade in the Connor Hellebuyck Chase

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The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly went to unusual lengths to get Connor Hellebuyck, and it still wasn’t enough.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Carolina couldn’t find a forward on its own roster that Winnipeg wanted badly enough to make a deal happen. So the Hurricanes tried a creative fix: reaching out to other teams to identify forwards the Jets might like, acquiring those players, and then flipping them to Winnipeg in a Hellebuyck package.

The sticking point was the return. Friedman said the Jets wanted “immediate forward help” for their longtime goaltender. The defending Stanley Cup champions weren’t willing to part with players such as Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven or Jackson Blake.

Pierre LeBrun echoed that on the French-language show Aux 4 coins de la LNH. He said Winnipeg was looking for a young forward from Carolina’s core, someone along the lines of Dawson Mercer, or perhaps even better. LeBrun didn’t know exactly who that would have been, but he suggested Stankoven or Jarvis. The Hurricanes weren’t willing to pay that price.

Hurricanes Upset They Missed Out on Hellebuyck

LeBrun later reported that this one will hurt in Carolina. The Hurricanes felt they had put a fair offer in front of the Jets for months, and they stayed interested until the very end.

Meanwhile, the deal that did get done is drawing attention for how it was set up. On The Sheet Podcast, Jeff Marek wondered whether New Jersey’s earlier claim of Remi Poirier on waivers was a smokescreen, a way to suggest the team was content with its goaltending rotation. Marek called it a classic poker bluff by Devils GM Sunny Mehta, and “one of the great bluffs we’ve seen in the NHL.”

Mehta said the Hellebuyck talks really heated up the last couple of days. The Devils were on the periphery for a while, paying attention, and then decided to move on it.

Mehta says when he originally spoke to Hellebuyck, he was like: “I’m ready, I’m packed. I’ll get in my car right now.” Mehta laughed and said he told him: “Don’t do that.”

The result is a blockbuster that came down to one question: which team was willing to give up the right forward? For Carolina, the answer cost them a franchise goalie. For the Jets, the focus now turns to whether Dawson Mercer can find another gear.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers & Trade Request Controversy