How Will the Hellebuyck Standoff Actually End?

There are NHL trade standoffs, and then there is the Winnipeg Jets situation with Connor Hellebuyck. Now that Winnipeg has actually suspended its franchise goaltender, this has moved well beyond the uncomfortable stage. Something has to give eventually. The only question is what that something looks like.

And honestly, there are several ways this could go.

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The Best-Case Scenario Is That Another Team Steps Up

Winnipeg’s dream is pretty simple. Some team gets desperate enough to decide that adding a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and Olympic gold medalist is worth paying for. Maybe it’s a contender with a goaltending problem. Maybe an injury changes somebody’s plans. Suddenly, the Jets have a legitimate offer sitting on their desk.

That would let Kevin Cheveldayoff do what he generally prefers to do: wait. The problem is that teams know Winnipeg has a problem. If the reported offers have already been described as “terrible,” other general managers won’t suddenly become generous just because the calendar moves forward.

That’s where this gets interesting.

Winnipeg’s Worst Outcome Might Be That Nobody Blinks

Winnipeg could be left holding onto a suspended goaltender while preparing to move forward without the guy who has been the team’s backbone. Eventually, the Jets may have to choose between getting a deal done and holding out for the package they wanted. That’s not exactly a position of strength.

Hellebuyck isn’t exactly in a perfect spot either. The best-case scenario is that a contender makes a strong offer, the Jets agree to a reasonable deal, and he gets moved somewhere new before this starts eating into his season and paycheque.

The longer this drags on, though, the more complicated it becomes. Sitting out training camp and regular-season games isn’t exactly the ideal way for a goaltender to prepare for a season. There is also the uncertainty of not knowing where he’ll be playing or when. And that brings us to what may be the most realistic outcome.

Hellebuyck and the Jets Could Become a Slow-Burn Standoff

Maybe nothing happens immediately. Maybe Winnipeg waits. Or, maybe Hellebuyck waits. Then October arrives, somebody’s goalie gets hurt, somebody else’s team struggles in net, and suddenly the conversation changes.

That’s often how these things get resolved. Not because either side suddenly changes its mind, but because circumstances change. Cheveldayoff doesn’t have to panic. But Winnipeg also can’t pretend this situation has no cost.

At some point, the Jets will have to decide whether holding out for the perfect return is worth keeping a problem that isn’t going away. And that may ultimately be what ends the Hellebuyck standoff.

Related: 4 Teams That May Have Made “Terrible ” Trade Offers for Hellebuyck