NHL Trade Talk Recap: Jets, Senators, Canucks & Oilers

Today’s NHL Trade Talk roundup (October 18, 2026) has a bit of everything. Is Connor Hellebuyck learning that Winnipeg can live without him for much longer than he expected? Goalies from Canadian teams are off to a strong start, with Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark leading the way and Vancouver’s waiver pickup, Leevi Meriläinen, making the Canucks look smart. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid is off to a start nobody has seen in more than three decades. Coach Mike Babcock is impressed by how he’s doing it. And with all three storylines, there’s a lot to get into. Let’s get right to it.

Hellebuyck Is Learning the Jets Can Live Without Him

Connor Hellebuyck probably figured his trade request and holdout would force Winnipeg to act quickly. Elliotte Friedman has been trying to make sense of it too, with talk that Hellebuyck wants to return to the U.S. after the Olympics and may have lost some faith in the Jets’ Cup chances. The problem is that Winnipeg is managing without him. Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson aren’t Hellebuyck, but they’re giving the Jets workable options.

That means the pressure to move him isn’t as strong as he may have hoped. The Jets could still trade him, or he could still come back, but waiting doesn’t necessarily help his position. Wanting a change doesn’t make him the bad guy, but standing your ground has risks, and he may be finding it isn’t as easy as he thought.

Jets’ Hellebuyck Has a Problem He Didn’t See Coming

Canadian Team’s Goalies Are Off to a Strong Start, Including Vancouver’s Waiver Pickup

Here’s something fun about the early goalie numbers: a lot of them are Canadian. Linus Ullmark in Ottawa is near the top of the Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) leaderboard at +6.8, Winnipeg’s Stuart Skinner is doing well at +2.3, and Vancouver’s Leevi Meriläinen, a waiver pickup from Ottawa in September, is just outside the top 15 at +2.5 with Thatcher Demko out with a hip injury.

Meriläinen’s best example is the October 16 game against Florida, where he stopped 36 shots and still watched the Canucks lose 3-2 in overtime. It’s a good reminder that a goalie’s numbers and his team’s record don’t always tell the same story. It’s early and these numbers will move around, but a waiver pickup giving Vancouver fans a reason to keep watching is a pretty good start.

Ullmark, Skinner & Meriläinen: What Canadian Goalies Are Hot?

McDavid Is Off to a Start Nobody Has Seen Since Mario Lemieux

Another night, another highlight for McDavid, who scored twice and added three assists in Edmonton’s 6-2 win over Utah. That’s 23 points in eight games, and the last player to hit 20 that fast was Mario Lemieux, 31 years ago. At that pace, he’d end up with 242 points over 84 games, and Gretzky’s record is 215.

Mike Babcock was just as impressed by how McDavid is doing it. He played under 20 minutes, is a plus-19, and Babcock says he’s driving the team and “seems to enjoy it.” Zach Hyman scored in his return, Trent Frederic won a fight, and Edmonton is 6-1-1 and perfect on the road, with Nugent-Hopkins, Dickinson and Savoie still to come back.

Babcock Points Out Unique McDavid Stat as Oilers Beat Mammoth

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