Big Piece Removed From Carolina’s Trade Offer for Connor Hellebuyck

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The Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly changed their offer for Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and the missing piece is a big one.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that prospect Alexander Nikishin is no longer part of Carolina’s package. If Nikishin were willing to go to Winnipeg, Friedman suggested, a deal might already be done. Several people told him Wednesday that the Hurricanes have an offer in front of the Jets that doesn’t include the young defenseman, a shift from where they originally started.

Friedman doesn’t think the revised offer is overwhelming, or the trade would likely be finished. That leaves room for other suitors, and he believes Buffalo and Utah are still in the picture. He noted that Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had another rough night Wednesday, a reminder of how much pressure teams in need of goaltending are under.

Are the Hurricanes Ready to Tell the Jets Deal or No Deal?

Friedman also noted that how Carolina negotiates could determine if this trade ultimately gets done. Friedman said general manager Eric Tulsky doesn’t announce a first-and-final offer the way Minnesota’s Bill Guerin reportedly does. But the Hurricanes have a reputation of their own: when they say it’s time, they mean it.

Friedman pointed to the Mikko Rantanen deal as the example. He said Carolina had two trades in play that night, one for Rantanen from Colorado and another for Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson. Friedman admitted he expected Pettersson to get done and was slow to pivot to Rantanen. According to him, Carolina told both teams it was time for their best offers. Colorado delivered, Vancouver reportedly came up short, and the Hurricanes moved on. Vancouver seemed a bit surprised, Friedman said, and word spread around the league: if the Hurricanes tell you it’s time, there’s no more fooling around.

The message to Winnipeg and the other interested teams is that a Carolina deadline isn’t a bluff. Friedman said he doesn’t know where talks with the Jets stand, only that Carolina has something out there. He also suggested Buffalo and Utah may be quietly hoping the offer doesn’t get the job done.

Whether Winnipeg accepts the revised package or holds out for more could shape the rest of the market. It sounds like maybe we’ll learn by the end of the weekend if the Hurricanes are in or out on Hellebuyck. If they’re out, it sounds like they’ll stay out.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canucks, Oilers & October Trade Board