Buffalo and Winnipeg Are Back at It. A Hellebuyck Trade Might Finally Happen.

The Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets almost had a Connor Hellebuyck trade done at the NHL Draft. Then they didn’t. Now they’re trying again.

According to multiple reports, talks restarted earlier this week. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta said the conversations picked back up on Monday, with Winnipeg defenseman Radim Mrtka’s name reportedly surfacing as a potential piece. The Sabres and Jets couldn’t agree on a return before the draft, but the sense around the league is that the price tag might have softened since then.

Former Sabres goalie Martin Biron laid it out pretty clearly on WGR 550. He thinks Winnipeg is in a tricky spot. Yes, Hellebuyck could go back and play for the Jets this season. But if the relationship is already strained, why drag it out? Biron said Winnipeg maybe overplayed their hand before the draft, demanding a specific return that Buffalo wasn’t willing to give. Now, he thinks both sides might be more flexible.

Hellebuyck hasn’t formally asked for a trade, but it’s not hard to read the room. Winnipeg just committed nearly $4 million a year to Stuart Skinner, which is a lot of money for a backup. If you’re spending that kind of cash on a second goalie, you’re probably planning on the first one leaving.

The Sabres are desperate for a difference-maker

This is the part that makes the whole thing feel inevitable. Buffalo ended a playoff drought that lasted more than a decade. They made the postseason last year and they want to stay there. Landing a goalie of Hellebuyck’s caliber would do more than just improve their roster. It would push them to the top of the Atlantic Division odds board overnight.

What would the return look like?

The Sabres’ previous offer reportedly included goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and the fourth overall pick, which they used on defenseman Daxon Rudolph. That pick is gone now. So what does Buffalo have left that Winnipeg wants? The answer probably involves a mix of young roster players and prospects. The Jets need to rebuild on the fly, and Buffalo has one of the deeper prospect pools in the league.

Nothing is done yet. But the fact that both sides are talking again suggests last week’s impasse wasn’t the final word. If the Sabres can pull this off, they’re not just a playoff team anymore. They’re a team that could make real noise.