Devils Just Traded a No. 2 Pick. Now They Should Go All In for Connor Hellebuyck.

New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta opened some eyes Tuesday by shipping former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames. The return was heavy: two first-round picks and a second-rounder. Most teams would take that haul and think about the future. The Devils should think about the present instead. They should go get Connor Hellebuyck.

The Devils have missed the playoffs two straight years. Goaltending is a big reason why. Jacob Markstrom was supposed to fix things but posted an .883 save percentage in 44 games last season. That won’t get you into the postseason in this division, not with the goaltending talent at the top of the Metropolitan.

Jack Hughes scored the Olympic gold medal winner for Team USA. That set off a chain reaction around the NHL. Multiple American stars have asked for trades, looking for a Stanley Cup shot. Brady Tkachuk is now a Florida Panther. Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit. Hellebuyck might be next. The Winnipeg Jets could move their 2025 MVP and three-time Vezina winner before the offseason is done. Given their weak finish in the Central Division and Hellebuyck’s massive value, it makes sense for both sides.

What Would a Hellebuyck Trade Look Like?

The Jets don’t have much draft capital lined up. So this return is going to be pick-heavy. If you trade a guy like Hellebuyck, you need to restock the cupboard. The Devils now own extra first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 thanks to the Nemec deal. That gives them the ammo to make something happen.

Winnipeg will want a goalie prospect back. The Devils have Mikhail Yegorov, a 2024 second-round pick. He’s the kind of asset that rebuilds a position group. The Jets could also use a young defenseman. Seamus Casey, a 2022 second-rounder, has looked solid for New Jersey when called up. He might be available if Luke Hughes isn’t.

The Tkachuk trade set the baseline. Brady had zero 40-goal seasons and still returned three first-rounders. Hellebuyck is a proven MVP and Vezina winner. He should fetch more. A realistic package: the Devils’ 2026 first-rounder, Vegas’s 2027 first-rounder, Colorado’s 2028 first-rounder, Yegorov, and Casey. That’s steep. But goalies like Hellebuyck don’t hit the market often.

The Jets might also need to take Markstrom’s contract in the deal. He’s got one year left. That helps the cap math for New Jersey and gives Winnipeg a stopgap in net. It’s a lot of moving parts but the core is clear: the Devils would get the best goalie in the world. The Jets would get a rebuild starter kit.

New Jersey has the picks, the prospect depth, and the need. Mehta just pulled off one smart trade. Now he can finish the job.